Mountaineers Win WVU Classic
August 29, 2010 09:33 PM | General
August 29, 2010
YOUNGSTOWN STATE BOX SCORE | AKRON BOX SCORE
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team swept competition this weekend as it took first place in the WVU Classic after defeating Akron this evening at the WVU Coliseum.
Senior captain and middle blocker Lauren Evans was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and highest point scorer, while senior Bonnie West was named best libero and juniors Kari Post and Michelle Kopecky were named best setter and best attacker, respectively.
The Mountaineers improved to 4-0, as they swept Youngstown State in a 3-0 (25-15, 25-9, 25-18) match this afternoon, and then followed with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-16) victory over Akron.
“I think the biggest thing of the weekend is consistency,” coach Jill Kramer says. “We said that we needed to do the same things that we have been doing in practice, because we have had a consistent effort and energy in every practice. “At the end of the day, that is what we did. This weekend could have easily been a one-hit-wonder on day one, but the great thing is, that newness that we felt yesterday carried through to today and it got better and better."
In a match where all 17 Mountaineers on the roster played, WVU dominated Youngstown State in its first contest of the day with a team hitting percentage of .295 and seven total blocks.
A 7-0 run at the beginning of set one from WVU was just what the Mountaineers needed to gain some momentum as they started with a dominating win.
In set two, the Penguins tied the score at four, before a kill Evans put the Mountaineers back on top. WVU once again gained the advantage and never looked back as freshman setter Lisa Riedel led her team to a 20-9 lead with excellent serving, while back-to-back kills from senior Andrea Miller and juniors Serinna Russo and Kopecky capped the victory.
Youngstown State came to within two (14-12) in set three, before Miller posted two-straight kills to lift the Mountaineers. Russo ended the set and secured the win for WVU after she posted her 10th kill of the match.
Evans had another excellent match with 10 kills and a .471 hitting clip, while senior libero Bonnie West added 10 digs.
With a championship title on the line, the Mountaineers stepped up big against Akron, as juniors Kylie Armbruster and Serinna Russo both recorded double-doubles. Russo led the team with 10 kills and 20 digs, while Armbruster posted 10 kills and 12 digs.
WVU started set one tied at seven with the Zips, before a kill from Kopecky pushed the Mountaineers to a lead they would refuse to let go.
Akron fought hard in the second set after a kill from freshman Alex Cocklin put the Zips up 16-15. However, West Virginia refused to surrender and came back with a 6-0 run to regain the lead and eventually the set.
The Mountaineers dominated set three as Russo posted five of her 10 kills to aid her team to a win.
Overall this weekend, Evans posted 38 kills with a .426 hitting percentage, while Russo recorded 36 kills and 51 digs.
The Mountaineers will resume action on Sept. 3-4 at the George Mason Classic in Fairfax, Va.
