CSR (Calvin Saturday Sports Report for September 11, 2010)

CALVIN SATURDAY SPORTS REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2010
 
VOLLEYBALL
Calvin 3, Hope 1 (26-24, 25-21, 21-25, 25-19)
(written by sports information student assistant Derek Neice)
 
In another edition of one of the fiercest volleyball rivalries in Division III
of the NCAA featuring two teams ranked in the top ten, the Knights of Calvin
College (#8) faced off Saturday afternoon at home against the Flying Dutch of
Hope College (#4). Both teams sitting on perfect 5-0 overall records, and also
both 2-0 in league play thus far, expectations were high and the competitive
play surely did not disappoint.
 
Calvin defeated the Flying Dutch 26-24, 25-21, 21-25, 25-19, coming from
behind to gain wins in two of the first three sets. Calvin trailed in the
first three sets, coming from behind to take two of them, and ultimately
closing things out in the 4th to maintain their spotless record.
 
“It was our first test of really playing someone of real quality,” Warners
said. “This is only going to help us gain our confidence, so we just have to
keep being hungry and proving to everyone that we are a good team.”
 
“And I don’t think with this group that there will be any problem doing that,”
Warners continued. “They are very self-motivated and they love to work.”
 
The first set quickly showed why both powerhouses are as highly ranked as they
are as the outcome went right down to the wire, with Calvin ultimately coming
back under pressure to win the set 26-24. Calvin took the early lead in the
frame by jumping ahead 4-2, but the Dutch quickly responded with an 8-2 run
that put them out in front by a score of 10-6. Calvin then came right back
with a run of their own, running off a 10-3 string of points that gave the
Knights a 16-13 advantage.
 
It then went back and forth for the remainder of the set as both teams looked
to take control, and Hope looked to close things out as, when down 22-20, the
Dutch strung out four straight points to lead 24-22 and hold a game point
advantage. But the Knights would rally right back with four straight of their
own to win the set. Calvin’s play was highlighted by strong play at the nets
by junior and sophomore sisters Rebecca and Lizze Kamp (Orland Park, IL), who
both had some vital kills to keep Calvin within striking distance as the set
neared its end.
 
“Anytime you can squeak one out when you’re down, it is really big to set the
tone of the match,” Calvin coach Amber Warners said. “We knew that we would
have to play well every set in order to win this match and so I was just proud
that they didn’t give up [in the first set] and that they fought through like
they were playing any other point in the match.”
 
The second set also went to Calvin, 25-21, but it certainly was not an easy
win. The initial play of the set was hard fought, purely a battle on the net
as the two rivals slugged it out with no clear advantage to either side. Hope
did lead early on for much of the set, with the Dutchmen’s largest lead coming
a couple times when they led 16-12 and 17-13. Calvin climbed back into it
though, using what would be a huge 10-1 run to take a 22-17 lead. Hope
regained some of their composure by cutting the deficit to 23-21, but Calvin
would coolly finish the set and take a 2-0 advantage.
 
“Going into this season we know we are young with many of our key players
being underclassmen,” Warners mentioned. “So we’re much further along than we
thought this year.”
 
“But we’re not going to think ahead too much,” Warners continued. “We’re just
going to take it one match at a time and try to improve our game, not worrying
too much about what other teams are going to bring to us.”
 
As the third set began the 4th ranked Flying Dutch looked unfazed though as
they used an early 7-2 run to take a 13-4 advantage. The Knights slowly
started climbing back into it yet again as the set wore on, cutting the lead to
18-14, and then tying the score up 21-21. Hope then rattled off four clutch
points to take the set and end any hope of a third straight come-from-behind
set win for the Knights.
 
Moving into the fourth set, Calvin finally was able to get out to an early
lead as they jumped ahead 9-3 before Hope called a timeout to settle things
down. Calvin upped their lead to 17-7 as the set continued, and then the
Dutchmen started to mount their own comeback as they rattled off five straight
to cut the deficit to 17-12. Hope continued to surge as they continued what
would be a 10-2 run to get to 19-17. Calvin then used a great kill from junior
Erin Vander Plas and a couple of Hope errors to up the lead to 22-18, and the
Knights would close things out, taking the set 25-19.
 
With the Kamp sisters leading the charge from a hitting perspective, Calvin
also got a great performance over the course of the match from sophomore Jen
Pluymert (Grand Rapids, MI), who had a number of great digs in the back as well
as a long serving stretch during Calvin’s 10-1 run during the second set.
 
“I think Jen [Pluymert] was the spark plug and the key that we needed at the
exact time,” Warners said of the sophomore defensive specialist. “She had some
really key digs and that serving run she did, she’s just cool under pressure
and that was really huge.”
 
“Lizzie and Becca [Kamp] are just a joy to coach,” Warners continued. “They
never complain, they work their tails off and I look at them as being really
close as sisters but also they are certainly powerhouse individuals.”
 
Both Kamp sisters had 13 kills apiece while VanderPlas also had 13 kills.
Freshman setter Megan Rietema had 45 assists and 11 digs while Pluymert had 14
digs and a service ace. Junior libero Kelly Peterson had 15 digs while junior
Renee DeHaan had seven block assists to go with eight kills.
 
