Volleyball Voices

NCAA volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs Dec 4: FIU Volleyball Falls To No. 14 Florida In NCAA Tournament Second Round

The Panthers end their record-breaking season with a record of 32-4

 

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The FIU volleyball team closed out its record-breaking season on Friday night as the Panthers fell to No. 14 Florida, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-16) in the second round of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

 

The Panthers end the season with an overall record of 32-4, as the 32 wins mark a school record. Heading into tournament play, FIU was one of three schools in the country to have won 30 or more matches along with Penn State (32) and Northern Iowa (30). The Panthers won their second straight Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Championship in 2009 and put together a 23-match win streak, which, at the time, was the fourth-longest such streak in the country.

 

Senior Yarimar Rosa ends her collegiate career as FIU’s all-time leader in career kills (2,083) and career digs (1,053), while classmate Olga Vergun closes out her career with 1,166 career kills and 221 block assists, marks which both rank fifth on the all-time charts.

 

“With the season that we had, this one loss at the end of the season is not going to define who we are and what we did this year,” said head coach Danijela Tomic. “To have 32 wins, it doesn’t happen every year. My team always fights and that’s all I ask of them.”

 

Both teams came out strong, going almost point for point until FIU took a lead at 17-15. Florida recorded a kill but sophomore Andrea Lakovic tallied a kill to put FIU back on top by two. The Gators scored to make it a one-point match but then committed an attack error to put the score at 19-17 in favor of FIU.

 

Following a Florida timeout, the Gators tied the score at 19-19 before junior Natalia Valentin scored on a tip on the right side to put FIU ahead by one. Florida knotted the score at 20-20 with a block and then went ahead by one at 21-20 to force an FIU timeout.

 

Out of the break, Florida gained another point on a violation before freshman Jovana Bjelica slammed home a kill to bring the Panthers within one at 22-21. The Gators got the point back on a kill to go ahead, 23-21, and then got within set-point position on a Panther attack error. Vergun scored on a tip to put the score at 24-22, but Florida took the set, 25-22, on a kill to go ahead 1-0 for the match.

 

The second set saw the squads battle back and forth with Florida taking a lead at 18-14. Out of a timeout, Vergun tallied a kill from the right side to put the score at 18-15, but the Gators tallied a kill of their own to go back up by four at 19-15. Florida then scored five straight points to get to set-point position at 24-15 before a kill up the middle gave the Gators a 25-15 set-win.

 

Down 2-0 for the match, FIU put up a fight in the third set but Florida ran out to an 18-13 lead. Valentin recorded a kill to bring FIU within four at 18-14, but the Gators registered a kill of their own to put the deficit back to five. Florida then took a 20-14 lead to force a Panther timeout.

 

The Gators scored three straight points out of the break to put the score at 23-14 before Bjelica made it 23-15 with a kill from the right side, but Florida gained a point to get within match-point position at 24-15. FIU managed one more point but the Gators prevailed, taking the set, 25-15, and winning the match, 3-0.

 

Vergun led the FIU offense with nine kills while Lakovic added eight kills. Valentin had team-leading marks of 31 assists and 11 digs, while Rosa and sophomore Sabrina Gonzalez each recorded one block.

 

“I thought that we started off really well,” said head coach Danijela Tomic. “We had to rearrange our lineup because we didn’t know if Yari[mar Rosa] could play. After the second set when Yari said she couldn’t go anymore, we put our freshman, Jovana [Bjelica], on the outside and she played most of the season on the right side. Olga [Vergun] played most of the season in the middle and we put her on the right side. With all the adversity that we had to go through, I am so proud of our team.

 

The difference was the last few points of the first set when we made unforced errors at the wrong time. Florida did a great job adjusting and they’re a solid team. They took us out of our system a lot and they serve really well. Florida deserved to win and they were the better team tonight.”

 

 

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs dec 3 news: No. 15 LSU Volleyball Focused on Tulane for NCAA Opener

BATON ROUGE – The No. 15 seeded LSU volleyball team embarks on its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and opens the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Friday against Tulane. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Maravich Center. Fans can listen to all the action via a free live webcast with Matt Dunaway and Kent Lowe on LSUsports.net

 

The Tigers (24-6, 18-2 SEC) enter the Field of 64 winners of 17 of their last 19 matches and claimed the program’s first SEC Regular Season championship since 1991. Tulane (18-9) has won nine of its last 12 outings to receive an at-large bid from Conference USA.

