November 3rd, 2007
(photos by Patrick Zarate)
BOX SCORE
RICHARDSON, Texas – The Texas Lutheran women’s volleyball team captured its second American Southwest Conference Championship in four years with a 28-30, 30-20, 30-18, 28-30, 17-15 win over Hardin-Simmons, Saturday afternoon at the University of Texas at Dallas.
TLU (22-6) advances to the NCAA Division III Championships. The Bulldogs will play in an NCAA DIII regional tournament at a site to be announced Sunday. The opening matches of the regional tournament are scheduled to begin Thursday.
Hardin-Simmons (22-9) failed to repeat as the ASC Champion after winning the 2006 title on TLU’s home floor in Seguin. The Cowgirls will need an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament to keep their season alive. Only the winner of the ASC Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
TLU and HSU each had a match point in the fifth and final game. HSU fought off three TLU match points after trailing 14-11. The Cowgirls reeled off four straight points to secure a match point of their own.
Trailing 15-14 to HSU, the Bulldogs went to ASC Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player Kristen Eldridge (Bastrop/Bastrop), who pounded an outside attack down for a kill. The play to Eldridge, a senior, started with a precise pass from senior libero Melissa Mudge (Round Rock/Stony Point) and a perfect set from senior Megan Purser (Dickinson/Dickinson).
Eldridge finished the championship match with 14 kills and just three errors in 37 attempts. Eldridge also recorded four assists and a block assist.
Eldridge, Mudge, Purser and Amber Meeks (Magnolia/Magnolia) were freshmen on the Bulldogs last ASC Championship squad. The 2004 squad advanced to the NCAA DIII South Region Championship match, in the NCAA “Sweet 16.” TLU is 2-1 all-time in NCAA tournament matches.
Eldridge was joined on the ASC All-Tournament Team by freshman outside hitter Jessica Stetler (San Antonio/Churchill) and sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Jamie Jahns (Spring/Klein Collins).
The Bulldogs had five players in double-digit kills against HSU. Stetler led the Bulldogs with 17 kills. Eldridge and Jahns each collected 14 kills. Amber Meeks (Round Rock/Stony Point) and Jamie Lassiter (Richardson/Berkner) each contributed 12 kills.
TLU hit .251 for the match and held HSU to a .186 hitting percentage.
Meeks led TLU with 30 digs, and Stetler added 27. Purser delivered 50 assists, and Stetler served six aces.
Kaela Parnell led HSU with 24 kills and a .377 hitting percentage. Parnell also added two aces and 13 digs. Setter Amanda Curry dished out a match-high 53 assists and had 18 digs. Both Curry and Parnell were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Terah Brown of McMurry and Kathryn Adams of Texas-Dallas completed the All-Tournament Team.