October 21st, 2009
Box Score
(Photo by Drew Engelke)
KERRVILLE, Texas – The Texas Lutheran women’s volleyball team secured a spot in the American Southwest Championship Tournament with a five-game victory at Schreiner University on Wednesday.
After missing on three match points in the fourth game, the Bulldogs posted the 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 27-29, 15-9 victory over the Mountaineers.
TLU moved to 16-6 overall and to 13-4 in the American Southwest Conference West Division.
Schreiner dropped to 15-11 overall and to 9-6 in the ASC West.
TLU received 12 kills from senior middle blocker Jamie Jahns (Spring/Klein Collins) and 11 kills from junior outside hitter Sarah Black (Needville/Needville).
Junior outside hitter Jessica Stetler (San Antonio/Churchill) added nine kills, 12 digs, two aces and a block.
Junior middle blocker Eden Denney (Converse/Judson/UT-San Antonio) contributed four blocks, and Blair O’Brien (Austin/Manor) led the Bulldogs in digs with 18.
TLU received 16 assists from freshman Courtney Johnson (Cedar Park/Cedar Park) and 15 assists from senior Amanda Curry (Lago Vista/Lago Vista/Hardin-Simmons).
Tiffany Miller paced Schreiner with 21 kills. Caitlin Gayle added 15.
A win by Schreiner on Wednesday would have moved the Mountaineers into a tie in the loss column with TLU. Instead, the TLU victory assures that TLU can finish no worse than third in the ASC West.
TLU has a slim shot at a share of the ASC West Division title. The Bulldogs trail Hardin-Simmons (17-5, 14-2) by a game-and-a-half overall and by two games in the loss column. TLU has one match remaining in division play (at home vs. Concordia Texas), and HSU has two matches remaining in the division (road matches at Sul Ross State and at Schreiner).
TLU would need HSU to lose both of its final two division games for TLU to have a share of the division title. Even if the Bulldogs were to claim a share of the crown, HSU likely will hold the tiebreaker advantage and take the No. 1 seed from the ASC West entering the conference tournament.
The more likely scenario is that a win by TLU next Tuesday against Concordia Texas would clinch the No. 2 seed in the ASC West for the Bulldogs.
The top three teams from the ASC West and the top three from the ASC East will play for the conference crown at the ASC Championship Tournament, to be hosted by the ASC East Division champion. University of Texas at Dallas currently leads the ASC East with an overall record of 18-0 and a conference mark of 13-0. The conference tournament is scheduled for Nov. 6-7.
The Bulldogs swept the season series with Schreiner. The Mountaineers still have an outside shot at the No. 3 seed out of the ASC West. Schreiner needs to defeat Howard Payne, McMurry and Hardin-Simmons to close out the regular season and then probably needs McMurry to stumble in Alpine against Sul Ross State.
Categories: Women´s Volleyball