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Lady Buffs Put On Sweeping Performance In Upsetting No. 15 Metro State
Aug. 27, 2004
The West Texas A&M University volleyball team proved that preseason rankings don't mean a whole lot, as the Lady Buffs, listed at No. 26 in the AVCA Preseason Poll put on a sweeping performance in upsetting No. 15 Metro State College, 3-0 (30-22, 30-18, 30-25), Friday night at The Box in the last match of the first day of the First General Services Lady Buff Classic.
In the process, WTAMU spoiled the return of former Lady Buff head coach Debbie Hendricks, who was making her first appearance at The Box against WTAMU. Hendricks had brought Metro State to The Box for two NCAA-II Regional Tournaments, but didn't play the Lady Buffs and had faced WTAMU one other time, at the Denver Premier Challenge in 2002.
The Lady Buffs were rude hosts, as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead in game one and never looked back, opening up a 19-9 lead after a tandem block by sophomore middle blocker Megan Spivey and freshman setter Erin Houlihan, who had a major debut day.
Houlihan tallied a match-high 45 assists Friday night, after posting 42 assists in WTAMU's 3-0 win over Adams State Friday afternoon. She recorded a combined 19 digs, three blocks and three kills.
The Roadrunners put together a little run of their own, pulling within 23-19, forcing a WTAMU time-out. The Lady Buffs stormed out of the break, as sophomore outside hitters Jessica Scherr and Rachel Altman posted back-to-back kills to regain control and putting WTAMU up, 25-19. Spivey ended game one at 30-22 with a kill.
Game two was a little tighter, at 7-6, until the Lady Buffs peeled off nine straight points, mixing in kills with Metro State errors. Sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Ambra Clark pounded a booming kill to give WTAMU a 21-10 lead. Later, junior Libero Brittani Bell took advantage of the new NCAA rules which allow the Libero to serve, dealt an ace and forcing a Roadrunner time-out at 24-11. WTAMU went on to win the second game, 30-18.
Game three was a back-and-forth affair, as neither team could take more than a two point lead without the other one rallying back, until the Lady Buffs mounted a charge down 16-15, as Clark and Altman had a kill apiece sandwiched around two kills by junior middle blocker Cynthia Carter to take a 19-16 lead and force a MSC time-out.
WTAMU then recorded five of the next seven points, the last two on consecutive kills by Altman and Scherr to take a 24-18 advantage and forcing another Roadrunner pause in the action.
Metro State pulled to within one at 25-24, before Spivey sparked a late WTAMU push with a kill, as Clark boomed a kill to end the game and match at 30-25.
Clark tallied a match-high 14 kills, while Scherr added 13 kills and had 14 digs. Bell recorded a match-high 23 digs, while Spivey, the defending Lone Star Conference season block leader, chalked up a match-high four blocks.
Metro State was led by 13 kills by Stefanie Allison, who tied teammate Taryn Drescher for the team-high 22 digs.
The Lady Buffs improve to 11-4 all-time against the Roadrunners, and knocked off a higher nationally-ranked team in the First General Services Lady Buff Classic for the second year in a row, as WTAMU, ranked No. 12 at the time, upset seventh-ranked Grand Valley State last year.
The Classic resumes at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at The Box. WTAMU takes the court at 4 p.m. to face New Mexico Highlands and then closes out Classic action with Incarnate Word at 8 p.m.
Friday's First General Services Lady Buff Classic Results
Saturday's First General Services Lady Buff Classic Schedule
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