 

 

The two teams have already met twice on the hardwood during the regular season with each team holding serve on its home court. LSU notched a 3-0 win on Sept. 5 at the Maravich Center, while the Green Wave emerged with a 3-1 victory six days later in New Orleans. 

 

“At this point in the season, we are who we are,” head coach Fran Flory said. “We’re just trying to fine tune a few things and make sure we’re familiar with the game plan. Having played Tulane twice this season, we’re fairly familiar. You just want to get comfortable, make sure you are ready and stay focused.”

 

LSU is led by a trio of All-SEC First-Team performers in Brittnee Cooper, Sam Dabbs and Marina Skender.

 

Cooper became the first Tiger to earn SEC Player of the Year earlier this week. She paces the SEC with a .390 hitting percentage and 1.32 blocks per set. The Houston, Texas product knocked double-digit kills on 21 occasions and notched over a .400 hitting clip 17 times in 2009.

 

Dabbs has distributed 1,067 assists at a 11.23 per set ratio, good enough for second in the SEC. She set the Tigers to over a .300 hitting percentage during 13 matches and recorded 10 double-doubles. The San Antonio, Texas native also eclipsed 40 or more assists in 12 outings.

 

Skender cranked double-digit kills in 26 matches, including 23 of her last 25 outings after missing the entire 2008 season due to injury. She has racked up a team-best 13 double-doubles. Skender’s 3.50 kills and 0.27 aces per set are fifth and sixth in the SEC rankings, respectively.

 

Lauren DeGirolamo also has added a strong senior campaign for the Tigers. She has tallied 49 blocks over her 12 matches and her 1.07 per set average in SEC matches was ninth. DeGirolamo has popped 57 of her 136 kills during her last 10 matches.   

 

“Our senior class is such a great class and the fun part for us is we can really be a balanced team,” Flory said. “The seniors are certainly leading the way and they have kind of been the heart and soul of the team. At the same time, we couldn’t have done it without everybody else. I think everybody understands that, and this is a true team right now. Those are the teams that continue to play in the month of December.”

 

Michele Williams has provided 114 blocks and her 1.14 per set mark ranks sixth in the SEC, while LSU has won 14 of its 15 matches over the last three seasons when Angela Bensend has knocked double-digit kills. 

 

LSU’s back row is headlined by Lauren Waclawczyk and Sam Delahoussaye. The duo has amassed 33 double-digit dig efforts in 2009. Waclawczyk’s 3.73 digs per set are 10th in the SEC and she has chipped in an ace in each of her last five outings.

 

“The kids came in this week throughout the entire week of practice and did a great job,” Flory said. “They were extremely focused and intent on fixing a few things [after the Rice match]. We wanted to work on being better technically, and hopefully we will execute at a high level Friday night.”

 

Tulane is led by Visnja Djurdjevic, the C-USA Co-Player of the Year, who has compiled 4.25 kills and 3.30 digs per set. She also headlines C-USA with 0.43 aces per frame. Rachel Lindelow has handed out 10.93 assists per set, while Ksenija Vlaskovic has powered home 3.29 kills per frame. Both earned a spot on the All-Conference USA Second Team. Jenn Miller reels in 3.92 digs per set for the Green Wave.

 

Live stats for Friday’s match are available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the 2009 SEC champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.

 

All-session ticket books, which include both first round games and the second round contest, are available for $12 for reserved seats. General admission ticket books are $10 for adults, $6 for students, $6 for seniors and $4 for youth. Single-session tickets are not available for purchase until 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Maravich Center box office.

 

Tickets can be purchased online at www.LSUtix.net as well as in person at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office or by phone at 225-578-2184 or 800-960-TKTS. The ticket office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the first floor of the Athletics/Administration Building.

