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UTSA Volleyball Team Comes Back To Knock Off North Texas in Five
Roadrunners come back in win over North Texas
SAN ANTONIO - The UTSA volleyball team came back to defeat North Texas, 3-2 (25-19, 14-25, 24-26, 25-23, 15-8), despite being two points away from a loss on Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
North Texas (6-5) led 23-18 in the fourth set but a stingy UTSA (5-6) squad reeled off seven consecutive points to stay alive before winning the final frame.
Kendra Rowland led three UTSA players into double digits with 13 kills. Andee Josserand notched 11 winners, while Brittney Malloy recorded 10. Kelsey Schwirtlich continued her solid play with another double-double of 40 assists and 16 digs. Kelsey Jewasko posted a match-high 31 digs for the Runners.
North Texas was led by 23 kills from Amy Huddleston. Rachelle Wilson chipped in with 14 winners. Kayla Saey dished out a match-high 54 assists and tallied 15 digs. Sarah Wiley posted 30 digs to lead the Mean Green's defensive efforts.
The Runners' momentum from Saturday night's sweep carried into the first set of the afternoon as UTSA pushed out to an early 7-3 lead. A 5-1 run by the Mean Green pulled the game within one (8-7). The Birds would answer with a 9-2 run which gave UTSA an eight-point advantage (17-9) capped off by a kill from Rowland. The runs would not end as North Texas answered back immediately with a 9-3 run, cutting the UTSA lead to two (20-18) before Laura Groff called a timeout. Following the stoppage in play, the Roadrunners claimed a first-set win as Rowland slammed home her fourth winner, topping off a 5-1 run.
The battle of streaks continued in the early part of the second frame. UTSA jumped to an early 6-1 advantage thanks to back-to-back services aces from Rowland. The Mean Green soared back into the set by reeling off an 18-4 run to give the opponents a 19-10 lead. The Runners were unable to mount much of a comeback and dropped the second set 25-14.
With the match knotted at 12 in the third set, the two teams went back-and-forth for the next 16 points before two straight attack errors by the Mean Green allowed UTSA to take a 22-20 advantage. The lead was short-lived as North Texas claimed the next two points. The two teams played even for the next four points. With the match tied at 24, the Mean Green received a kill from Amy Huddleston and a Roadrunner attack error to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
A close fourth stanza opened up after a two-point UTSA deficit turned into four (14-18). With the Runners trailing by five (18-23), Schwirtlich and Rowland each registered putdowns. North Texas committed an attack error which cut the Mean Green lead to two (21-23). The Roadrunners tied up the set at 23 as Mason and Schwirtlich combined on a block. UTSA claimed the lead as Melanie Boykins' attack went wide. Rowland and Mason joined forces stuffing Roxana Casvean's attack attempt to give the Runners a 25-23 win, which forced the deciding set.
UTSA gained a 5-3 lead in the deciding frame following the strength of a 4-0 run, forcing North Texas to call a timeout. The Roadrunners held an 8-5 advantage as the two teams switched sides. The brief pause in action did not deter the Birds momentum as UTSA went on to win 15-8.
UTSA will take a trip north to Fort Worth for the two-day TCU Nike/Molten Invitational beginning Friday, Sept. 17.
Denver Volleyball Team Falls to Notre Dame in Final Match of Pioneer Classic
Freshman Brea Muhle led the Pioneers with nine kills while junior Alyssa Bonelli added eight
DENVER – The University of Denver volleyball team (6-6) fell 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-14) to Notre Dame (7-2) in the final match of the Pioneer Classic on Sunday afternoon in Hamilton Gymnasium. Earlier in the day, Jacksonville State defeated Gonzaga 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-19).
“I think overall this weekend, we made some great progress,” said head coach Beth Kuwata. “However, Notre Dame did a great job blocking at the net that caused some difficulties for us and kept us from getting into any kind of rhythm offensively.”
Freshman Brea Muhle (Columbus, Neb.) led the Pioneers against the Irish with nine kills, while junior Alyssa Bonelli (Superior, Colo.) finished with eight kills and two blocks. Also contributing offensively for the Pioneers was senior setter Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) with six kills and 11 assists and freshman Alex Turgeon (Cherry Hills Village, Colo.) who tallied six kills.
Defensively, the Pioneers spread out the responsibilities as senior Kacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) finished with six digs, while Vreeman notched five digs.
Kellie Sciacca led the Irish with 14 kills, while Kristen Dealy added nine kills.
Up next, the Pioneers host Middle Tennessee on Friday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium. Tickets are just $8 for adults, children and student with a valid Pioneer Card are free.
Cal Poly Volleyball Defeats Washington State volleyball team 3-1 to Win Cougar Challenge
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Meagan Ganzer’s 26 kills was not enough for the Washington State Cougars volleyball team as Cal Poly prevailed in the Nike Cougar Challenge tournament title match Saturday with set scores of 25-19, 25-19, 19-25, and 25-16 at Bohler Gym.
Washington State, now 5-4 on the season, was led by Ganzer’s 26 kills (.393), three blocks, two aces and 10 digs. Brittany Tillman added 10 kills (.444) and had a match-high five blocks. Sara Biondi had 45 assists and Ocean Bush had 16 digs. The Cougars has two aces and 11 service errors in the match.
Cal Poly’s Kristina Graven had 20 kills (.415) and 12 digs, followed statistically by Catie Smith with 15 kills and 12 digs and Jennifer Keddy’s 14 kills (.542). Setter Sarah Cawrse had 48 assists and Alison Mort had 16 digs.