The win improves the 8th ranked Knights to 6-0 overall on the year and 3-0 in
the conference. 4th ranked Hope drops to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA. The
next time these two strong rivals meet will be at Hope on October 13th at 6:30
p.m.
 
AMBER WARNERS AUDIO INTERVIEW:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/audio/10/Volleyball/AmberWarners091110.mp3
REBECCA KAMP AUDIO INTERVIEW:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/audio/10/Volleyball/RebeccaKamp091110.mp3
JEN PLUYMERT AUDIO INTERVIEW:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/audio/10/Volleyball/JenPluymert091110.mp3
 
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Calvin 1, Wheaton 0
 
Calvin snapped a six-game losing streak against non-conference rival Wheaton
(IL) Saturday afternoon, defeating the Thunder 1-0 at Calvin's Zuidema Field.
The victory is Calvin's first against Wheaton in women's soccer since a 1-0 win
in 1998 at Calvin. The victory was also the first for Calvin head coach Mark
Recker against Wheaton (4-1-0) which came into Saturday's game ranked 14th in
the latest NSCAA Division III Top 25 poll.
 
Sophomore Francesca Smith (Bloomington, IN/Bloomington South HS) provided the
only scoring of the game as she ripped a left-footed shot from the 20-yard line
into the far corner of the net just over seven minutes into the second half.
Smith's blast was set up by a nifty lead pass from senior Carly Prins
(Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) who drew an assist on the play.
 
Wheaton nearly took the lead in the first half on a pair of shots by Katelyn
Kishkunas but Calvin freshman goalkeeper Ashton Hearns (Port Huron/Port Huron
HS) came up with clutch saves on both shots. The second save by Hearns was a
sprawling fingertip deflection on a low whistling shot by Kishkunas that was
headed for the far post.
 
In the second half, Calvin picked up the tempo, outshoting Wheaton 8-5 while
Hearns came up with two more clutch saves. Hearns was credited with the shutout
victory, her fifth of her collegiate career.
 
Smith's goal was her second game-winning tally of the season.
 
Calvin returns to action next Tuesday when it hosts the University of Chicago
at 4 p.m. at Zuidema Field.
 
MARK RECKER AUDIO INTERVIEW:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/audio/10/women%27soccer/MarkRecker091110.mp3
 
MEN'S SOCCER
Calvin 3, North Central 0
 
NAPERVILLE, IL - One night after defeating rival Wheaton 3-2, Calvin traveled
across I-88 to face North Central College. Calvin kept up its winning ways
against the Cardinals, handing the redbirds a 3-0 defeat.
 
Ranked number-one in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association
Division III Top 25 poll, Calvin (4-0-0) scored all three of its goals in the
first half. Senior Kurt Van Sickel (Pittsburgh, PA/Trinity Christian HS) put
Calvin on the board in the 33rd minute of play, ripping in a shot off a set
piece as senior Dan Kmetz (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville HS) tapped the ball to
Van Sickel on a free kick who followed with a rocket into the back of the net
for his second goal of the year.
 
Sophomore Chris Nance (Washington, MI/Warred DeLaSalle HS) then hooked up with
freshman Zach Willis (Wyoming/Unity Christian HS) for a goal with just 2:10
left in the first half to give the Knights a 2-0 edge. Moments later, sophomore
Joe Broekhuizen (Grand Rapids/South Christian HS) scored his second goal of the
season off a feed from Van Sickel. The goal by Broekhuizen was his second of
the year and came with just 41 seconds left in the half.
 
All three goals were "bench" goals as Nance, Van Sickel and Broekhuizen did
not start the game. Through four games this season, Calvin has scored 10 goals
with seven of the goals coming from its reserves.
 
Senior Ryan Bratt (Silver Spring, MD/Washington Christian Academy) and
sophomore Michael Dolan (Casco, MI/Marine City HS) combined on the shutout in
goal for the Knights with Bratt recording three saves in 79 minutes of play
while Dolan had one save in the remaining 11 minutes of time.
 
Calvin returns to action next Wednesday when it travels to Carthage for a game
slated to start at 7 p.m. (EST).
 
WOMEN'S GOLF
 
ALMA - Calvin opened MIAA competition with a solid team score of 366 strokes
at an MIAA jamboree hosted by Alma at the Pine River Country Club. The team
score was good for sixth place but was just one stroke out of fifth place and
just nine strokes out of fourth. Sophomore Elise Doezema (Grand Rapids/Grand
Rapids Christian HS) and Carlia Canto (Marysville/Port Huron Northern HS) led
the way with rounds of 83 that left them in a six-way tie for second place
individually.
 
Freshmen Taylor McClaskey (Hilliard, OH/Hilliard-Darby HS) and Ashley
Tiefenthal (Manistell/Manistee HS) had rounds of 100 for the Knights with
freshman Melissa Shepard (Lowell/Lowell HS) rounding out Calvin's finishers
with a round of 119.
 
Olivet took first place team honors with a score of 331. Lauren Campbell of
Olivet was also the tournament medalist with a round of 76.
 
MIAA JAMBOREE #1 TEAM SCORES
 
Olivet 331
Saint Mary's 335
Hope 353
Trine 357
Albion 365
Calvin 366
Alma 369
Adrian 372
Kalamazoo 444
Received on Sun Sep 12 01:51:36 2010