 

 

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs: No. 24 Lady Vol Volleyball Set to Kick Off NCAA Tournament Against Duke on Friday

NO. 24 LADY VOLS SET TO KICK OFF NCAA TOURNAMENT AGAINST DUKE ON FRIDAY

Lady Vols In NCAA Tournament for Fifth Time in Last Six Seasons

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the fifth time in the past six seasons, the 24th-ranked University of Tennessee volleyball team (23-7) will take part in the NCAA Tournament as it is set to host the first and second rounds this weekend at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The Lady Volunteers will open the competition against Atlantic Coast Conference-foe Duke (27-5) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. The winner of that contest will take on either No. 11 Minnesota (24-8) or Louisville (21-10) at 7 p.m. the following day.

 

Live stats and video for all matches is available for free at UTLadyVols.com. Roger Hoover will provide the play-by-play for the live video stream. Ticket sales will start on Friday with prices set at $6 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens and $4 for children. Friday’s ticket is good for both matches and doors will open 60 minutes prior to the first match.

 

The Orange and White is 6-5 in NCAA Tournament matches under Head Coach Rob Patrick, including four victories in its run to the Final Four in 2005. Overall, UT is an even 10-10 all-time in the tournament.

 

Tennessee finished the 2009 regular season on quite a roll, winning 17 of its final 20 matches en route to a 23-7 overall record and 16-4 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Big Orange was especially impressive down the stretch, claiming a pair of victories over top-15 opponents in a span of just five days, defeating No. 13 Florida on Nov. 20 and 10th-ranked Kentucky on Nov. 25.

 

A school-record tying five Lady Vols picked up All-SEC honors following the conclusion of the regular season, highlighted by senior Chloe Goldman who was named the league’s libero of the year. She was also tabbed to the All-SEC First Team alongside junior Nikki Fowler, while senior

Farren Powe and sophomore Kayla Jeter earned second-team honors and Leslie Cikra was named to the all-freshman squad.

 

One of the best defensive teams in the nation, Tennessee finished the regular season on top of the SEC charts in all three major defensive categories, giving up a league-low .161 opponent hitting percentage and averaging 2.72 blocks and 16.42 digs per set for the year. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the team ranks 14th in the nation in blocking. Individually, both Powe and junior Leah Hinkey place among the top 50 players in the country at 44 and 50, respectively, with block per set averages of 1.21 and 1.18. Goldman, meanwhile, topped all SEC performers and ranks 53rd in the nation with 4.75 digs per set.

 

The winner in Saturday’s match will advance to the Minneapolis Regional, which is set to take place Dec. 11-12. The regional winners will then move on to the National Semifinals and Finals hosted by the University of South Florida and Tampa Sports Commission at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 17 and 19.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

 

 

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs dec 3 news: Washington Takes NCAA Opener Over Northern Colorado

 

The Huskies advance to the NCAA second round for the eighth-straight season.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The sixth-seeded Husky volleyball squad was tested early in its NCAA Championships opener, but found its rhythm and pulled away for a 3-1 win over Northern Colorado at Colorado State’s Moby Arena. Washington (24-5) moves on to the second round of the championships, where they will play either Colorado State or Middle Tennessee on Friday at 6 p.m. Pacific.

 

Northern Colorado, the Big Sky Champions, came out hot behind a supportive local crowd, and pulled out the first set, 27-25, but the Huskies righted the ship in the second set, 25-15, then closed out the win with 25-22 and 25-21 scores in the third and fourth frames. Junior Kindra Carlson led all players with 20 kills, as the Eaton, Colorado native had a lot of support from the locals. Junior Becky Perry added 17 kills while hitting .483. Junior Jenna Hagglund notched 54 assists and senior Tamari Miyashiro dug 12 balls. The Dawgs outblocked the Bears, 10-0, and hit .364 on the night compared to .237 for UNC.

 

Carlson enjoyed playing in front of and against some familiar faces, but thought the Huskies could improve.

 

“The atmosphere was awesome. Growing up here, it was really cool. We came out and did the stuff we were planning on doing and just attacked their game plan,” said Carlson. “We can definitely improve. There were ebbs and flows, it was up and down, for sure.”

 

The Huskies have now advanced into at least the NCAA second round for the past eight years under head coach Jim McLaughlin. Washington went through the state of Colorado to reach its last two Final Fours in 2005 and 2006.

