Dec. 3, 2009

 Video Highlights

Final Stats

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The West Texas A&M Lady Buffs advance to the Final Four with a win over California (Pa.) in four sets with scores of 21-25, 25-22, 25-20, and 25-23. The Lady Buffs continue their season with a 38-3 overall record, while Cal-PA. finishes with a record of 36-6.

"We came through with the win, but that was a great team and we were just able to muscle it out," said head coach Jason Skoch. "We've had a few matches this year against very good teams where we've lost the first set and came back and won the last three. We've been in the spot before and I think it helped us from getting flustered more."

The first set saw the Lady Buffs struggle to put points together. They trailed through the set, tying twice, and taking the lead 11-10. WT came back within one point at 21-22 with a kill by Laura Prinsen, but the Vulcans took the last four points to finish the set 21-25.

WT started coming together in the second set as Erika Dupree, Melissa Harper and Laura Prinsen put together kills to go up 5-3. The Lady Buffs kept the with a kill by Harper, followed by a block by Harper and Katie Rickwartz for a score of 15-11. Prinsen found the open floor for another kill, followed immediately with a kill through the block by Lauren Thedford for a six-point lead at 19-13. The Vulcans took the next two points with a kill and a block.

Cal brought the set back within two points, recording three-consecutive kills for a score of 21-19. Prinsen put up a strong block at the net for a WT point, followed by service errors from both teams for a score of 23-20. A Thedford kill brought on set-point for the Lady Buffs, but the Vulcans fought for two more points before another kill by Thedford finished the set, 25-22.

The Lady Buffs hit .302 in the second set, a large improvement over the first set which saw a hitting clip of .104.

Cal started the second set on top with the first two points, but a rotation error and delay of game put the score at 1-1 with the momentum on the Lady Buffs' side. Harper tallied three kills and Thedford one for a Lady Buff lead at 7-4. WT maintained control of the set as Prinsen and Purdy put down kills to go up 17-12. Three Lady Buff errors brought the Vulcans back within two points at 17-15 and the set remained close until 19-17 when the Lady Buffs put together a 6-3 run to finish the set 25-20. Thedford again tallied set-point with a deep court kill.

In the third set, the Vulcans had an attack error for a lady Buff point, followed by two kills and an ace to go up 1-3. Harper started a four-point run with a kill to gain the lead at 7-6. The set tied at 8-8 and 12-12, before the Lady Buffs took control of the set. Cal kept fighting, bringing the set within one point at 22-21 and 24-23. Harper put down a kill for the match point and the win.

The Lady Buffs finished with a team hitting percentage of .253 to the Vulcans .249 hitting clip.

Four players tallied double-digit kills, led by Harper with 18, followed by Thedford with 13, and Dupree and Prinsen with 10 each. Purdy also contributed well to the offense with nine kills and Rickwartz proved a threat with five setter dump kills. Rickwartz recorded 49 assists.

Defensively, WT recorded 17 block assists for 8.5 total blocks, led by Purdy and Harper with four block assists each. The Lady Buffs were strong in digs as five players tallied double-digit digs, led by Lauren Beville with 22 digs. Prinsen followed with 18, Thedford with 15, Kelsey Mangum with 14, and Rickwartz with 10.

Prinsen and Thedford each recorded double-doubles with digs and kills. Rickwartz also put up double-double numbers with assists and digs.

WT faces Flagler College on Friday, Dec. 4, at 5:00 p.m. (CT). Flagler defeated Dowling in three sets to earn a place in the semifinal match.