“I liked that our two middle hit .278 and .444 with 18 attempts tonight,” Cougar Head Coach Andrew Palileo said. “Sara did a good job of mixing it up so I’m happy with that part of the game. We have a lot to work on and I told the team we will continue to train and continue to get individually better and that will make us better as a team.”
Kaleinani Kablis started in her first match as a Cougar and contributed nine digs. The 5-7 outside hitter from Hilo, Hawai’i transferred from Western Nebraska CC but had knee surgery and missed the first three weeks.
“We are looking for someone who can hit the ball outside and not make a lot of errors,” Palileo said. “I’m taking my chances so we don’t lose points on easy plays. I thought having Oceana and Kalei in there all six rotations really helped us out. Kalei is still getting in game speed and thinking about that knee but I think she did fairly well.”
CP took an 18-13 lead in the first set and extended to a 24-17 lead. Cougars stopped the Mustangs twice but the visitors prevailed 25-19. Cal Poly hit .389 in the opener with three players landing five kills each and out-blocked the Cougs 5-to-1.
WSU was ahead in the second set 18-17 but was plagued by a pair of errant serves, a receiving error and two attack errors. WSU hit .233 but the Mustangs hit .452 and win the set 25-19.
Kabalis moved to libero in the third set and Bush again played outside hitter. Whether it was the lineup change or the long chat at the break, the Cougars come out ready to play and took charge of this set from the first serve, fending off a late charge by Cal Poly. Ganzer had nine kills on 13 attacks with no errors in this set. Cougars hit .536 as a team and win this one 25-19.
The fourth set was dominated by the Mustangs and although the Cougars has small rallies, it was not enough. Cal Poly wins 25-16.
The Nike Cougar Challenge all-tournament team, as chosen by the coaches: Rachelle Allen, Montana State; Chenoa Covaire, Eastern Washington; Jennifer Keddy, Cal Poly; Meagan Ganzer, WSU; Brittany Tillman, WSU; Libero - Alison Mort, Cal Poly; and MVP - Kristina Graven, Cal Poly.
In the earlier match Saturday, Cal Poly defeated Montana State 25-10, 25-12, 25-11. Kristina Graven led the Mustangs with 15 kills and Catie Smith had 11. MSU’s Rachelle Allen led the Bobcats with seven kills.
Washington State hosts Gonzaga Tuesday, Sept. 14, in a 7 p.m. match in Bohler Gym. This is the Cougars last non-conference contest. WSU begins Pac-10 play Sept. 24 at Oregon.
Lobos Volleyball Team Hosts Comcast Lobo Challenge
Up Next in 2010 Lobo Volleyball Matches #7-9 - Comcast Lobo Challenge Sept. 10 - vs. Sacramento State, 1 p.m. Sept. 10 - vs. SMU, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 - vs. UC Santa Barbara, 2:30 p.m. Johnson Center • Albuquerque, N.M.
Follow Along ... GameTracker and All-Access Lobo TV will be available for all three matches through links on GoLobos.com. Neutral matches will also be available through GameTracker and Lobo TV.
Against Sacramento State (4-3) ... This will be just the third meeting between the Lobos and Sacramento State. The Hornets lead the series 2-0. The last time the two met was in Albuquerque on Sept. 20, 2003, a Lobo 3-1 loss.
Against SMU (5-1) ... New Mexico leads the series 3-1, including a 2-0 record in Albuquerque. The last meeting between the two was a 3-2 win for UNM on Sept. 20, 2002.
Against UC Santa Barbara (3-3) ... The Lobos lead the series 3-2, winning the last three meetings. The teams faced each other in the 2009 MCM Elegante Lobo Classic championship game on Aug. 29 with UNM winning, 3-2.
Next Week ... The Lobos will host Rio Grande rival New Mexico State on Sept. 14, followed by three matches against South Florida, Jacksonville and Florida Atlantic in the Hilton Garden Inn Invitational in Tampa, Sept. 17-18.
• The Lobos received votes in the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the first two weeks of the season. Six current Lobo opponents are receiving votes in the poll - No. 2 Stanford, No. 6 Hawai’i, No. 8 USC, No. 15 Colorado State, RV Michigan State and RV New Mexico State.
• Senior Taylor Hadfield was named to the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic All-Tournament Team over the weekend.
• Senior Jade Michaelsen has been named one of the Top 30 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award recognizes seniors from all over the country for their achievements in competition, classroom, community and character.
• The Lobos’ match on Nov. 13 vs. Wyoming scheduled for The Pit has been moved back to the Johnson Center due to scheduling conflicts.
About New Mexico (2-4, 0-0 MWC) ... Senior middle blocker Taylor Hadfield was named to the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic All-Tournament team ... The Lobos earned second place in the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic with wins over Pepperdine and Tulane and a loss to No. 4 Stanford. Taylor Hadfield and junior outsider hitter Kelly Williamson were named to the all-tournament team ... New Mexico received votes in the 2010 AVCA Preseason Poll (40th) and the Aug. 30 poll (27th) ... UNM will face 10 teams receiving votes in the preseason poll this season ... The Lobos were picked fourth in the 2010 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll, eight points out of second ... Senior setter Jade Michaelsen was named to the All-MWC Preseason Team ... Jade Michaelsen and senior outside hitter Lisa Meeter are the team captains for 2010.
About Sacramento State (4-3, 0-0 Big Sky) ... The Hornets, under the direction of third-year head coach Ruben Volta, went 2-1 in the Corvallis Invitational and 2-2 in the Sacramento State Invitational to start the 2010 season. Sophomore outside hitterJanelle Currey leads the Hornets with 4.30 kills per set and 14 service aces. She is second in digs with 104. Junior middle Kelsey Elston leads the front row defense with 40 total blocks.
