Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Washington
Volleyball Falls To Defending National Champion
11/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 30, 2006
The Colorado State volleyball team fell to third-ranked and defending national champion Washington in the opening round of the NCAA Championship in four games, 26-30, 30-26, 30-24, 30-22. The Rams end their season 20-10, while the Huskies improve to 26-4 and move to the Second Round to face the winner of the New Mexico State - Colorado match.
Sophomore outside hitter Jaime Strauss led the Rams with 22 kills and added 18 digs, while sophomore middle blocker Mekana Barnes added 13 kill and led the team with six blocks and senior outside hitter Katherine Whitney tallied 11 kills and 17 digs. Freshman libero Katelin Batten broke the CSU single-season dig record, tallying a team-high 20 on the evening, giving her 438 for the year. She breaks Carrie Appleman's record of 437 from 1992.
"Our team is a completely different team than a month ago," said head coach Tom Hilbert. "We showed tonight we deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament. Katherine Whitney was terrific tonight. She is a great volleyball player and one of the best smaller players in the nation."
Washington was led by outside hitter Stevie Mussie with 22 digs and she added 13 digs, while Pac-10 Player of the Year Christal Morrison added 19 kills but hit just .085. Libero Tamari Miyashiro led the match with 34 digs and right-side hitter Janine Sandell led the match with eight blocks.
"This year has been the most fun I've had coaching a team," continued Hilbert. "I've learned so much and they responded so well to coaching. They compete and fight for everything and I'm so proud of them."
The first game was tied at every point from one to six, with the Rams scoring two straight, including a block by sophomore setter Ashley Fornstrom and Strauss for the 8-6 Rams lead. Washington answered with two points for the seventh tie at 8-8. The Rams scored two of their own with an ace by Fornstrom to lead 10-8. After a Swarbrick kill for the Huskies, Barnes and Mokelki each tallied a kill to increase the lead to 12-9. Washington scored three of the next four to close within one, 13-12, but Nelson and Mokelki combined for their second block for the 14-12 lead. The teams traded points to 15-13 and a media timeout was taken. Mussie scored for Washington after the break, but Strauss and Barnes recorded back-to-back kills to lead 17-14. The teams again traded points, then UW scored three straight to knot the score at 18-18. Barnes tallied another kill then Jenni Hirneisen continued her hot serving, with an ace, forcing Washington into a timeout. Whitney got her first kill after the pause in the action for the 21-18 lead. The squads sided out to 24-22, when the Rams again scored a pair to lead by four, 26-22. After UW called its last timeout, Swarbrick recorded a kill, then Strauss sandwiched two kills around a Barnes putdown for the 29-23 advantage. Washington scored three straight, when the Rams called a timeout and Barnes had her sixth kill for the game one victory.
The Huskies scored the first seven points of the second game, but a UW error and then a solo block by Barnes gave the Rams their first two points. After a Morrison kill by Washington, the Rams again scored a pair to make the score 8-4. Washington kept the pressure on, scoring six of the next seven points to take the 14-5 lead and after a missed Husky serve, they score another pair to lead by 10, 16-6. After a Strauss kill from the back row, Whitney stepped back to serve and helped the Rams score five more to close within four, 16-12. The teams traded points to 18-13, when the Rams scored a pair and after each team sided out a few times, to 21-17 Mokelki had a kill and then Hillegass served an ace to bring CSU within two, 21-19. Washington called a timeout and scored three straight with two kills by Mussie to increase the lead back to five, 24-19. After a Rams timeout, the Rams scored three of four, then after two points by Washington, the Rams rallied behind the serving of Fornstrom to score four straight and close within one, 27-26. During the four point stretch, Barnes had two kills and partnered with Mokelki for a block, but the Huskies scored the final three to win game two, 30-26. Strauss led the Rams with six kills in the second game and had a double-double through the second game with 11 kills and 11 digs.
After Barnes scored the opening point of game three, Washington scored the next four for the early three-point lead. The teams traded points to 6-3 when the Rams recorded consecutive points to make the score 6-5. After a CSU error, the Rams scored five straight, with a kill each by Barnes and Fornstrom, a block by the two of them and a solo putback by Barnes for a 10-7 CSU lead. The Huskies called a timeout and scored three out of four to close within one, 11-10, then they tied the score at 12-12. The teams traded points to 14-14 when the Huskies tallied three straight to lead 16-14 and CSU called for a break. Nelson got a kill, then the Huskies scored a pair to take the 18-15 lead. The Rams then rattled off four straight to regain the lead at 19-18. The Huskies notched a block to tie the score for the seventh time at 19-19 and it was again tied at 20, when Washington scored three of four to lead by two at 23-21. The teams traded points, then what looked like a Whitney kill was ruled an error after much discussion between the officials and a block by the Huskies gave them a 26-22 lead and Hilbert called a timeout. Mokelki and Amanda Fahnestock paired for a block, but UW scored the next three to lead 29-23. Nelson recorded another kill but it wasn't enough as UW won 30-24. Strauss had five kills in the game and the Rams also tallied four blocks.
Game four started the same way as game three, with the Huskies scoring five of the first six points, but Strauss notched back-to-back kills to make the score 5-3. The teams traded points to 7-4 when the Rams scored three straight, including an ace by Barnes to knot the score at 7-7. The score was also tied at 8, 9 and 10 before the Rams took a two-point lead with kills by Barnes and Strauss, 12-10. After a Morrison kill for the Huskies, Strauss tallied her 22nd of the night and Barnes and Mokelki partnered for a block for the three-point advantage, 14-11 and Washington called a timeout. The Huskies scored two out of the break, then Strauss had a kill followed directly by an ace for the 16-13 Ram lead. Trailing 17-14, Washington scored five of the next six points to regain the lead at 19-17. Mokelki tallied a kill and after a Washington point, Whitney and Nelson paired for a block for the 20-19 score. The Huskies scored a pair, then Fornstrom and Nelson had a block, and the teams each scored one to make the score 23-21. Washington score the next three points to increase its lead to five, 26-21 and Hilbert called a timeout. The Rams could not overcome the lead and fell 22-30 in game four.
Colorado State loses two seniors in outside hitter Katherine Whitney and defensive specialist Lindsey Hillegass. Defensive specialist Jenni Hirneisen will also not return to the 2007 team.
