CKSR (Volleyball Picks Up First Round NCAA III Tournament Win Over St. Nobert - To Face Hope in Regional Semifinals)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR NOV. 10, 2011

Volleyball Picks Up First Round NCAA III Tournament Win Over St. Nobert - To
Face Hope in Regional Semifinals

VOLLEYBALL
By Sports Information Student Assistant Andrew Knot

The Knights took the first round of the NCAA tournament with a three-set sweep
of the Green Knights of St. Norbert.
Calvin rolled to a convincing 25-14 victory in the first set. Senior Erin
VanderPlas stepped up for the Knights with an impressive 7 first set kills.
The Kamp sisters joined her in dominating the front row. Lizzie Kamp took
advantage of a high set in the middle to give the Knights a 15-6 lead. Older
sister Rebecca followed that up with a kill run off a slide made possible by a
St. Norbert free ball. VanderPlas then dropped a tip inside the 10 foot line
and Lizzie Kamp closed out the set with a cross court kill on a hard angle.
Calvin hit a remarkable .429 in the first set.
The second set proved a bit tougher than the first. Once again, the Knights
took an early lead and scored five points before St. Norbet could get on the
board. But the Green Knights tied the set at nine and then 11. The Calvin
block then put the Knights back on top. Renee DeHaan and Julia Hilbrands
combined for one of their collective seven blocks on the night to increase
Calvin’s lead to 17-15. Hilbrands then ran a special option up the middle and
placed a kill on the back line to put the Knights up 23-17. By that point,
Rietema had set every member of the Knights’ front row for a kill. VanderPlas
smashed another kill up the middle to bring the set to set point and the
Knights concluded the set by a score of 25-18 off a Rebecca Kamp attack.
Calvin opened up another big lead to start the third set. The Knights owned
an 8-1 advantage but the Green Knights were able to chip away at the Calvin
lead and bring it to 17-16 before Coach Amber Warners had to call timeout.
Still, the Green Knights played Calvin to a 19-19 tie. Lizzie Kamp then
pounded a cross court kill to give Calvin a one point advantage. DeHaan and
Hilbrands partnered for another block to pu the Knights up by two. Lizzie Kamp
dropped a service ace to bring the set to match point and an attack error from
St. Norbert sealed the set at 25-20 and gave Calvin a victory in straight
sets.
“We started off on fire,” said Warners after the game. “And our defense kept
us in it.” Senior Kelly Gordon led the Knights with 22 digs.
“During tournament time, I take it on myself to fire up this team,” said
VanderPlas, who finished with a match-high 15 kills and .433 attacking
percentage. “I play for this team,” she added before commending Rietema on her
setting performance.
With the victory, the Knights advance to the second round of the NCAA
tournament to square off with rival Hope for the fourth time this season.

In other first round play on Thursday, Heidelberg held off Geneva in five sets
while Wittenberg rolled to a three-set win over Rose-Hulman and Hope took out
Otterbein in a three-set match.

For complete recaps, stats and more from Thursday’s competition, visit the
Calvin regional tournament website at:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/womens/volleyball/ncaaregional.htm
Received on Thu Nov 10 23:37:17 2011