 

Carlson got the first kill in front of many of her hometown fans. She then teamed up with Rowland for a block. Perry then found the seam with two straight swings for a 4-0 lead, and Carlson and Rowland sent back another UNC attack and the Bears needed the quick timeout. The Bears closed to within 7-4, but senior Jill Collymore fired off back-to-back aces to open it back up. Still, the Huskies struggled to find the mark for a stretch, making four early attack errors. Northern Colorado came all the way back to tie for the first time at 13-13, then took the lead on an ace and a kill by Kenzie Shreeve that led to UW’s first timeout. 

Rowland ended the run with her first kill, then Perry and Rowland tied it back up with a block and a Perry swing off a Miyashiro diving save brought UW back into the lead. The Bears came back with a 3-0 run until Perry got the kill to tie it. Washington was down three late, but a Rowland finish, a UNC misfire and a Barfield finish off an overpass tied it back up and the Bears took time. The Bears claimed the next two points to earn set point, but Carlson saved the first one with a kill, and on the next set point Perry met the attack at net and sent it down on UNC’s side. UNC got the sideout and a Carlson kill saved another set point, but the Bears finally converted on their fourth, finishing things at 27-25.

 

 

 

The teams traded sideouts early in the second set, with a tie score on every other point. The first two point edge for either team came when Rowland sent one off the defense and into the crowd for an 11-9 Husky edge. A block from Carlson and Barfield pushed UW’s lead to 14-11 and UNC called timeout. The Huskies begun a 4-0 run when Rowland slammed another through the D for a kill, then Perry wound up for a finish and an 18-13 lead. Perry then met Allison Raguse’s attack at net and sent it straight back off the Bear for a block and the Bears used their second timeout. The Huskies continued in their groove, taking six of the final seven points to secure the set, 25-15. Washington hit a blazing .562 in the set with 20 kills and just two errors. Perry had seven kills, while Carlson added five and Rowland four, each of them hitting over .600. Hagglund had 18 assists in the second set alone.

 

“We got better as the match went,” said McLaughlin. “We started getting more comfortable with our serves and ultimately played good defense and put the pressure on them. It just took us a while to get in rhythm. More than that, we missed some serves. It just took us a while to settle down a bit.”

 

The Bears grabbed the first point after the break but UW responded with a 3-0 run. Carlson went off the block with a thud for a 7-3 lead, then a ball-handling error on UNC’s part forced a Bears timeout. Miyashiro continued her strong serving out of the timeout and the Bears missed wide again before ending the run with a kill. Perry tapped down an overpass for an 11-5 lead. Northern Colorado fought back into the set with a 4-0 run and the Huskies needed their first timeout. Salvo rocketed one down on the next point to snap the string, then Salvo and Barfield rejected the next UNC swing, and Salvo took the next one on herself for yet another rejection and the Dawgs were back up 15-10. It was 18-11 after UNC sailed one long and the Bears used final timeout. The Huskies owned a seven-point lead but Northern Colorado cut into it with three-straight and McLaughlin brought the Dawgs back over the regroup. Washington missed three consecutive serves late to keep UNC alive, but a Salvo finish brought up set point. The Bears saved the first with a kill but Carlson clinched it, 25-22 with a shot off the libero and into the stands. The Dawgs outhit the Bears, .370-.182 in the set

 

Perry and Rowland rocked the floor with two kills to start the fourth set. Rowland and Hagglund then banged a Bear attack back down, and Carlson aced the Bears for a 5-1 edge. Rowland’s fourth kill of the fourth set made it 7-4 UW. Barfield grabbed kills on two of the next three points, and Hagglund found the floor with her first ace for a 10-5 Husky lead. After a timeout, Carlson and Barfield smothered another Bear attack, then UNC missed two more swings to make it 13-5. Washington was up 18-10 when UNC started one final run. They pulled to 19-14 and foced UW’s first timeout, then later posted consecutive aces, one that clipped the tape and just fell over, and another that dropped right on the back line to pull within 20-18 and force UW’s final timeout. A double-hit on UNC’s point snapped the run, but the Bears sided out on the next point. Salvo earned the kill on the next point and Rowland found the hardwood to give the Dawgs match point at 42-21. UNC hit into the net on the next point to finish it off. The Huskies held the Bears to .143 hitting in the fourth set while hitting .278 themselves. Rowland ended up with five kills on eight swings (.625) to lead the way.

