Defense helps volleyball win regional championship
Brent Foster
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Sports
The winning recipe for the volleyball team the last few weeks has been a balanced offense and strong defense. That recipe was more than enough for the 'Dogs to punch their ticket to the national Elite Eight.
Second-seeded Truman (32-7) upset top-seeded Emporia State University by sweeping them (25-15, 25-14, 25-18) on Nov. 23 to win the South Central Regional Championship. The Bulldogs advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time since 2005.
The No. 5 Bulldogs have won 11 matches in a row and continue their season today at 2:30 p.m. against Nova-Southeastern University (Fla.) in the national quarterfinals in St. Paul, Minn.
"Considering we lost twice to [Emporia] during the season, we came in really focused wanting to beat them really badly," senior outside hitter Dana Hanselmann said. "They maybe came in a little too cocky, especially since the last time was a pretty close match."
Unlike in the regular season when the Hornets defeated the Bulldogs twice, Truman had control of this match from the beginning. Emporia State led 2-1 in the its set, but that was the Hornets' only lead of the match as the 'Dogs used an overpowering defense to hold the Hornets to a -0.044 hitting percentage, the third lowest any team hit against the Bulldogs all season. It was Emporia's lowest hitting percentage of the season.
The difference in this match and the previous two against the Hornets was the Bulldog's ability to control Emporia's big three. In Truman's two regular-season losses to the Hornets, the 'Dogs were unable to stop the duo of outside hitter Arica Sheppard and right side hitter Britney Miller. The two combined for 64 kills in the two regular-season victories against the 'Dogs. However, in the regional championship match, Sheppard and Miller combined for only 4 kills, with both players hitting in the red.
The Bulldogs also held sophomore setter and MIAA player of the year Ting Liu in check. She finished with 19 assists for the match, averaging just more than six per set. Coming into the match she was averaging just more than 12 per set.
Second-seeded Truman (32-7) upset top-seeded Emporia State University by sweeping them (25-15, 25-14, 25-18) on Nov. 23 to win the South Central Regional Championship. The Bulldogs advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time since 2005.
The No. 5 Bulldogs have won 11 matches in a row and continue their season today at 2:30 p.m. against Nova-Southeastern University (Fla.) in the national quarterfinals in St. Paul, Minn.
"Considering we lost twice to [Emporia] during the season, we came in really focused wanting to beat them really badly," senior outside hitter Dana Hanselmann said. "They maybe came in a little too cocky, especially since the last time was a pretty close match."
Unlike in the regular season when the Hornets defeated the Bulldogs twice, Truman had control of this match from the beginning. Emporia State led 2-1 in the its set, but that was the Hornets' only lead of the match as the 'Dogs used an overpowering defense to hold the Hornets to a -0.044 hitting percentage, the third lowest any team hit against the Bulldogs all season. It was Emporia's lowest hitting percentage of the season.
The difference in this match and the previous two against the Hornets was the Bulldog's ability to control Emporia's big three. In Truman's two regular-season losses to the Hornets, the 'Dogs were unable to stop the duo of outside hitter Arica Sheppard and right side hitter Britney Miller. The two combined for 64 kills in the two regular-season victories against the 'Dogs. However, in the regional championship match, Sheppard and Miller combined for only 4 kills, with both players hitting in the red.
The Bulldogs also held sophomore setter and MIAA player of the year Ting Liu in check. She finished with 19 assists for the match, averaging just more than six per set. Coming into the match she was averaging just more than 12 per set.
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