Columbia (MO) College 3, UT-Brownsville 2
SIOUX CITY, IA -- The UTB/TSC women's volleyball team run to repeat as national champions ended with a 3-2 (25-22,25-27,16-25,29-27,7-15) loss to the Columbia University Cougars in the 2012 NAIA National Tournament Semifinals at the Tyson Event Center. The game was a rematch of a September 8th game at the Lee University Showcase that UTB/TSC won."I thought Columbia did some nice things." said UTB/TSC head coach Todd Lowery. "Their setter gave them opportunities ato score points and their hitters took advantage."
With the win the Cougars tie up the season series and now they move on to play Concordia University in the NAIA Championship Game and UTB/TSC exits the tournament with an overall 30-2 season record.
In set one UTB/TSC took a 11-10 lead on an attach error by the Cougars and rode the lead to a set win. A kill by Vanya Joksic closed it our for UTB/TSC with a 25-22 win.
The second set was as close as they can get with multiple ties and lead changes. The biggest lead either team had was two points during the set. On an attack error by UTB/TSC the Cougars took the set at 27-25.
"We failed to finish off the second set much like the Concordia game earlier in the year." said Lowery.
The third set was not the best for UTB/TSC. The Cougars took an 11-7 lead in route to a convincing 25-16 set win.
"Slow starts to sets have plagued us all season and it finally caught up to us today." said Lowery. "When you give top teams a little life it comes back to bite you."
UTB/TSC took a quick 5-0 lead in the fourth set but the Cougars crept back into the set and tied it at 10-10 and from that point on it was championship volleyball with both teams attacking and going after each other for the remaining of the set. On an attack error by the Cougars, A kill by Michelle Marques made it 27-26 and back to back attack errors by the Cougars gave UTB/TSC the 29-27.
In the fifth and deciding set the Cougars got on UTB/TSC fast and took an early 6-1 lead. UTB/TSC made a push to cut it to 12-6 but could not get the momentum behind them and ended their season with the 15-7 set loss.
Leading UTB/TSC was Danica Markovic with 17 kills and 11 digs, Marques with 15 kills and 9 blocks, and Ana Guerra with 13 kills and 10 blocks.
UTB/TSC loses three members of the team to graduation. Erica Chimak, Paula Barros, and Brownsville Porter alum Lauren Berletch played their last volleyball games in UTB/TSC uniforms today in the semifinals.
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