 

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs dec 3 news: NCAA Volleyball Practice Quotes - Texas A&M

NCAA Volleyball Practice Quotes – Texas A&M

 

BATON ROUGE – Thursday is practice day for the four teams preparing for the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional this weekend at the Maravich Center. Texas A&M wrapped up practice at 2:30 p.m. and head coach Laurie Corbelli joined LSUsports.net for a post practice interview. Read the transcript below.  

 

LSU is currently on the practice court until 4:05 p.m.

 

NCAA Baton Rouge Regional

December 3, 2009

 

TEXAS A&M POST-PRACTICE VOLLEYBALL QUOTES

 

Head Coach Laurie Corbelli

 

On Texas A&M practice heading into the Arizona match tomorrow…

“Obviously, we’re trying to work on the scouting report, but mostly it’s going to come down to how well we execute and how relaxed we are. We have to have some fun. We’re going to make this a memorable weekend for us. It was a really good practice, and I can sense the excitement in the girls.”

 

On Texas A&M making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005…

“The freshmen class that came in 2006 is now my senior class. I think the biggest challenge for us will be to reel them a little bit and not be too excited. Our players are experienced. So many of our seniors have been starters for so long. I think being in the Big 12 has prepared us for lots of things. I can’t imagine that there will be many surprises. There will be nerves because they want to do so well. I think other than that they’ll be pretty calm.”

 

On Texas A&M’s keys to victory tomorrow…

“I think the serving and passing game is really important for us. We really need to put a nice game together on the serving/receiving end and make sure we’re smart with our serving. I think everything else will typically fall into place for us. We’re going to be focused on those.”

 

NCAA volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs Dec 3 news: Dayton Advances To Second Round Of The NCAA Tournament In 3-2 Win Over UW-Milwaukee

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The cardiac kids struck again, as the University of Dayton Flyers earned a five-set win over the UW-Milwaukee Panthers in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships.  Dayton is 8-2 when heading into the fifth game this season.

The Flyers faced a very resilient Milwaukee program that won its last 11 matches entering Friday after starting the season 5-14.

“I thought we played against one of the best backcourt defensive teams that we have seen all year. They were just digging balls,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said.  “With a lot of our attacks, we expect them to go down. Tonight we played against a team that did a really great job of keeping those balls off of the floor.”

Dayton’s Amanda Cowdrey struck gold with her 16th double-double of the season. The junior outside hitter from Brampton, Ontario led the team with 16 kills and 27 digs against the Panthers. Cowdrey also had three service aces in the match. Freshman libero Paige Vargas had 21 digs for UD,

The Flyers’ blocking was in line with UW-Milwaukee’s, holding a slight edge 10.0 to 9.5. All-American middle blocker and Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year Lindsay Fletemier had five block assists and nine kills for UD.

Redshirt freshman Rachel Krabacher made her return after missing one match with a foot injury. Krabacher had 11 kills, 13 digs and four blocks (1 solo, 3 assist). Middle blocker Becky Novacek also had 11 kills and four block assists.

The Flyers traded points early in the first set, but went on a six point run when the score was knotted at seven and never looked back. UD out-hit Milwaukee .361 to .000 in the first frame. They also out-blocked the Panthers 4.0 to 2.5 taking the 1-0 edge in the match.

The second set got off to the same back and forth battle both teams had in the first set. However, the UW-Milwaukee Panthers pulled a slight edge and was able to maintain it despite Dayton clawing back within one point after trailing 23-18. UD dropped the second set 22-25.

UD came out blazing in the third set, opening up an 8-3 lead. Milwaukee battled back, however, tying the game at eight points apiece.  After trading points, the Flyers gained momentum closing out the Panthers in the third set 25-20. UW-Milwaukee earned the fourth set 25-19.

The Flyers rolled in the fifth set closing out the Panthers 15-4 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

“The fifth-set is very do-or-die. We have a lot of scenarios that we play in practice that are similar to game five. When you practice it makes it a lot easier to perform it when you’re in that situation,” Cowdrey said.

Dayton will face the winner of No. 5-seeded Illinois and IPFW currently in progress. Match time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.  The Flyers are 30-3 and have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament twice before in 2003 and 2007.

NOTES:

-        Today’s match against UW-Milwaukee marked Dayton’s sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament

-        Lindsay Fletemier now ranks eighth in career kills with 1,216.

