Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
North Carolina
Rams sweep Tar Heels
9/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 12, 2008
By John Manuszak
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – With many fans in the Moby Arena crowd looking forward to Saturday’s ‘Big Showdown’ against No. 8 Florida, it was quite apparent the Rams were not.
CSU posted its 18th straight home win with a 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-23, 25-14) over the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night in front of 2,653 fans at Moby Arena.
In a tightly contested match, the Rams (7-1, 0-0 MWC) came up with the big points when they needed them. In the first two sets, Mekana Barnes tallied the set-winning points on her way to 12 kills on .381 hitting and five blocks. The Rams were led by Jaime Strauss’ 15 kills on .481 hitting and Ashley Fornstrom’s 40 assists.
“I think North Carolina played well but we were able to win at the end of each set,” said Head Coach Tom Hilbert. “Sometimes our goal is to keep it close and then win it at the end of the set which is what we did tonight. We were able to compete well at the ends and that’s a great triumph for us against a solid team.”
The visiting Tar Heels (3-4) took the Rams to the limit in each of the first two sets but CSU was able to win the big points. In the first two sets, the Rams held 24-23 leads and then turned to their All-American, Mekana Barnes. She tallied a set-winning tip in the first set and then followed that up in the second set with a huge kill to win the second frame, which give the Rams all the momentum.
“I think our goal was to start off the way we ended in Boulder on Wednesday night and that’s what we did tonight,” said Barnes. “The crowd was really good tonight but we’ll need them tomorrow.”
The tomorrow Barnes is referring to is the showdown with the Florida Gators, ranked No. 8 in the country in the most recent CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll.
“I think we’re going to have to come out and play even harder than we did tonight,” said Fornstrom. “Florida is going to be tough, even tougher than tonight’s match. They are going to be prepared to play us and we’re going to have to come out and play better than we did tonight.”
Against the Tar Heels, the Rams closed the match with a 25-14 set win as they stormed out to a 10-3 lead early in the third and final set. The Tar Heels answered back and got within three points at 12-9 before the Rams offense took over. Danielle Minch’s kill sparked a 13-5 run that closed the match for the Rams.
In the second set, Emily Koenning gave the Rams a 10-8 lead when she dove deep into the end of the CSU bench to retrieve a ball destined for the sidelines. The Rams recovered and forced a UNC hitting error to give CSU the point. The Tar Heels, however, rallied and took a 17-14 lead before the Rams went on a 9-3 run to take a 23-20 lead. That set up Barnes’ heroics for a second consecutive set as she hammered home the kill that won the set for the Rams.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 6-1 lead early in the first set but the Rams would post 11 of the next 16 points to tie the game at 12. The two teams would then share the next eight points before the Rams made their move. Katelyn Steffan and Tessa Nelson combined on a block that gave the Rams a 17-16 lead and propelled them to each of the next four points as CSU took a 21-17 lead. With the Rams holding a 24-23 lead, Barnes, known for her powerful kills, tipped the ball lightly over the net to give the Rams the set victory.
MATCH NOTES: All remaining tickets for Saturday night’s match against the Florida Gators will be sold for $ 1. The match will begin at 7 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on The Mtn.
