Volleyball Top Stories

 

Wolves Advance To Semis With Marathon Win

November 2 , 2006	1	2	3	4	5
Northern State	30	31	24	30	15
MSU Moorhead	27	33	30	21	11

ST. PAUL, Minn. - In a thrilling start to the 2006 postseason, the fifth seeded Wolves rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to claim a 3-2 win over #4 MSU Moorhead Thursday night at Gangelhoff Center on the campus of Concordia-St. Paul. Momentum ruled the match and dictated game winners, but the Wolves proved they had the strength to take the win.

NSU took a lead in the match with a 30-27 win in Game 1, putting down 18 kills and keeping the Dragons to a slim .085 hitting average. Things were looking good as Northern opened the second game with a 19-8 lead, taking advantage of Dragon hitting errors with by posting kills of their own. The tide would change, however, as Moorhead pounced on a seemingly low energy level on the NSU side. The Dragons came back to take the game 33-31.

The Wolves struggled with their block in Game 3, with deflections and swipes earning points for the Dragons throughout the game. The Wolves dropped the game 24-30. It was a much stronger defensive effort that got the Wolves back on top in Game 4. NSU came out of the gates with the lead and got their game back on track with a 30-21 win. The team was especially successful at keeping long rallies alive, using their strong defense to keep on top.

Taking the momentum from the match-saving win, the Wolves started the deciding game on a 6-1 run, forcing an early MSUM timeout. Kelsey Aden came out strong for the third straight match, posting three kils and three huge blocks, forcing a final Moorhead timeout with the scoreboard reading 10-4. With just five points left in the way of a victory, the Wolves knew they would have to play consistently to avoid another Dragon comeback. A mix of Dragon errors and NSU blocks brought the score to 14-8. Moorhead would fight off three match points and force an NSU timeout before Aden and Diaz suitably sealed the deal with a block and advanced the Wolves to the semifinal round of the 2006 Tournament.

Odemaris Diaz led the Wolves with 24 kills and also had 11 digs. Kelsey Aden posted 22 kills and led the team with seven blocks (6 BA, 1 BS). Emily Knaeble had double-double night with 10 kills and 24 digs. Melanie Perez once again led the defensive effort with 34 digs, while senior setter Kellie Heier led her team to victory with 66 assists, 16 digs, and four blocks.

Meagan Brandon and Megan Norling had 18 kills each for the Dragons, while Becky Anderson came in with a 15 kill performance. Mary Sussenguth led all players with eight blocks, seven assisted and one solo. Two Moorhead players posted 30+ digs, Calla Oftedahl came in with 37 and Julie Vancura had 30.

The Dragons hit .128 on the match with 70 kills. The Wolves came up with 82 kills while swinging at a .185 clip. Moorhead totaled 119 digs, but the Wolves put on their "A" game with a 132 dig night. The teams were split nearly down the middle in the blocking column with MSUM claiming 14.5 and the Wolves 14.0.

The win advances the Wolves to the semifinal round of the tournament. The game will start at 7:30 pm and will feature the winner of the Bemidji State/Concordia-St. Paul game.