-        Dayton is now 8-2 in five-set matches

-        The Flyers attempt to make the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history playing the winner of IPFW and No. 5-seeded Illinois.

-UD- 

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs dec 3 news: FIU Volleyball - FIU Defeats Miami in Five Sets for Program’s Second Ever NCAA Tournament Victory

 

Four Panthers record double-double, four reach double-digit kills

 

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The FIU volleyball team notched its second NCAA Tournament victory in school history on Thursday evening as the Panthers defeated cross-town rival Miami, 3-2 (25-16, 20-25, 22-25, 27-25, 15-11), in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

 

With the win, the Panthers improve to 32-3 on the season and advance to the NCAA Tournament Second Round where they will face winner of tonight’s match between No. 14 Florida and College of Charleston. The second round match is set for Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. and can be viewed for free at www.gatorvision.tv. Live stats will be available atwww.gatorzone.com.

 

FIU ran out to an early 5-0 lead in the first set but Miami fought back to tie the score at 13-13. A Hurricane net violation made it 14-13 in favor of the Panthers before senior Isadora Rangel tallied a kill on a pass from juniorNatalia Valentin to give FIU a 15-13 lead.

 

Following a media timeout, FIU recorded a kill and gained a point on a Miami attack error to increase the Panthers’ advantage to 17-13. The Hurricanes called a timeout of their own and tallied a pair of points out of the break before senior Olga Vergun slammed home a kill from the right side to put the score at 18-15. FIU then recorded a block to take a 19-15 lead and a Miami attack error made it 20-15.

 

Another Hurricane attack error put FIU on top by six at 21-15 to force a Miami timeout and, out of the break, the Panthers recorded three straight points to put themselves in set-point position at 24-15. The Hurricanes managed one more point but Rangel registered a kill from the left side to give FIU a 15-16 first-set win.

 

Up 1-0 for the match, the Panthers didn’t let up, making numerous hustle plays and converting on long rallies to take a 15-12 lead. The Hurricanes then went on an 8-0 run to put the score at 20-15 before a kill from freshman Jovana Bjelica ended the run. Miami retaliated with a point to put the score at 21-16 and senior Ines Medved recorded a kill from the left side to bring FIU within four, but Miami tallied two straight points to put the score at 23-17.

 

Senior Yarimar Rosa would then tally a kill but Miami countered with a kill of its own to get to set-point at 24-18. Rosa struck again from the left side and a Hurricane attack error made the score 24-20, but Miami was able to register its final point to take the set, 25-20, and tie the match at 1-1.

 

Miami ran out to a 15-10 lead in the third set but FIU clawed back to within three at 15-12 before a Hurricane kill put the deficit back to four at 16-12. A Miami service error put the score at 16-13 but the Hurricanes got the next point to go ahead by four once again. Rosa slammed home a kill from the left side to make it 17-14 but a Panther service error put the score at 18-14 before Medved scored on a tip to bring FIU within three again at 18-15.

 

The teams traded points and with Miami on top at 19-16, the Hurricanes were called for a pair of violations as FIU got within one at 19-18. Miami took a 20-18 lead on a kill before Vergun slammed home a hard kill from the right side to make it 20-19 and the teams then traded scores once more to make the score 21-20. Rosa then knotted the score at 21-21 with a kill from the left side.

 

Following a Miami timeout, the Hurricanes went ahead by two at 23-21 but a kill by sophomore Andrea Lakovic brought the Panthers within one at 23-22. A Miami kill put the Hurricanes in set-point position and they managed one more point to take the set, 25-22, and go ahead 2-1 for the match.

 

The fourth set saw both squads battle back and forth and the score was tied at 18-18 before FIU took a 19-18 lead. Following a Miami timeout, the Hurricanes tallied three points to go ahead, 21-19 and force an FIU timeout.

 

The Panthers came out of the break and knotted the score at 21-21 before Lakovic scored on a tip to give FIU a 22-21 lead. A Hurricane attack error put the Panthers on top by two at 23-21 but Miami was able to retaliate and tie the score at 23-23 before going ahead by one at 24-23. FIU tied the score at 24-24 but Miami went ahead on a kill at 25-24. Rosa then scored twice from the left side to put FIU in set-point position at 26-25 and then combined with sophomore Sabrina Gonzalez for a block to give the Panthers at 27-25 set-win.