About SMU (5-1, 0-0 Conference USA) ... The Mustangs, under the direction of head coach Lisa Seifert, went 3-0 in the Baylor Invitational and 2-1 in their home tournament over the weekend. Junior outside hitter Dana Powell and senior outside hitter Kathryn Wilkerson lead SMU with 3.35 and 3.04 kills per set. Senior middle Caitlin Adair and sophomore middle Courtney Manning lead the front row defense with 25 and 23 blocks each.
About UC Santa Barbara (3-3, 0-0 Big West) ... The Gauchos, under the direction of head coach Kathy Gregory, went 2-1 over the past weekend with wins over San Francisco and Washington State. Gregory is in her 36th season at UCSB. Junior middle blocker Stacey Schmidt leads UCSB with 3.00 kills per set and 21 blocks.
Current RPI rankings ... The official NCAA RPI rankings will come out in the next few weeks. Richkern.com has the Lobos ranked 38th overall and a Pablo ranking of 35th. The RKPI will not be available for a few more weeks. It will be interesting to see what UNM’s strength of schedule numbers look like in another week since the first six opponents of the season rank from #7-70.
Michaelsen Aiming For Lobo All-Time Career Mark ... Senior setter Jade Michaelsen moved into third on the UNM career assists list during the Sept. 3 match against No. 10 USC, passing Sharon Browning (3,214; 1989-92). She reached the 3,000 career assist mark in the third set of the TCU match on Nov. 20, 2009. She needs 17 assists to move into second place.
Following The Lehne ... Former Lobo Anna Lehne blocked her way up the UNM career blocking charts, wrapping up her career in 2009 ranked second on the total blocks list. Now it is time for some current Lobos to challenge those marks. Senior setter Jade Michaelsen jumped on to the career block assists list at No. 10 at the end of the 2009 season with 208.
UNM Career Total Blocks 1. Chelsea Sondrup 433 2002-05 2. Anna Lehne 369 2006-09 3. Kelly Therkelsen 336 2003-06 4. Linda Archuleta 326 1980-82, ‘84 5. Laurel Luman 320 1990-93 6. Robyn Wentworth 313 1992-94 7. Tammy Lansford 299 1987-90 Pauline Manser 299 1988-91 Zhao Lu 299 1995-96 10. Amber Smith 258 1996-99 Closing In: Jade Michaelsen 241 2007-present Taylor Hadfield 174 2007-present Ashley Rhoades 145 2008-present
UNM Career Block Solos 1. Linda Archuleta 120 1980-82, ‘84 2. Terri Nelson 107 1980-83 3. Tammy Lansford 86 1987-90 4. Anna Lehne 79 2006-09 5. Pauline Manser 76 1988-91 6. Sue Guinn 73 1983-84 7. Robyn Wentworth 68 1992-94 Shannon Vessup 68 1981, ‘83 Laurel Luman 68 1990-93 10. Kelly Knowles 62 1980-82
Lisa Is Aces (and Digs, and Kills, and Points) ... Senior Lisa Meeter is on the verge of cracking the UNM career service aces Top 10 list. The outside hitter from Colorado Springs, Colo., led the team in aces two of the past three seasons, finishing the 2009 season with 30 and 84 for her career. As a freshman, Meeter recorded 38 aces during the 2007 season, tying for eighth on the UNM Top 10 season aces list. She is five aces away from cracking the UNM Top 10 career aces list. Meeter is also closing in on the UNM all-time career kills Top 10 list. She has 859 going into the weekend, needing 74 to move into 10th place by herself. Meeter moved into the Top 10 in all-time career attempts against Hawai’i on Sept. 4.
UNM Career Service Aces 1. Terri Nielson 193 1980-83 2. Jocelyn Funk 119 1983-86 Alicia Bergmann 119 1992-95 4. Jo Anne O’Connell 115 1982-85 5. Tania Gooley 109 1991-94 6. Gayle Tripp 107 2005-08 7. Nao Ikeda 105 1986-89 8. Kelly Knowles 104 1980-82 9. Nana Allison 96 1996-99 10. Paula Feathers 95 1995-98 Closing In: Lisa Meeter 90 2007-present
UNM Career Kills 1. Tania Gooley 1,579 1991-94 2. Maria Gurreri 1,473 1987-90 3. Jeanne Fairchild 1,238 2006-08 4. Pauline Manser 1,229 1988-91 5. Kim Hicks 1,131 1980-81, ‘83 6. Amber Smith 1,122 1996-99 7. Anna Reines 1,089 2001-03 8. Terri Nielson 1,074 1980-83 9. Nao Ikeda 1,040 1986-89 10. Sharon Browning 932 1989-92 Closing In: Lisa Meeter 859 2007-present
UNM Career Attack Attempts 1. Tania Gooley 3,721 1991-94 2. Maria Gurreri 3,426 1987-90 3. Amber Smith 3,221 1996-99 4. Jeanne Fairchild 2,892 2006-08 5. Anna Reines 2,769 2001-03 6. Paula Feathers 2,679 1995-98 7. Terri Nielson 2,645 1980-83 8. Kim Hicks 2,584 1980-81, ‘83 9. Pauline Manser 2,549 1988-91 10. Lisa Meeter 2,464 2007-present
HONOLULU – Junior All-America outside hitter Alex Jupiter (Paris, France/Redondo Union HS) registered 22 kills and 16 digs Sunday as the No. 10 USC Women of Troy upset the No. 4 Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine, 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 15-7), to win the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. Jupiter earned most outstanding player honors for the tournament as USC improves to 6-0 on the season.
