Thursday, November 19
5:00 p.m. - Gangelhoff Center - St. Paul, Minn.
No. 4 seed #17 Wayne State (29-7) vs. No. 5 seed #16 Minnesota State (25-7)
BOX SCORE - PHOTOS - MSU PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO
WSC PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwwnsAZTzmg
*(copy and paste the link into your internet browser - clicking on the link goes to MSU's press conference)*
RECAP: ST. PAUL, Minn. - In a five set thriller with neither team wanting their season to end, no. 4 seed Wayne State College (29-7) had a few more answers to pull away 15-11 over no. 5 seed Minnesota State (25-7) in the 2009 Central Region quarterfinals. The Wildcats took the first set before falling henind 2-1 in the match. They forced a fifth set in an exciting 25-20 decision. WSC advanced to the semifinals by scores of 25-23, 18-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-11.
The Mavericks led the match in kills (71-55), hitting average (.221-.168) and blocks (14-11), but errors at the service line, poor passing and timely mistakes dealt the final card. Wayne State's outside hitter Mindy Moody and middle Jennifer Hefner each put up team a team high 17 kills with Moody swinging for a .516 average.
The Wildcats used a series of short runs to take the edge at several points in the match. The most important quick burst came in the final set. Tied up 6-6, the Wildcats used two Maverick errors and their own kills to go up 12-8 and take a drastic momentum shift. The nail was put in the coffin with a Maverick service error at 12-9, the team's 10th of the match.
The Mavericks did a good job spreading the ball around to keep the Wildcats on the defense. Four players finished in double figures for kills, led by freshman outside hitter Chelsea Fogarty with 19 bombs. Fellow outside hitter Amanda Beekman pitched in with 18 kills. The team's defense was headed by Brittany Stamer with a match high 25 digs. For the Wildcats, Leigh Connot came up with a team high 22 saves.
The Wildcats advance to the tournament semifinals where they will take on the winner of the Concordia University/Colorado Mines match.
Wayne State Match Notes: No. 17 Wayne State is making their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament ... The Wildcats tied with Minnesota State with a 16-4 record in the NSIC ... Wayne State's No. 4 seed in the tournament is their highest ever seeding in a national tournament.
Minnesota State Match Notes: No. 16 Minnesota State finished the regular season tied with Wayne State at 16-4 in the NSIC ... MSU is 10-5 all-time against Wayne State ... This is MSU's seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history.
WAYNE STATE COLLEGE QUOTES:
Head Coach Scott Kneifl
Opening Statement: “We're really excited we fought hard, I didn't feel like we played extremely well early. I thought we were a little tight from the start but we came out and did some really good things. I don't know how many times we've played five (sets) at least seven or eight times but we haven't lost one yet. Our players felt comfort bale going into that fifth set."
On strengths of the match: “They're really soild at the pins. They took a lot of swings at a lot of out of system balls today that a lot of teams can't put away. Defensively they were scrappy, at the same time they were transitioning for a lot of points."
Junior setter Diedra Artz
On confidence when playing five sets: “Once we get to the fifth set we pretty much know its game over. We pretty confident that we can go five (sets). As long as we get a good start we know we can go five (sets). We just stay positive and confident."
Sophomore outside hitter Mindy Moody
On confidence when playing five sets: “Even if we're down a few points we can look at our teammates on the bench and say we're not worried."
On the difference maker in the match: “Confidence in each other, we just had to look at each other and know that we can do this. Sometimes things don't always work out for the best but tonight we were able to look at each other and know that we can do this."
MINNESOTA STATE:
Head Coach Dennis Amundson:
Opening statement: “It was an exciting match to watch. I give Wayne a lot of credit for digging in and playing hard. Wayne played very well. I thought we played very well considering we were playing against the coach of the year.”
On game four: “Wayne cut us off of our game. We didn’t receive serve very well. That hurt.”
On his team: “With the support of the athletic administration I have watched the improvement of the volleyball program. We are headed in the right direction.”
Final statement: “I am pleased with the development of the younger kids. They have had a lot of growth this year and I expect good things from them in the future. It is great to play in the NSIC and RMAC. This is a great region. It is a pleasure to be at Concordia.”
Junior outside hitter Amanda Beekman:
On their season: “The seniors were great to play with and will be missed. We are the best of friends on and off the court. The seniors will be missed and leave behind some tough shoes to fill.”
Senior rightside hitter Ally Kwikkel:
On her team: “We were relentless and played with balance. We had a great season.”
On Wayne State: “We made silly errors and didn’t swing as much. We tried out hardest. They just won the few extra points that made the difference.”
MATCH PHOTOS (link will direct you to CU's Flickr page)