 

With the match tied at 2-2, the final set saw both teams come out strong. FIU took a 9-7 lead before Valentin connected with Bjelica on the left side for a kill to make it 10-7. Miami then recorded two points to come within one at 10-9 and force an FIU timeout.

 

Out of the break, the teams traded points to make the score 11-10 in favor of the Panthers. A Hurricane violation gave FIU a point and a kill by Rosa put the Panthers ahead by three at 13-10. Miami registered a kill to come within two at 13-11 before Rosa struck again from the right side to put FIU in match-point position at 14-11. Rosa’s third straight kill closed out the match to give FIU a 15-11 set-win and a 3-2 match victory.

 

“We had to play hard and leave everything on the court,” said Rosa of her team’s effort, as the Panthers are now 4-0 on the season in five-set matches. “We were so disappointed with the loss [to Middle Tennessee] and I didn’t want to feel that way again. I was trying to use that pain to play against UM. We knew they were a good team and it would be a tough match.”

 

Four players recorded double-doubles on the night and just as many reached double-digit kills versus the Hurricanes. Rosa tallied a team-high 16 kills to go along with a career-high 21 digs and four blocks. Vergun and Bjelica each added 15 kills and 10 digs apiece, while Vergun added a team-high-tying four blocks.

 

 “I just did what I had to do and what every player is supposed to do,” said Vergun, who had zero errors through two sets of play versus the Hurricanes. “We had the mentality of, we can’t lose this game.”

 

Also notching double-digits in kills was Lakovic, who totaled 10 kills to go along with a team-high-tying four blocks. Valentin led FIU in assists with 53 and added a team-best three service aces to go along with 19 digs.

 

“I can’t say enough about this team and what they’ve done this year,” said head coach Danijela Tomic, who earned her first ever NCAA Tournament victory with tonight’s win. “They just fight through it, no matter what the score is. I expect them to compete because a team has to win three sets. It speaks to the toughness of this team. We made less errors and that was the difference. I’m happy for the team and I couldn’t be more proud.”

 

 

 

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs dec 3 news: UWM Panthers Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker To Dayton In NCAA Tournament

 

Postmatch video from Susie Johnson and Lauren Felsing will be available shortly at uwmpanthers.com

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Amanda Cowdrey had 16 kills to lead four players in double figures and the University of Dayton held off a stiff challenge from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to claim a 25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-9 win Thursday night in a first round NCAA Tournament match at Huff Hall.

Jena Berg had 16 kills and Kerri Schuh 14 for Milwaukee (16-15), which saw its 11-match winning streak snapped.

The Panthers rallied to win the fourth set going away and looked like they might claim their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. But, in the deciding fifth set, the 23rd-ranked Flyers (30-3) had nine kills and limited UWM to a -.087 hitting percentage.

UWM was right in the match thanks in large part to its defense. Five players reached double figures in digs, led by 24 from senior Lauren Felsing. And, the Panthers limited the Flyers to a .205 hitting clip - .050 under their season average.

But, in the end, the firepower of the Flyers came through. In addition to the 16 kills from Cowdrey, Tiffany Gaerke added 13 kills while Rachel Krabacher and Becky Novacek added 11 apiece.

The Panthers started well in the first set but could not overcome a big surge by Dayton. Milwaukee jumped out to a 5-3 lead on a kill by Schuh and still led 7-6 after a Flyer serving error. But, UD scored the next seven points to take control. The lead grew to 19-11 on a block by Krabacher and hit 22-13 on another Dayton block. Milwaukee was able to fight back within 23-17 on a block by Natalie Schmitting and Berg, but the Flyers countered with the next two points to wrap up the frame.

 

UWM bounced back to even the match with a strong performance in the second set. Milwaukee built a 9-5 lead following a run of Dayton errors and still led 14-10 after a kill by Schuh. The lead eventually grew to 22-17 after Berg collected three-straight kills, and Milwaukee was ahead 23-18 after another kill by Schuh. Dayton rallied to within 23-22, but the Panthers would let the rally go no further. A kill by Schuh pushed things to set-point before a block by Maddie Sueppel and Schuh brought the match even.