Sophomore Katie Fuller had a career-high 17 kills for the Trojans with six blocks and 20.5 points while hitting .382 on the evening. Junior setter Kendall Bateman had 53 assists, six digs and six blocks while junior middle blocker Lauren Williams had 14 kills, five assists and six blocks (two solo) while hitting .500 (14-1-26). Bateman and Williams were named to the all-tournament team.
Kanani Danielson posted 21 kills and 15 digs for Hawai’i (5-1), who suffered its first loss of the season. Brittany Hewitt dominated for the Rainbow Wahine with 18 kills and 10 blocks while hitting .708 (18-2-24).
Both teams had equal stats in the serving department with three aces and 12 errors. USC held the slight edge on blocks, 16.0-15.5, while getting 68 digs to UH’s 60 digs for the match. With the win, USC snapped a four-match losing streak to Hawai’i, which included back-to-back losses in the second round of the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Tournament with both matches taking place at the Galen Center on the USC campus.
Williams capped a 4-0 run for the Trojans to start the first set, but Hawai’i answered with four straight as Elizabeth Ka’aihue served an ace to tie it at 4-4. Williams capped a 4-1 run as USC held the 8-5 lead. Hewitt hammered the overpass to get within one at 8-7, but the Trojans scored four straight points to go up 12-7. Two service errors put the Rainbow Wahine back in the set and Hewitt took advantage of two overpasses to tie it at 15-15. Ka’ahiue served another aces as six straight points made it a 17-15 score for UH. Both teams traded points as Hawai’i stayed ahead. Hewitt gave set point for the Rainbow Wahine, but Fuller responded with a point at 24-23. USC had a chance on a freeball, but Falyn Fonoimoana’s crosscourt attempt went into the net to give Hawai’i the early lead in the match.
At 6-6 in the second set, Fuller terminated from the back row to start at 5-1 run for the Women of Troy. After UH called a timeout, they responded with four straight points to tie it at 11-11. Jupiter’s service ace made it 14-13 for USC, but another Trojan serving error put UH back on top at 17-16. Jupiter got hot as she accounted for the next five USC points with the Women of Troy taking the lead, 22-19. Danielson got the Rainbow Wahine within two at 23-21, but Fonoimoana and Alexis Olgard stuffed an attempt on the left side as the Trojans recorded the set win.
Olgard and Fuller forced a UH timeout in the third set with the block and the 6-3 USC lead. Emily Hartong put down an overpass to tie it at 7-7. Fuller came through again to start a 7-2 run with Jupiter’s solo block putting USC ahead by five, 14-9. A serving error by UH, followed by an attack error kept USC up by six at 18-12 as the Rainbow Wahine burned their final timeout of the set. Olgard started four straight points for the Women of Troy and Williams hit one down the middle as USC took the third set.
Hawai’i got the crowd back into the match with a 9-3 run to start the fourth set. USC whittled the lead away as Olgard hit the kill to cut the deficit to two at 9-7. USC would tie it at 10-10, but Hawai’i took control with a 5-1 run as Hewitt and Danielson teamed on a block. A triple block on Jupiter kept UH ahead by five and Danielson served an ace to the back left corner to send the match to the deciding fifth set. The Women of Troy committed 10 attack errors against 12 kills for a .044 hitting clip in the set.
In the deciding set, Danielson went crosscourt for the first point. A UH attack error then got USC going with four straight points as Williams hit off the touch into the back corner for the 4-1 lead and a Rainbow Wahine timeout. Williams won a key joust on the next point and Fuller terminated off the right side for the 6-1 margin as Hawai’i called its final timeout of the set. Danielson got the home team within three at 7-4, but a service error by UH gave USC the four-point lead at the switch. The Trojans closed out the match with a 7-3 stretch, including five in a row started by a kill from freshman Kirby Burnham as a final dual block gave the match to USC. The Women of Troy hit .583 in the final set (7-0-12) while the Rainbow Wahine had six errors for a .000 clip (6-6-20).
USC hosts Virginia next Friday (Sept. 10) in a 7 p.m. match at the Galen Center. The match will be broadcast live through a video webcast on usctrojans.com, courtesy of SC TV.
Notes: Hawai’i leads the all-time series with USC by a 21-17 margin after the Women of Troy snapped a four-match losing streak in the series with three of the losses coming in NCAA Tournament play…freshman libero Natalie Hagglund posted a season-high 22 digs tonight…Alex Jupiter’s 16 digs were a season high and her 22 kills was one away from tying her season high of 23, set last Saturday against Cal State Fullerton…Katie Fuller’s previous career best for kills was 10, set last season…the trio of Alex Jupiter, Kendall Bateman and Lauren Williams earned all-tournament team honors for the second straight weekend…USC had a season-high 12 service errors in tonight’s match with the previous high being nine.
Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team
Alex Jupiter (USC) – Most Outstanding Player Kendall Bateman (USC) Lauren Williams (USC) Brittany Hewitt (Hawai’i) Kanani Danielson (Hawai’i) Taylor Hadfield (New Mexico) Becca Zlabis (Michigan State)
Tulsa Volleyball Team Sweeps San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara Golden Hurricane wins Powerade/Asics Challenge with three 3-0 wins, Henderson named MVP
SAN FRANCISCO – Tyler Henderson earned tournament MVP honors as The University of Tulsa volleyball team completed its sweep through the Powerade/Asics Challenge with a pair of 3-0 victories over San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara Saturday at War Memorial Gym.
