(Portions of this story courtesy of Colorado College)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For the second consecutive year, the Colorado College Tigers and the Trinity University Tigers will meet for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball championship after both schools won their semifinal matches on day one of the championship. Bracket | Official Website
Colorado College, the tournament's host and top seed, will be looking for its third consecutive SCAC championship. The Tigers defeated Trinity 3-1 in the 2011 SCAC championship match.
As the top two seeds both Colorado College and Trinity earned byes into the semifinals. In the afternoon's first semfinal, Colorado College earned a decisive 3-0 win over No. 4 seeded Austin College by scores of 25-18, 25-16, 25-14. Trinity earned its championship berth with a sweep of No. 3 seeded Southwestern University by scores 25-16, 25-23 25-13.
No. 4 Austin College vs. No. 5 University of
Dallas Quarterfinal
Led by Shelby Eaves and Nita Kavouspour, who combined for 29
kills, Austin College held off a late University of Dallas comeback
bid in the fourth set to record a 25-15, 27-29, 25-19, 25-23
victory in the quarterfinals of the 2012 SCAC Volleyball
Championship at Colorado College's Reid Arena. Box Score
The Kangaroos, 24-12, advance to the semifinal round later Friday
afternoon, where they will meet tournament host, regular-season
co-champion and top-seeded CC.
Eaves hammered down 16 kills for Austin, while Kavouspour added 13
with only two errors in 27 attempts for a .407 attack percentage.
Setter Kelly McDaniel, who hit .426 with eight kills of her own,
finished with 41 assists.
Dallas, 17-20, kept the match close thanks to 11 kills and a .476
hitting percentage by Catherine Dowgwillo.
No. 3 Southwestern University vs. No. 6 Centenary College Quarterfinal
No. 3 seed Southwestern University made short order of Centenary
College on Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the 2012 SCAC
Volleyball Championship with a 25-11, 25-18, 25-16 sweep of the
Ladies in their first-round match at Colorado College's Reid
Gymnasium. Box Score
Kaitlin Foster's nine kills and .412 attack percentage fueled the
Pirates, who improved to 23-10 for the season. Elizabeth Sandoval
(13) Lacey Strickland (11) combined for 24 digs to pace
Southwestern defensively, while Chandler Lentz served seven aces.
Sandoval added six kills to go with a solo block .
Centenary, 2-30, was led by Lindsey Bruce's five kills, with Sarah
Irons and Brooke Bahlinger chipping in with four apiece.
No. 1 Colorado College vs. No. 4 Austin College Semfinal
Colorado College steamrolled into Saturday's title match of the 2012 SCAC volleyball championship in impressive fashion on Friday. Box Score
Triggered by three outside hitters with double-digit kills, the
top-seeded and host Tigers swept Austin College, 25-18, 25-16,
25-14, in the conference semifinals at CC's Reid
Gymnasium.
Offensively, it was freshmen Courtney Birkett and Emily Phillips,
along with sophomore Kristen Liberty, who fueled the victory.
Birkett paced the trio with 13 kills, while Phillips finished with
12 to go and 13 digs, and Liberty contributed 10. Phillips and
Liberty also served four aces apiece. Senior setter Kate
Squires finished with 42 assists.
Freshman Sophie Merrifield and senior Laura Goldsmith led the
defensive effort, collecting 20 and 18 digs, respectively, as the
Tigers held Austin to a .043 attack percentage.
Shelby Eaves had seven of Austin's total of 21 kills.
No. 2 Trinity University vs. No. 3 Southwestern University Semfinal
A Strong defensive showing leads Trinity University to a 25-16,
25-23, 25-14 sweep of Southwestern University, Friday evening in
Reid Arena, to advance to the championship match of the Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament. Box Score
Trinity, which is now 20-14 on the season, used 12 blocks and had
four players earn double-figure digs to earn the three-game
sweep.
Maryn Swierc led the Tigers' defense with 14 digs, Leslie Green
and Layne Hubbard added 12 digs each, while Mia Mineghino chipped
in for 10. Defensively at the net, Kesley Daniel and Erin Cusenbary
earned a team-high six blocks each.
Hubbard led Trinity offensively with 13 kills, while Swierc dished
out a team-high 29 assists and four service aces.
Southwestern, which fell to 23-11 this season, was led by Lorin
Froetschel with 10 kills and Lacey Strickland with 29 assists.
Elizabeth Sandoval led the defense with 10 digs.
