No. 1 A&M-Corpus Christi Sweeps No. 4 McNeese State
Southland Conference
Box Score
Photo Gallery
Replay
CONWAY, Ark. - No. 1 A&M-Corpus Christi swept No. 4 McNeese State (25-19, 25-19, 25-18) Saturday in the fourth match of the 2015 Southland Conference Tournament on the campus of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark.
The Cowgirls started the first set well defensively. Several key digs gave them a slight edge over an aggressive Islanders offense. The Islanders attack eventually caught up with the Cowgirls at 19-19. From there the Islanders did not look back as they went on a 6-0 run to finish the set. Senior middle blocker Kelsee Felux and senior outside hitter Ivy Baresh led the Islander attack with three kills each.
The Islanders continued their success into the next set as they gained an early lead. Sophomore middle blocker Brittany Gilpin contributed to the Islanders lead in multiple facets earning three kills, three digs, and a block assist. The Cowgirls were unable to make a dent in the Islanders lead, playing from behind the entire set. The Islanders eventually took the set 25-19.
The third set played much like the first. The Cowgirls fared well defensively but several offensive miscues and a .103 hitting percentage hurt them in the end. Senior setter Kelly Graham’s eight assists paired with senior outside hitter Malina Sanchez’s three kills were able to keep the game close to for most of the set. With an 18-16 lead, the Islanders went on a 7-2 run to put the set and the match away.
Baresh led the Islanders offense with 10 kills while junior right side Morgan Carlson and sophomore middle blocker Madeleine Doud combined for 13 blocks on defense. Junior libero Bridget Justis led the Cowgirls defense with 19 digs.
.
The Islanders will advance to the Southland Volleyball Tournament Championship Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3:05 and will take on either No. 6 Houston Baptist or No. 7 Sam Houston State.
The championship round will be an exclusive presentation of ESPN3, available via
WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
A&M-Corpus Christi Head Coach Tony Graystone
On the Block
“It’s so big and we’ve been working so hard on it in practice. We were actually taking about it in the lockerroom and we literally spend 30-40 percent of our practices on blocking, but this is why we do it. This is how you win big matches, this is how you win playoff matches. You have to have a presence at the net and this makes two days in a row we’ve shown up.”
On Offensive Balance
“Kelsee had a real quiet nine kills. I was a little surprised on the stat sheet, but she played a very good match. The last time we played McNeese we had this kind of balance, so we knew once we had the ball control we could get everyone involved.”
“We were saying before the match that we have a chance to do two huge accomplishments for this program: one to get to 30 wins and two to get to our first championship match. It’s certainly great to see those goals accomplished and now we can get after it tomorrow.”
A&M-Corpus Christi Right Side Morgan Carlson
On the Block
“I am so proud of our middles. We’ve been working on pressing and getting close and they were there every single time with me, hip-to-hip, and that gets our block going.”
McNeese State Head Coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald
On performance in close sets
“I was really proud of our team. For not being really experienced in the tournament and playing a team that has won a lot of games this year and a lot of tournament games in the last couple of years. I thought we competed really well. If you were here watching, the rallies showed that the match was tighter than the points reflected. I thought we transitioned really well and did a lot of things well. I’m happy for our program. This was a great accomplishment, just to make it to the semifinal match. I just couldn’t be happier.”