Henderson totaled 43 kills and 16 digs in the two matches Saturday, while Jessica Adams, also a member of the all-tournament team, totaled 33 digs for the Golden Hurricane (4-2). On its way to winning the tournament championship in dominating fashion, TU swept UC Santa Barbara, which received votes in last week’s AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll, and Washington State, which played in the NCAA Tournament last season out of the Pac 10.
The Golden Hurricane returns home for the first time this season at it plays host to the Radisson Tulsa Airport Invitational Sept. 10 and 11 at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Friday, TU faces Arkansas State at 11 a.m., Arkansas State plays Lamar at 3 p.m., and Tulsa plays Lamar at 7 p.m. Arkansas State and Lamar face off again Saturday at 1 p.m.
UT Arlington Mavs Volleyball Team Falls 3-1 to Mississippi State
Tara Frantz earned a team-high 11 kills, but UT Arlington fell to Mississippi State, 3-1, Saturday night in the final match of the UT Arlington Maverick Classic.
The power of Mississippi State’s attack neutralized UT Arlington’s improved defense in the Bulldogs’ 18-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17 victory at Texas Hall.
“We felt like we were on the defensive for most of the match and we talked about that,” UTA coach Diane Seymour said. “We lost a little bit of composure and hit the panic button because it’s like they were bombarding us non-stop. Sometimes that’s how it is – the opposing team will just be bombing you and you can stick your chest out and come back or you can lie down. I don’t think that we lay down, but I don’t know that we pushed back hard enough.”
UTA finished the tournament 3-1. Mississippi State won all three of its matches.
Unlike UTA’s offense all weekend, Mississippi State relied heavily on a few attackers. Caitlin Rance led the charge with a game-high 25 kills and Ashley Newsome chipped in with 2 of her own.
UT Arlington hung with the Bulldogs (7-0) throughout the match. The Mavericks won the first set behind setter Raegan Daniel. The senior setter totaled four kills to go along with her eight assists in the first game. She finished the night with seven kills and 32 assists.
“I think we realized that we were a little bit quicker than Mississippi State,” Seymour said. “They’re definitely more powerful than we are, but we thought if we could put some balls on target we would have a chance. Raegan’s very effective. She sees the court very well and knows the right time for herself and her teammates.”
Mississippi State turned up its offensive pressure, forcing the Mavs into a defensive position after the first game.
Still, UTA kept itself in the match with its quality, balanced attack. Four players finished with nine or more kills – Frantz, Bianca Sauls, Eld-hah Kaswatuka and Emily Shearin.
Seymour said wants to see more production out of her outside hitters, but said the overall weekend was a positive.
“We just need to pick up the offensive numbers of our outside hitters a little bit and we’ll be in good shape,” Seymour said. “It’s interesting to think that last weekend our outside hitters carried us and this week our middle blockers carried us. Now we’re going to put it all together and next year we’ll be great.”
The Mavericks return to the court Friday at 2:30 p.m. when they play Northern Colorado in the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic.
Saint Louis Billikens Volleyball Team Loses to Iowa in Five-Set Heartbreaker Alyssa Deno named to All-Tournament team
ST. LOUIS – The Saint Louis volleyball team built an early 5-0 lead in the fifth set, but Iowa rallied for a 15-11 win and claimed the championship of the Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge in Chaifetz Arena. Iowa won the match 20-25, 25-23, 13-25, 25-10, 15-11. A crowd of 1,668 attended the match, the third-highest total in program history.
Billiken setter Hannah Kvitle served the first five points of the decisive set to give SLU an advantage. Alyssa Deno tallied two kills in the opening burst, and Kvitle’s ace put the Bills up 5-0. Iowa answered with three straight points to close the gap, but a kill by Andrea Beaty and an Iowa hitting error handed SLU a 7-3 edge. The Hawkeyes took advantage of two SLU hitting errors, and a block pushed Iowa on top 8-7. The Billikens tied the set on a Hawkeye service error, but Iowa scored three straight to build an 11-8 lead. The Bills cut the gap to 11-9, but kills by Tiffany Nilges and Nikki Daily pushed the Iowa lead to 13-9. The Billikens scored two of the next three points on kills by Megan Boken and Carly Marcum to edge to 14-11. However, the SLU rally came up just short as Nilges’ kill ended the match at 15-11.
Set one was tied 4-4 before a Marcum kill ignited a quick 3-0 run by the Billikens for a 7-4 lead. Iowa scored a point, but the Billikens reeled off five straight points to take a 12-5 lead. SLU’s advantage stood at 13-7 before Iowa closed the deficit with four unanswered points. The Hawkeyes eventually tied the set at 17-17. A Deno kill and a tip by Kvitle boosted the Billikens to a 20-18 lead. At 22-20, SLU scored the final three points to take the set 25-20.
The second set featured 15 ties and nine lead changes before Iowa eventually tied the match 1-1. The Billikens scored the first three points of the set but neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way. Iowa tied the set at 5-5 before a steady set of sideouts ensued. The Billikens took their last lead at 22-21, and Iowa eventually tied the set at 23-23. However, a kill by Lauren Friedman and a block gave Iowa a 25-23 win.
SLU edged ahead in set three 13-11 before a 4-0 burst. Kvitle’s tip started the run, and a Deno kill ended it for a 17-11 lead. The Billikens led 18-12 and took control with a 5-0 spree en route to a 25-13 win. After four early ties in the fourth set, Iowa raced gradually built a lead of 11-6 sparked by three kills from Becky Walters. A kill from Deno halted the run but Walters put down another kill, which kicked off an 8-0 charge that spurred the Hawkeyes to a 19-7 lead. Iowa went on to win the set 25-10 as it hit at a .345 clip. Saint Louis committed six hitting errors in set four.
