SPOKANE, Wash. -- After splitting a pair of early season matches with Cal State East Bay, the University of La Verne left no doubt as to the best NCAA Division III team from California in 2005 as the Leopards rolled to a 30-28, 30-18, 30-25 victory over the Pioneers in a semifinal of the West Regional of the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament on Friday night in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
Courtney Rollins hammered 15 kills, while Mandy Sedia and Brianna Gonzales added 12 apiece for top-seeded La Verne (22-8 and ranked 6th in the latest CSTV/AVCA Division III poll). Sedia also had a team high three blocks. Lauren Friestad finished with 20 digs and Leslie Flores dished 48 assists. Sarah Kolstad came off of the bench to lead East Bay with 10 kills and five blocks. Cynthia Raichel added six kills and a match high six blocks, while Alyssa Chang had a match high 22 digs. The Pioneers finish the season with a record of 27-11. La Verne opened a 13-8 lead in the first game on a kill by Megan Powers and led 18-12 after a kill by Sedia. But the Pioneers climbed back to tie the game 26-26 when Raichel killed an over-pass. La Verne scored the next two points and finished the game on another kill from Sedia. East Bay ran out to a 9-5 lead in the second game thanks to four ULV errors. But the Leopards fought back to tie the game 12-12 on a kill by Courtney Rollins. La Verne then outscored East Bay 18-6 to finish the game. The Leopards kept the momentum going, starting the third game with a 9-1 run. After a timeout, East Bay began a slow, but sure, comeback. The Pioneers eventually tied the game 17-17 on a Leopard attack error. They took the lead 18-17 on a kill from Kolstad. But it would be their only lead of the final game. The Leopards went back in front 23-19 on a kill from Gonzales. They won the match on back to back kills from Sedia. La Verne will play the winner of tonight's second semifinal between Northwest Conference rivals Linfield and Whitworth for the right to advance to next week's NCAA Finals in Salem, Virginia. |
