Nov. 21, 2008
OREM, Utah - The 2008 NCAA Division I Independent Volleyball Championship began Friday at Utah Valley University with the home team winning its first two matches against Providence and Texas-Pan American in straight sets.
Utah Valley (12-12) won its first match of the tournament 31-29, 25-20, 25-10 against fifth-seeded Providence (15-19) Friday afternoon. The team then won 25-11, 25-19, 25-19 against third-seeded UTPA (6-18) in the last match of the day.
"It's important for us to have momentum going into tomorrow," UVU head coach Sam Atoa said. "We have two good opponents that we have to face tomorrow, and we have to continue to elevate our game."
Junior Kristin Anderson led all hitters with 11 kills on 16 swings in the first match. Freshman Faith Tusieseina was close behind with her first double-digit kill performance of her career with 10 kills on 11 swings with no attack errors. Junior Allyce Wilson led the Wolverine defense with 14 digs.
UVU put forth a more balanced attack in the second match as freshman Chelsey Garfield led the team with nine kills, and Anderson and sophomore Kayli Broadbent had eight kills apiece. Atoa's squad hit .278 against the Lady Broncs while holding them to a .070 attack percentage. Wilson had 18 digs in the match and Broadbent had 10. Tusieseina, Anderson, and freshman Sarah Clement each added four blocks in the match.
There were a total of 14 tied scores and six lead changes in the first set against Providence. Eleven of those tied scores came after the set was knotted at 17-17. The Wolverines fought off four Providence set points before earning four more themselves, the last of which sealed the set 31-29. Anderson led all attackers with six kills on eight swings. Broadbent and Clement each had five kills in the set as well. Wilson also tallied nine digs in the set.
Tusieseina led the Wolverine attack in the second set putting away all for sets that came her way. She recorded the first three kills and the last point for Utah Valley in a 25-20 second-set win. Utah valley hit .346, while Providence was not far behind with a .300 attack percentage.
Four freshman started the third set for the Wolverines in a 25-10 victory. As a team, UVU hit .625 with 12 kills and only two errors while holding Providence to a .000 attack percentage with four kills and four attack errors. Garfield led all hitters with four kills on five swings.
Against UTPA, the Wolverines won the first set 25-11 with a .321 attack percentage and seven total team blocks. Defensively, Utah Valley held UTPA to a -.100 attack percentage and only six kills in the set. Anderson led all attackers with four kills on five swings. Clement had four blocks in the set, and Anderson, senior Kristi Lindley, and Tusieseina had three blocks apiece.
Broadbent was the offensive and defensive leader in the 25-19 Utah Valley second-set win. She had five kills on nine swings with no errors and six digs. The team's biggest lead of the set stretched to eight points at 20-12 before UTPA closed the gap to 23-19. As a team, the Wolverines hit .220 in the set and held the Lady Broncs to a .116 attack percentage. Neither team recorded a block in the set.
The last set of the day went to UVU 25-19. Garfield had six kills in the set to lead all hitters. The Wolverines trailed in the set as late as 14-15, but then scored nine of the next 10 points to regain the insurmountable lead. UVU hit .304 as a team, and Wilson's 10 digs in the set helped keep UTPA at a .212 attack percentage.
The other three matches of the day saw NJIT sweep Providence, and Cal State Bakersfield sweep Texas-Pan American and NJIT.
The Independent Championship will continue Saturday with five more matches, the first set for 8 a.m. UVU will meet NJIT at 10 a.m. and CSUB at 4 p.m. in the final match of the tournament and the season.