Deno, who was named to the All-Tournament team, led the Billikens with 22 kills and completed a double-double with 13 digs. Beaty registered a career-high 13 kills, while libero Grace Bonoma recorded a match- and career-high 23 digs. Mallory Husz led Iowa with 16 kills and a match-best nine blocks, and Bethany Yeager finished with 21 digs.
The Billikens are 2-4 on the season, while the Hawkeyes improve to 5-1.
Indiana State Volleyball Team Falls To Montana State 3-1 In Finals Of ISU/DRURY Inn Classic
Sycamores have three-game win streak snapped but still off to best start since 2002 TERRE HAUTE, IND. – The Indiana State volleyball team went toe-to-toe with the Montana State Bobcats but lost in four sets 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 21-25, 23-25) in the final game of the ISU/Drury Inn Classic Saturday night in the ISU Arena.
The Sycamores, Montana State, and SIU Edwardsville, who defeated Western Carolina 3-0 in the late afternoon game, were all tied with 2-1 tournament records. That left the tournament champion up to a complicated tie breaker formula with the SIU Edwardsville Cougars declared the tournament champions. Indiana State was second with Montana State third.
Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Dall and junior defensive specialist Kiya James were named to the All-Tournament team. SIUE’s Sydney Winslow was named the tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Lexi Cibulka and Kelsey Augustine. Mackenzie Campbell of Montana State was also on the all-tournament team along with Western Carolina’s Carrie Minogue.
Indiana State fell to 5-2 on the season with the loss but that is still the best start since the 2002 season when the Sycamores also started 5-2. ISU will be back in the ISU Arena on Tuesday when they host the Valparaiso Crusaders in a 7 p.m. game.
Dall led the Sycamore offense against Montana State with 15 kills while senior Ana Maira Charun had 10. Freshman Loni Mackinson had 28 assists. James had 18 digs while Dall had 13 and Mackinson 12.
Indiana State had the advantage through most of the first set but the Bobcats kept rallying to stay close. Montana State rallied from a 20-18 deficit by scoring seven of the last nine points to win the first set 25-22. The Sycamores were able to remain in control throughout the second set and evened the game at one-set each with a 25-20 victory.
The third set was tied six times with four lead changes but the Sycamores struggled to gain control of the set. Montana State used a 6-0 run midway through the set to take an 18-15 lead and Indiana State was not able to get back to even. The Bobcats held serve the rest of the set for a 25-21 win and take a 2-1 lead in the game.
The fourth set was equally hard fought with 13 ties and eight lead changes as the momentum swung constantly from one side of the net to the other. After trailing late, Indiana State rallied to take a 22-20 lead after a Charun kill. Montana State rallied to score the next four points to regain the advantage and held on for the 25-23 win and a 3-1 victory over the Sycamores.
Ball State Women's Volleyball Team Takes Active Ankle Title With Sweep Of Oakland
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State (6-0) women's volleyball team captured the 2010 Active Ankle Challenge title with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-14) sweep of Oakland (3-4) Saturday evening at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals, who have not dropped a set this season, are off to their best start since 1989, when BSU also started 6-0. Ball State's 18-set winning streak is also the fourth-longest in program history.
The best start in a season for a BSU squad came in 1973, when the team run off 10-straight to open the second season in program history. "I thought tonight was as well as we have competed all year," said first-year head coach Steve Shondell. "It was a match where we had everyone playing well, which very seldom happens in volleyball. We felt like for us to succeed and win tonight, we needed good performances from everybody."
As a team, the Cardinals connected for a season-best .339 attack percentage, with 48 kills to just eight errors in 112 attempts. Junior setter Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) did another solid job spreading out the BSU offense, with five players collecting at least five kills and at least 12 attempts.
"Our offense is coming together," said Shondell. "It is something we are working hard at and hope to continue to improve." After her third straight strong match of the tournament, junior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North H.S.) was named the tournament's MVP.
In the championship match versus Oakland, she scored 10 kills and hit .381 (10-2-21). She also collected three more digs and two more blocks. "Kelsey gave us three great matches," said Shondell about the tournament MVP. "She is bringing leadership to the team, competing well and coming through when games are on the line. She is doing everything we expect her to do, and really need her to do. I thought she had a solid tournament from start to finish, which is why she was rewarded with a great honor."
Freshman outside attacker Kylee Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North H.S.) led the Ball State offense with 16 kills and finished the match without a hitting error in 36 attempts for a .444 hitting mark. She also tallied 11 digs for her first career double-double to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Senior libero Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) was also named to the all-tournament squad after pacing all players with 22 digs. She also added the Cardinals' lone service ace of the contest.
Overall, the Ball State defense limited Oakland to a tournament-low .140 (37-19-129) attack percentage, despite 13 kills from Meghan Bray. Brittany Dunn led the Golden Grizzlies with 15 digs. For their efforts throughout the tournament, Oakland's Jenna Lange and Ashley Nevelle were named to the all-tournament team. In the opening match of Saturday's evening session, Robert Morris (3-4) earned a hard-fought 3-1 (25-22, 31-29,23-25, 25-19) victory over Tennessee State (0-4).
Amanda Craig represented Robert Morris on the all-tournament team, while Muncie native Kamille King earned Tennessee State's selection. The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Tuesday, when it hosts in-state rival IUPUI in a 7 p.m. first serve at Worthen Arena.
