Metro State Advances to Region Semifinals with 3-1 Victory over Wayne State
MARSHALL, Minn. – No. 6 seed Metro State (Colo.) picked up the first upset of the 2010 NCAA II Central Region Tournament on Thursday defeating No. 3 seed Wayne State (Neb.) 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 25-18, 25-16) in Marshall.
MSCD, ranked No. 13 in the Top 25 and making its 18th NCAA tournament appearance, improves to 25-6 overall and has won 15 of its last 16 matches. WSC, ranked No. 3 nationally, finishes the season 26-4. WSC has now appeared in six NCAA tournaments.
Bri Morley led the Roadrunners in the victory with 19 kills in 42 attempts, while Emily Greenhalgh added 16 kills. Darcy Schwartzman finished with a match-high 58 set assists with 10 digs.
Jennifer Hefner led the Wildcats with 11 kills, while Tali Fredrickson and Mindy Moody each added 10 kills.
Metro State will advance to the region semifinals on Friday night at 5 p.m. taking on No. 2 seed and three-time defending national champion Concordia-St. Paul.
NOTES & QUOTES
Wayne State
Head coach Scott Kneifl on falling in the first round…
"I’m really proud of our team’s effort. Some things didn’t go our way, and the ball bounced the other way. We’ve had a great year and a great run. Metro State was very scrappy. They did some things defensively and in transition that hurt us."
Kneifl on Metro State’s performance…
"Their balance was key for them today. Their outside hitters were hot early. We had a lot of negative touches. They found their middles, and they were up fast. It’s hard to stop. They were digging the ball in system, and when you do that you can be really successful."
Senior middle hitter Jennifer Hefner on playing her final match…
"The four years that we’ve been here I feel like our whole team has built a great program; and now maybe, just maybe, people will know where Wayne, Neb., is. Our team just keeps getting stronger and stronger."
Senior setter Diedra Artz on Metro State’s runs…
"It’s not that we’re not trained for that; the ball just falls the other way sometimes. Those are big momentum gainers. We tried our best to come back after those points, but they are tough."
Senior outside hitter Lea Hartigan on playing her final match…
"I’ve gained so many family members it seems like. These girls have turned into sister for me, and coach is like a dad. It’s been a great four years and I wouldn’t trade it for anything."
Metro State
Head coach Debbie Hendricks on her team’s win…
"We saw them early in the (Colorado Premiere Challenge) and knew that they were going to be a very difficult team to beat. We felt like we were similar teams in the sense that we both play strong defense and have good ball control and have a balanced offense attack."
Hendricks on if the win was an upset…
"I think that every coach that came into this tournament would say that any team could win on any day. We feel fortunate to be on the positive end of it today. I don’t how much I consider it an upset. Any team that is going to win this thing is going to have to put together three really high-level matches."
Hendricks on MSCD’s balanced effort…
"I think that what we’ve identified with our program is that if we are ball controlling well, we have a weapon in every position. It gives our team a lot of confidence knowing that if one hitter is not hitting well, another is going to step up and carry the load."
Hendricks on MSCD’s scrappy back-row play…
"We’re a very defensive-minded team. That’s always been something we’ve focused on, especially this year. This group has come together very well on the defensive side of the ball. Sometimes you make a few extra-special plays on the defensive sides and it really takes the wind out of the sails of your opponent’s offense."
Junior outside hitter Bri Morley on losing the first set…
"We make sure we battle, and we make sure that we win every point. We make them beat us. We’re a really strong-hearted team, and we’re all pretty confident we can get it done."
