CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 13, 2010 (PART TWO)
Volleyball Captures First Regional Title Since 1992 - Headed to NCAA Elite
Eight In St. Louis;
Swimming and Diving Teams Split Dual Meets Against Hope;
Men's Basketball Drops 91-69 Exhibition Game at Ferris State
VOLLEYBALL
SPRINGFIELD, OH - The third time proved to be the charm for the Calvin women's
volleyball team. In a stunning upset, the 10th-ranked Knights defeated the
second-ranked Wittenberg Tigers on their home floor in the regional final
Saturday night by scores of 25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 25-23. With the win, Calvin
(29-4) advances to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1992 season.
The Elite Eight will take place at Washington University in St. Louis,
Missouri, which ironically is the same site that Calvin traveled to in 1992
when the Knights reached the NCAA III Final Four.
Saturday's match marked the third meeting between Calvin and Wittenberg in a
regional final with the Tigers winning in 2005 (at Wittenberg) and in 2006 (at
Calvin). The third meeting in the regional final proved to be a different story
however as the Knights came out with determination from the outset, winning the
first set with a five-point run after trailing 23-20.
"Getting a win in the first set was huge," said Calvin women's volleyball
coach Amber Warners who will take her second Calvin athletics team to a
national final round as she also led the Calvin women's softball team to the
1997 NCAA III World Series. "It was very important to strike first. Our players
knew that and their focus was tremendous."
Calvin kept the focus in the second set, building a 21-16 lead and then
withstanding a late Wittenberg comeback bid to close out the set to take a
commanding 2-0 lead.
The host Tigers (32-3) refused to fold however, taking a 14-5 lead in set
three. At that point, it was Calvin's turn to rally as the Knights ripped off
15 of the next 20 points to take a 20-19 lead. Wittenberg responded with six
straight points of its own to pick up the 25-20 win and force a fourth set.
In set four, Wittenberg grabbed a lead early and then mounted a 21-16
advantage. The Knights responded with their biggest plays of the year, scoring
nine of the final 11 points. Wittenberg led 23-20 but three Tiger attack errors
and a pair of kills by sophomore Lizzie Kamp (Orland Park, IL/Chicago Christian
HS) completed the incredible comeback and sealed the dramatic regional final
victory for Calvin.
"I am so proud of this team," said Warners. "They believed in each other all
weekend and fought for every point. They never gave up, no matter what the
score was."
Calvin was led in the win over the Tigers by the sister tandem of Lizzie and
Rebecca Kamp with Lizzie collecting 13 kills and Rebecca 10 kills. Both sisters
were named to the all-tourmament team with Rebecca Kamp earning tournament MVP
honors. Freshman setter Megan Rietema (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS)
was also named to the all-tournament team. In the regional final win, she
tallied 30 assists, 10 digs and six block assists. Junior Kelly Peterson
(Ramsey, MN/Anoka HS) had 15 digs. As a team. Calvin had 30 block assists and
four block solos for a team block total of 17.
NOTES: ....Saturday’s match marked Calvin’s fourth appearance in the regional
finals since it last captured a regional title in 1992. Calvin was defeated in
the 1997 regional final (at Wittenberg) by Ohio Northern and then fell to
Wittenberg in 2005 and 2006…..Calvin head coach Amber Warners has NCAA III
Final Four experience as a player….as a freshman in 1986…she as the starting
setter on a Calvin team that reached the national finals before falling to
UC-San Diego in five sets….the 1986 NCAA III Final Four was held at
Calvin....Calvin is now 3-2 all-time against Wittenberg in NCAA III Tournament
competition, winning in 1997, 2009 and 2010 and losing in 2005 and 2006.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
The Calvin men's and women's swimming and diving teams welcomed rival Hope to
Calvin's Venema Aquatic Center for conference dual meets on Saturday. On the
women's side, the 18th-ranked Calvin women's team held off 17th-ranked Hope
163.5-to-136.5 while the Calvin men put in a good showing despite falling to
15th-ranked Hope 174-124.