No. 20 Dayton Volleyball Team Falls To No. 8 Minnesota Flyers Lose In Final Match Of Diet Coke Classic
Sept. 4, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – No. 20 Dayton fell to eighth-ranked Minnesota – host of the 2010 Diet Coke Classic – in straight sets on Saturday night at the Sports Pavilion (20-25, 13-25, 15-25).
Quick Notes: Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Krabacher and senior middle Lindsay Fletemier were named to the all-tournament teams.
It is the first time since Sept. 18 of last season at No. 6 Michigan that Dayton volleyball was swept in three sets.
The Flyers return to action at the Ameritas Players Challenge next Thursday against host No. 2 Nebraska at 8 p.m. ET. UD also faces No. 6 Illinois and Western Michigan in the Challenge.
Long Beach State Volleyball Team Comeback Bid Falls Just Short Against No. 2 Texas
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Down two sets to none, the 49ers recovered against No. 2 Texas, winning the next two sets to force set five, but fell into an early hole in the deciding set and were unable to overcome the Longhorns in a 25-16, 25-20, 16-25, 20-25, 15-11 loss.
The 49ers were led by a gutsy effort from Caitlin Ledoux, who rebounded from a slow start to finish with 22 kills on .327 hitting to go with a team-high three aces. Janisa Johnson also added her fourth double-double of the season, making 11 kills and 18 digs for the 49ers, while libero Lauren Minkel added 17.
Texas was the first opponent of the season to out-hit Long Beach State, and in fact the first to top .200 hitting at .237, just besting the 49ers’ .233. That came in large part due to the Longhorns’ early success against the 49ers.
Capitalizing on some initial nervousness from the young 49er squad, Texas opened large leads in the first two sets and opened a 2-0 lead behind seven kills each from Juliann Faucette and Sha’Dare McNeal, along with .300 hitting by the Longhorns.
After the break, the 49ers came back with their strongest set of the match. Tied 11-11, Long Beach State picked up back-to-back kills from Haleigh Hampton and Michelle Osunbor, and two more kills from Osunbor along with an ace by Ledoux led the 49ers to a 17-12 lead. Long Beach State never looked back, forcing a number of errors from the Longhorns on the way to a 25-16 lead.
With the momentum on the 49ers side, Long Beach State continued to push in the fourth set. After Texas picked up an early 8-4 lead, the 49ers cut the lead to one at 9-8 after a Johnson kill and a block by Hampton and Ashley Vazquez, one of nine on the match for Long Beach State. Long Beach State was unable to take the lead until a kill by Ledoux at 14-13, but from that point, the 49ers opened up a cushion and eventually won the set by a tally of 25-20.
Similar to the fourth set, it was the Longhorns that struck early in the final set and the 49ers didn’t have enough time to complete the comeback. Down by one point at 5-4, the Longhorns grabbed a sideout and then an ace by McNeal put Texas ahead by three points. That slight edge in the scoring would hold for the rest of the set, as the 49ers could close no closer than four points as Texas held their home court in a 15-11 win.
With 34 kills over the team’s two matches, Ledoux earned All-Tournament honors, picking up the award for the second week in a row, one week after her selection as the Baden Classic MVP.
The 49ers return home for two matches next week in the Walter Pyramid. First up, the 49ers play No. 25 San Diego on Friday, September 10 at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, the 49ers host Virginia in the first meeting between the teams. That match will also start at 7 p.m.
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Volleyball - ISLANDERS COMPLETE SWEEP OF SECOND DAY WITH WIN OVER RIDER
Flagstaff, Ariz. – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi volleyball team was able to complete a sweep on the second day of action at the Northern Arizona Fiesta Bowl Tournament while just missing its first match sweep of the season with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 27-29, 25-22) over the Rider Broncs. Freshmen Isabella Arcidiacono and Logen Bourque were name to the all-tournament team for their play throughout the weekend. A&M-Corpus Christi is now 3-4 on the year while Rider falls to 1-3 this season. The Islanders finish 2-1 in the tournament with wins over Rider and Maryland Eastern Shore and a loss to host Northern Arizona. Arcidiacono led the team in kills for the first time this season with a season-high 16. Emma Ridley recorded just six kills in the match to end her double-digit kills streak to start the season at six matches while Shannon Hullum tied her for second on the team with six kills as well. “I was really happy to see Bella and Shannon play really well again, you can see their confidence growing and can see the trust in them growing,” said head coach Tony Graystone. “Emma had rough day, but the young girls played awfully well.” Jordan Flemmer tied a school record for block assists in a match with six and added two block solos on the night. “All weekend I was really happy with our blocking, we have been working on it in practice,” said Graystone. “It was nice to see them respond in the tournament.” In set one, the Islanders came out on fire, scoring the first four points and eight of the first 10 to take a six point lead. After three-straight points by Rider cut the deficit to just two, the Islanders responded with four-straight of their own to stretch the lead to seven points at 14-7. A&M – Corpus Christi scored four-of-five points late in the match to stretch the lead to 20-10 before coasting to the set win. Ridley recorded the last kill of the set to finish the scoring at 25-16 and give the Islanders a 1-0 lead in sets. In set two, the Islanders were never able to string together more than two points at a time and trailed 22-16 late in the set. The Islanders proceeded to score eight-of-nine points to even the score at 23-23 before Rider called a timeout. The momentum could not be stopped as the Islanders scored the next two points after the break and completed the comeback on a Paige Hoffler service ace to win 25-23. The Islanders were unable to complete the sweep in the third set as the Broncs came from behind to pick up the set win and extend the match. The Islanders led by as many as five at 10-5 and held a four point lead several times before Rider came back to tie the set and take the lead at 24-23. The teams kept trading points until the Broncs were finally able to gain the two-point advantage necessary to win the set at 29-27. In the fourth set, the Islanders started out fast scoring seven of the first 10 points to take a four-point advantage. They were unable to maintain the lead as the score went from 7-3 in favor of A&M-Corpus Christi to a 9-7 Rider advantage after six-straight points from the Broncs. The lead grew to as many as four points at 19-15 before the Islanders came back to take a 22-21 advantage on a kill from Arcidiacono, a pair of kills from Brooke Alverson, a service ace by Jessica Jennett and a kill from Micah Nolan. Rider tied the match up at 22-22 before kills from Shannon Hullum and Jessica Korda and a service ace from Alverson ended the match with a 25-22 fourth set victory for the Islanders. Nolan led the team with 18 digs while Bourque paced the team with 35 assists in the match. Next up for the Islanders will be a midweek matchup against Texas-Pan American at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 7 in Edinburg. It will be the first time this season that the Islanders do not get a full week of practice for their next opponent but Graystone feels his team will respond well. “It’s going to interrupt our normal routine so it will be a recovery and prep day,” said Graystone. “The good thing is that the trip is not that long. “We just want to make it down there okay, do our best and see how it plays out.”