Dayton went back ahead with a win in the third set. The Flyers led 8-3 in the early going before UWM rallied to tie things at 8 following three-straight UD errors. But, the Flyers restored their edge to 16-12 and UWM would never get closer than three points the rest of the way. A kill from Fletemier pushed things to set-point before a kill by Krabacher finished things off.

Milwaukee wasn't going to go away easily, though, as the Panthers staged a late run to pull out the fourth set. UWM trailed 16-14 before scoring eight points in a row to seize control of the frame. The run came behind the serving of Kellye Zaporski and included three team blocks and two kills by Berg. Dayton never got closer than five points from there, with a Schuh kill and a UD service error finishing things off.

Dayton then took control of the fifth set from the outset. After Milwaukee scored the first point, the Flyers scored three in a row and never gave the lead back. The advantage grew to 9-4 on a tip kill by Krabacher, though UWM did score the next two to fight back within 9-6. A kill by Cowdrey pushed the lead back out to 13-7 and eventually it was another kill by Krabacher that finished the match.

ncaa volleyball tournament 2009 playoffs dec 3: TCU Opens NCAA Tournament With 3-0 Victory Over Rice

 

AUSTIN, Texas – The TCU volleyball team made its NCAA debut count as they took a 3-0 (26-24, 25-13, 27-25) victory over Rice in the opening round of the tournament. The Horned Frogs rode their middle blockers to victory as Kristen Hester and Kourtney Edwards combined for 27 kills, including a career-high 15 from Kristen Hester.

The Horned Frogs pounded out 47 kills and hit for a .322 average in the match. Along with Edwards and Kristen Hester, Irene Hester notched nine kills. At the net, Edwards led all blockers with five, including two of the solo variety. Katelyn Blackwood led the back row effort with 15 digs, while Lauren Otto pitched in with 14.

Rice kept the first set close as it never allowed the Frogs to gain more than a three-point advantage early on. Clinging to a 10-9 lead, the Horned Frogs benefited from three straight Owl errors and a kill from Irene Hester to take a commanding 14-9 lead. The Owls showed fight as they battled back with a 4-0 run of their own to close the gap to two, 15-13.

Another 3-0 run by the Owls gave them their first lead of the set and the back-and-forth duel was on. A Kristen Hester blast gave TCU a 20-18 lead only to see the Owls battle back to tie the set at 20. A 4-3 run by the Owls gave them their lone set point.

The Horned Frogs fought off the set point, rattling off three straight points on kills from Kristen Hester to take the early 1-0 match lead. Kristen Hester was big in the first set with five kills and two blocks as the Frogs claimed the 26-24 set one victory.

A dominating effort in the second set saw the Horned Frogs run away with a 25-13 victory for the commanding 2-0 match lead. Edwards found her groove in the early goings with two kills and a block as the Frogs built a 9-3 lead.

The Owls pulled back within six, 14-8, but a service error put the ball back in the Frogs’ hands. Edwards accounted for the next four Horned Frog points with two blocks and two kills as the Frogs stretched their lead to ten, 19-9.

For the second straight set, Kristen Hester was huge late as she accounted for the final three points of the set with two kills and a solo block.

Trying to fight their way back into the match, the Owls came out with some fire as they raced out to a 10-7 lead. TCU fought to keep the set close, evening things up at 12 on a block from Edwards and Otto on the outside.

Rice responded and went up 16-13 only to see the Frogs put together a 4-0 run on kills from Irene Hester, Kristen Hester and Megan Munce. 

A back-and-forth affair commenced before the Frogs finally took control. Christy Hudson gave the Frogs set point and a Rice attacking error locked up the 27-25 victory.

The Frogs (27-6) advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament with the victory. They will face the winner of the No. 2 Texas vs. Texas State game Friday night at 6:30 p.m. in Gregory Gymnasium.


MATCH NOTES
-TCU won its first-ever NCAA Tournament match in the school’s first showing in the national tournament.
-TCU extended its winning streak to four matches, including a 13-1 record in its last 14 matches.
-The Horned Frogs held their opponent below .200 hitting percentage for the 11th time this season.
-Kristen Hester recorded a career-high 15 kills in the match.
-TCU moved to 5-8 all-time against Rice, breaking a three-match win streak in the series by the Owls.
-Lauren Otto moved to sixth on the TCU career digs record with 14, bringing her career total to 1,108.