Nov. 10, 2006- Truman volleyball saw its season come to a shocking end on Friday night in Pershing Arena as the Bulldogs were upset 3-2 by North Alabama in the NCAA South Central regional semifinals. The Lions will meet Central Missouri in the finals tomorrow as the Jennies defeated West Florida by a 3-2 margin.
North Alabama 3, Truman 2
The Bulldogs won the first two games, but North Alabama roared back for a 27-30, 29-31, 30-25, 30-27, 15-12 victory over the number one team in the country.
Truman’s biggest strength, its defense, failed them as North Alabama snapped the program’s 36-match winning streak. The Bulldogs had just 10 blocks on the night and allowed North Alabama to hit over .200. The Lions were just the fourth team to hit over .200 on the Bulldogs this season.
Despite those problems, Truman still managed to win the first two games behind its high powered offense. The Bulldogs had 39 kills in the first two games and hit around the .300 mark.
In game one, Truman trailed 25-23 when it went on a 6-0 run to win the game. Game two was tied at 29 when a service ace by Sarah Shearman and a kill by Allie Cherven gave the Bulldogs a victory.
The Bulldogs looked strong early on in the third game, leading for much of the first half of the game. Truman had a one-point advantage at 16-15 when North Alabama turned the momentum with an 11-3 spurt.
Another large run was the difference in game four as the Lions scored 12 of 13 points at one point to go up 17-10. Truman made a comeback effort, getting within one two times, but could never get up the hump and take the lead.
In the deciding game, a 3-0 run by North Alabama broke a 6-6 tie. Kasie Spencer had kills for the first two points, and then assisted on a block for the third. Truman did tie the game at 10, but the Lions went on another 4-1 run to seal the match.
Five Bulldogs had double-figure kills and five had double-figure digs. Allie Cherven was the team lead with 18 kills, six blocks and a .500 hitting percentage. The team’s other middle, Lisa Weber, ended the night with 10 kills and four blocks, and she hit .348.
Sarah Shearman ended her amazing career with 17 kills, 19 digs and a .341 hitting percentage. Kelsey Wackerman had a triple-double of 10 kills, 33 assists and a team-high 23 digs. Melissa Keck was the final Bulldog in double-figure kills with 15.
Eli Medina had 22 digs for Truman, Whitney Boehler had 17 and Christine Wagener chipped in with 11. Boehler paced the squad with four service aces and Wagener led the team with 36 assists.
North Alabama was led by Nilcia Oliveira with 23 kills, followed by Megan Stout with 20. Spencer finished with 17 kills and led the team with seven blocks. Setter Laura Bellinger hurt Truman with 14 kills and Dee Ayres was in double-figures with 11.
Bellinger also finished with 75 assists in the match. North Alabama had 121 digs, including 43 from Ashley Hill and 21 from Jessica Hansen.
Truman concludes its season with a record of 36-2. North Alabama improves to 32-5 and it will take on Central Missouri for the regional championship on Saturday afternoon.
Central Missouri 3, West Florida 2
West Florida and 17th-ranked Central Missouri played in a classic volleyball match on Friday at Pershing Arena in the NCAA South Central Regional semifinals. The Jennies survived by a 28-30, 30-26, 30-14, 26-30, 19-17 score.
The two teams were tight throughout the first two games, with neither team ever having a lead more than four points. The Argonaunts won game one thanks to a 7-1 run that gave it a 27-23 late in the game. Game two went to the Jennies after a 7-3 run late that cut into a one-point deficit.
Central Missouri appeared to take control of the match in game three and early in game four. They dominated the third game, hitting .548 in the game. The Jennies then jumped out to a 10-3 lead in game four. West Florida stormed back though, eventually tying the game at 19 and, with the score tied at 20, scoring six straight points to lead to the game win.
The fifth game was back-and-forth with seven ties and two lead changes. West Florida had three match points, but Central Missouri kept the Argonaunts from cashing in with the upset. The Jennies finally took the lead at 17-16 and, after three sideouts, won the game and match by a 19-17 score.
Central Missouri had three players with 17 or more kills. Lauren Nuckolls led the way with 20 kills, Jillian Ohrman had 19 and Katie Tarka finished with 17. Caitlin Pankratz led the team with 62 assists, Tarka paced the squad with 21 digs and Jacquelyn Williams had a team-high eight blocks.
West Florida was led by Naiara Fernandez with 34 kills. Danielle Spitzer added 16 and Carly Moyers had 14. Marcela Cunha had a game-high 65 assists, Jerica Carter led the squad with 26 digs and Moyers had a team-high six blocks.
Central Missouri is now 29-6 overall and advances to tomorrow’s regional finals. West Florida, who was making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament, ends its season with a 20-15 overall record.