ISLANDERS COMPLETE SWEEP OF SECOND DAY WITH WIN OVER RIDER Flagstaff, Ariz. – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi volleyball team was able to complete a sweep on the second day of action at the Northern Arizona Fiesta Bowl Tournament while just missing its first match sweep of the season with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 27-29, 25-22) over the Rider Broncs. Freshmen Isabella Arcidiacono and Logen Bourque were name to the all-tournament team for their play throughout the weekend. A&M-Corpus Christi is now 3-4 on the year while Rider falls to 1-3 this season. The Islanders finish 2-1 in the tournament with wins over Rider and Maryland Eastern Shore and a loss to host Northern Arizona. Arcidiacono led the team in kills for the first time this season with a season-high 16. Emma Ridley recorded just six kills in the match to end her double-digit kills streak to start the season at six matches while Shannon Hullum tied her for second on the team with six kills as well. “I was really happy to see Bella and Shannon play really well again, you can see their confidence growing and can see the trust in them growing,” said head coach Tony Graystone. “Emma had rough day, but the young girls played awfully well.” Jordan Flemmer tied a school record for block assists in a match with six and added two block solos on the night. “All weekend I was really happy with our blocking, we have been working on it in practice,” said Graystone. “It was nice to see them respond in the tournament.” In set one, the Islanders came out on fire, scoring the first four points and eight of the first 10 to take a six point lead. After three-straight points by Rider cut the deficit to just two, the Islanders responded with four-straight of their own to stretch the lead to seven points at 14-7. A&M – Corpus Christi scored four-of-five points late in the match to stretch the lead to 20-10 before coasting to the set win. Ridley recorded the last kill of the set to finish the scoring at 25-16 and give the Islanders a 1-0 lead in sets. In set two, the Islanders were never able to string together more than two points at a time and trailed 22-16 late in the set. The Islanders proceeded to score eight-of-nine points to even the score at 23-23 before Rider called a timeout. The momentum could not be stopped as the Islanders scored the next two points after the break and completed the comeback on a Paige Hoffler service ace to win 25-23. The Islanders were unable to complete the sweep in the third set as the Broncs came from behind to pick up the set win and extend the match. The Islanders led by as many as five at 10-5 and held a four point lead several times before Rider came back to tie the set and take the lead at 24-23. The teams kept trading points until the Broncs were finally able to gain the two-point advantage necessary to win the set at 29-27. In the fourth set, the Islanders started out fast scoring seven of the first 10 points to take a four-point advantage. They were unable to maintain the lead as the score went from 7-3 in favor of A&M-Corpus Christi to a 9-7 Rider advantage after six-straight points from the Broncs. The lead grew to as many as four points at 19-15 before the Islanders came back to take a 22-21 advantage on a kill from Arcidiacono, a pair of kills from Brooke Alverson, a service ace by Jessica Jennett and a kill from Micah Nolan. Rider tied the match up at 22-22 before kills from Shannon Hullum and Jessica Korda and a service ace from Alverson ended the match with a 25-22 fourth set victory for the Islanders. Nolan led the team with 18 digs while Bourque paced the team with 35 assists in the match. Next up for the Islanders will be a midweek matchup against Texas-Pan American at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 7 in Edinburg. It will be the first time this season that the Islanders do not get a full week of practice for their next opponent but Graystone feels his team will respond well. “It’s going to interrupt our normal routine so it will be a recovery and prep day,” said Graystone. “The good thing is that the trip is not that long. “We just want to make it down there okay, do our best and see how it plays out.”
CHICAGO— Memphis got off to a slow start, but behind a match-high 17 kills from Altrese Hawkins, battled to clinch a 3-1 win over Kennesaw State in its final contest of the UIC 2010 Invite. The Tigers improve to 4-2 on the year and clinch a runner-up finish in the four-team field. Hawkins was named to the All-Tournament team.
Hawkins hit .429 to lead the Tigers. Marija Jovanovic added 11 kills for the Tigers, who hit .216 on 49 kills in the match. Hajnalka Molnar set a match-best 33 assists.
Vesna Jelic led the Memphis defense with 11 digs. Libero Christine Bach picked up nine digs.
