Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: 2007 South Central Regional

Media Credit: Nathan Becker

Media Credit: Nathan Becker

The Truman Bulldogs can officially erase Nov. 10, 2006, from their memories.

The Bulldogs defeated Emporia State University 3-1 (35-33, 27-30, -28, -26) in the South Central Regional semifinals Friday to advance to Saturday's regional finals against Washburn University (36-3).

For Truman, the win avenged a 3-2 loss to the University of Northern Alabama in the 2006 regional semifinals. The Bulldogs - ranked No. 1 in the South Central Region and No. 4 in the nation at the time - were riding a 36-match winning streak last year when Northern Alabama eliminated them from the national tournament.

Junior middle blocker Allie Cherven said she refused to let thoughts of last season's national tournament defeat affect her mentality during Friday's match.

"I actually blocked last year out of my mind so it didn't happen again," Cherven said. "… I don't think any of us for a second ever thought we were going to lose the match. I never did, and I don't think anyone else did."

Friday's victory gave Truman 19 wins in its last 20 matches.

After splitting the opening two games against Emporia State (27-9), the Bulldogs (36-5) snuffed out any chance of another second-round loss with wins in games three and four. Tied 26-26 in game four, Truman strung together four straight points to seal its date with Washburn at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The match marked the third time in as many weeks Truman faced Emporia. The Bulldogs emerged the victor in each match, but the Hornets won at least one game in every contest.

"[Emporia is] just consistent," Skoch said. "They don't make mistakes. … And they're strengths are some of our weaknesses."

Cherven led the Truman attack, tallying 15 kills to continue her year-long success against the Hornets. The middle blocker amassed at least 15 kills in each of Truman's three matches against Emporia State.

"They don't really have two blockers," Cherven said. "Normally I do have two blockers on me all the time. And they don't really do that."

Skoch also credited the consistency of the Bulldog setters as a factor in Cherven's success.

Senior setter Amanda Holliday led Truman with 29 assists, and freshman setter Ashley Petak added 26 assists.

Holliday also played a key role in the defensive aspect of the game. She completed her double-double with 18 digs.

"I think defense - no matter what position you play - is huge," Holliday said. "… It just keeps the rally going. It keeps everybody up. So I try to put an emphasis on defense every game."

Truman's collective defensive effort helped propel them to victory. The Bulldogs limited Emporia to a .160 hitting percentage, which was more than 150 points lower than the Hornets' hitting mark in Round 1. The 'Dogs also recorded 18 blocks compared to 11 for Emporia State.

Truman overcame a slow start to claim a 35-33 game one victory. The teams traded points down the stretch, and Emporia had a chance to take the game, leading 30-29.

But a kill by junior outside hitter Melissa Keck sent the game into extra hits. And after the Bulldogs failed on their first three chances to finish game points, a Cherven kill followed by a Hornet attack error gave Truman the 1-0 lead.

The Hornets charged out to a lead again in game two. A six-point run gave Emporia a 22-16 lead. This time, the Hornets capitalized on their game-point opportunity. Junior outside hitter Megan Koster's kill finalized the three point victory, which evened the match at one game apiece.

But backed by a crowd of 721 fans at Pershing Arena, the Bulldogs clinched the match victory with narrow wins in the final two games. Holliday said the home crowd, which supported the team with signs and chants, provided a lift.

Sophomore outside hitter Arica Shepard compiled 20 kills to spearhead the Emporia State attack. Shepard was one of 10 freshmen or sophomores on the Hornet roster. This contingent included freshman setter Ting Lui, who led Emporia State with 58 assists.

Lui said that despite the disappointment of the loss, it was important for the Hornets to get national tournament experience.

Truman's outside hitters Lauren Graybeal and Eli Medina provided offensive support for Cherven. Graybeal supplied 15 kills and seven digs while Medina achieved a double-double with 14 kills and 14 digs.

The regional final match will be the second meeting between Truman and Washburn. The Ichabods overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Bulldogs 3-2 at Pershing on Oct. 2.

Skoch said Friday's win against Emporia State should better prepare the Bulldogs for Saturday's match.

"Nobody can push us as hard as [Emporia] pushed us tonight, and that's not a slight against Washburn," Skoch said. "They were awesome, and so now we know what it's like to be pushed. And now we know how we have to respond."

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