Freshman Andrew Kraft (Fort Wayne, IN) highlighted the day for the Calvin men
by winning the one-meterdiving competition with a NCAA III qualifying and
school record score of 311.10, breaking the previous Calvin record of 305.20
set by Jake Chapman in 1999. Kraft also won the three-meter competition with a
score of 279.30.
Other winners for the Calvin men included freshman Peter Johnson (Oak Forest,
IL) in the 200 butterfly (2:04.89), sophomore Mark Rushlow (Goshen, IN) in the
50 freestyle (22.28), sophomore Stephen Kraft (Warsaw, IN) in the 200 IM
(2:03.25) and junior Ross Battoclette (Cincinnati, OH) in the 200 freestyle
with a season-best time of 1:45.37. Battoclette also had a season-best time of
48.99 in taking second in the 100 freestyle.
In the women's meet, sophomore Stephanie Fox (Kentwood, MI) had a huge day,
tying for first place in the 200 freestyle (1:57.07) and winning the 200
backstroke (2:16.62). Sophomore Elizabeth Counsell (Indianapolis, IN) was also
a double-winner taking first in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.03) and 200
breaststroke (2:30.44). Senior Monica Bressler (Sandusky, OH) won the 50
freestyle (25.50) while sophomore Rachel Colasurdo (Chesapeake, VA) won the 200
IM (2:15.17).
Calvin's diving contingent also played a key role in the dual meet win as
sophomore Samantha Klaasen (Holland Christian HS) took first on the one-meter
board (258.00) while freshman Elise Kauffman (Sugarland, TX) won the
three-meter competition (260.70).
In addition, Calvin's 400 freesytle relay team of Fox, sophomore Shelby Cloyd
(Portage HS), junior Rachel Bos (Unity Christian HS) and senior Kendra Kinzer
(Fort Wayne, IN) won with a time of 3:40.57.
The dual meet split on Saturday came on the heels of a pair of dual meet
losses at Division II nationally-ranked Wayne State on Friday night. On Friday,
Wayne State's men's team defeated the Calvin men 139-87 while the Wayne State
women's team defeated the Calvin women 142-93.
Full meet results of the Calvin/Wayne State dual meet competition can be found
at: http://www.calvin.edu/sports/mens/swimming/Results2011/CalvinWSUresults.htm
The Calvin women's team is now is 2-3 in dual meet competition overall while
the Calvin men's team is also 2-3.
Both teams will now break until December 3-5 when Calvin hosts its own Calvin
Winter Invitational at the Venema Aquatic Center.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Ferris State 91, Calvin 69
at Ferris State
BIG RAPIDS - The Calvin men's basketball team dropped a 91-69 decision at
Ferris State Saturday night. Because of different starting dates for NCAA II
and NCAA III basketball teams, the game will count as an exhibition contest for
Calvin and a regular season non-conference contest for Ferris State.
For one half of play, the Knights hung with a Ferris State team that had taken
the Indiana Hoosiers to overtime in an exhibition game in Bloomington, Indiana,
earlier in the week. Calvin trailed 47-42 at halftime as the the Knights host
45 percent from the floor over the opening 20 minutes.
Ferris State broke the game open with a 14-0 run midway through the second
half and never looked back.
Calvin was led in defeat by sophomore Bryan Powell (Wyoming Park HS) who
popped in a game-high 22 points on 8 of 16 shooting including 6 of 9 from
three-point range. Freshman Jordan Brink (Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian HS) added
11 points including three triples while senior Danny Rodts (Niles HS) had nine
points and senior Brad Schnyders (Unity Christian HS) eight points. Sophomore
Tom Snikkers (Unity Christian HS) led Calvin in the assists column with four
assists.
Ferris State was led by Derian Gay's 19 points while Justin Keenan had 18
points.
Ferris State held a 39-34 rebounding edge. Calvin turned the ball over 18
times including 11 times in the second half.
Calvin will officially open its season on Tuesday when it travels to nearby
Davenport University for a non-conference contest slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
Received on Sat Nov 13 23:46:19 2010
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