CKSR (Volleyball Captures National Title With Three Set Sweep Over Wash. U./Men's Soccer Advances to National Semifinals With Win Over Franklin & Marshall)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR NOV. 19, 2016 (PART TWO)

Volleyball Captures National Title With Three Set Sweep Over Bears;
Men's Soccer Advances to National Semifinals With Quarterfinal Win Over Franklin & Marshall

VOLLEYBALL
Calvin 3, Washington University of St. Louis 0

OSHKOSH, Wis. - The Calvin volleyball program won its third national title on Saturday night in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Knights swept Washington University in St. Louis, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21. Calvin has also won a national title in 2010 and 2013. This is the 11th NCAA title in Calvin athletics history.
"I'd like to once again congratulate Vanessa and Washington University for advancing to the finals," said head coach Amber Warners. "I'd like to thank the NCAA for putting on a fabulous tournament, Oshkosh for all the work they have done, the AVCA for all of their part of what goes into this championship. I thought that from the very beginning, the coaching staff has tried to have our players believe in themselves as women and as volleyball players and we have worked incredibly hard at that all year."
This is the second national title for the senior class.
"When people ask me how you measure success, I say that when your seniors give absolutely everything and walk away and they can't give anymore," said Warners. "I don't just mean that on the court, people see us about five percent of the time in our season. What these women have given is just unbelievable. I am really proud of the women they are, I was really proud of their fight, we asked them to just green light go and lay it out there and I thought they did that."
Laura Danhoff was named the Most Outstanding Player at the championships. Joining her on the All-Tournament Team was Sarah DeVries and Jenna Lodewyk.
"When I was a freshman, Megan Rietema and Kristen Zietse did the same thing," said Laura Danhoff. "I decided if I could do that is year that would be the icing on the cake. I mean this is great, but these girls and this program, I am forever going to miss this and this program, more than this win. I will remember all the moments with these girls."
The Knights and Bears tied the match 10 times and would sit tied at 12. Calvin would break the tie with a 3-0 run behind the serve of senior Laura Danhoff (Willard, Ohio/Willard). Calvin would break the set open leading 15-13 with a 6-0 run behind the serve of junior Jenna Lodewyk (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian). Sophomore Anna Kamp (Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian) and freshman Sarah DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northpointe Christian) both had two kills in the run. Calvin would take the set, 25-21. Anna Kamp had five kills in the first set. Junior Kristen Vyletel (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) had six digs in the first set. The Knights hit .278 in the first set.
In the second set, the serve of junior Emily Blankespoor (Grand Rapids, Mich./South Christian) helped Calvin take a 4-1 lead. The Bears would fightback and tie the set at four. The Knights would take the next three points and not give the lead back the rest of the set. Leading 7-5, Calvin would get some separation in the set with a 7-3 run. Laura Danhoff had five kills in the second set.
The Bears would pounce early in the third set and take an early 5-3 lead. Calvin would take the next four points to take the lead back at 7-5. With the set tied at 19, Calvin would jump out to a 22-19 lead with the serve of junior Kristen Vyletel (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron). Calvin would take the set once again at 25-21. Anna Kamp had six kills in the third set and sophomore Keilahna Castillo (Grandville, Mich./Grandville) had seven digs.
Anna Kamp finished with a match-high 13 kills, Sarah DeVries had 10 kills and Laura Danhoff had eight. Jenna Lodewyk finished the night with 35 assists and Keilahna Castillo had 13 digs. Kristen Vyletel finished with 11 digs and a match-high three aces.
The Knights finish the season at 33-1.

MEN'S SOCCER
Calvin 4, Franklin & Marshall 1

GRANTHAM, Pa. - For the fourth time in program history and for the second consecutive year, the Calvin men's soccer team is headed to the NCAA III Tournament semifinals.

The Knights punched their ticket to the NCAA III Tournament semifinals with a 4-1 come-from-behind victory over Franklin and Marshall (Pa.) Saturday night in a driving rainstorm on the campus of Messiah College Saturday evening.

Calvin advances to an NCAA III Tournament semifinal match on December 2 in Salem, Virginia, at 1:30 p.m. (EST).

The 16th-ranked Knights (22-2-0) will await the winner of tomorrow's national quarterfinal match between Brandeis University and Rutgers-Newark.

Calvin picked up its second victory in as many years over Franklin Marshall Saturday evening but did so this time in the national quarterfinal after defeating the Diplomats 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the NCAA III Tournament last year.

After a scoreless first half, it appeared that Franklin and Marshall (15-4-4) might turn the tables on the Knights in the 2016 tournament as the Diplomats scored just 3:40 into the second half of play Paul McWhirtner stung a shot from the right side of the box after receiving a square pass from teammate Ugo Okolie.

Calvin refused to back down and leveled the score in the 60th minute as senior Isky Van Doorne (Calgary, AB/Western Canada HS) was able to jump on a bouncing ball on the edge of the Franklin and Marshall box and lash a shot that deflected off a defender and into the back of the net.

The Van Doorne goal put added wind into the sails of the Knight ship as Calvin took a stunning 2-1 lead just 1:09 later on a quick counter-attack. Sophomore Jacob Witte (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) ignited the scoring play with a speedy rush through the midfield and sent a sublime through-ball pass to sophomore Bobby McCaw (Dubuque, Ia./Hempstead HS) that sprung McCaw clean on the goal.

With Franklin and Marshall goalkeeper Dave Reingold racing off his line, McCaw chipped a shot that deflected off the outstretched hand of Reingold and into the net. The goal extended McCaw's goal-scoring streak to six games and was his fourth in NCAA III Tournament play. Three of the four goals have been game-winners. It also marked his team-leading 16th goal of the season.

Calvin's electric scoring surge continued just nine minutes later as junior Matt Hinds (Frankenmuth, Mich./Frankenmuth HS) bent a corner kick to the far post that freshman Jacob Lyon (Holt, Mich./Lansing Christian HS) met flush with a diving header, sending the ball into the back of the net for the first goal of his collegiate career.

In the 75th minute, senior Stephan Hooker (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) got into the scoring parade, whipping in his ninth goal of the year from the top of the box after receiving a well-placed pass from McCaw.

Franklin and Marshall continued to press in the closing minutes but Calvin junior goalkeeper Nate Van Ryn (Grandville, Mich./Calvin Christian HS) was up to the task, making four of his season-high 12 saves as the Knights sealed their trip to Salem.

"I think the first challenge for our team was to try to recover physically and mentally from last night's win over Messiah," said Calvin men's soccer coach Ryan Souders. "Ultimately our team did a very good job of refocusing and recovering. Franklin and Marshall is a really good team and we have a lot of respect for their team and their coaching staff. I thought our team did a good job of weathering their goal and continuing to play the way we play."

According to Van Ryn, the momentum of Friday night's win carried into Saturday's contest against Franklin and Marshall. "We played very well in the second half last night and it gave us confidence tonight," said Van Ryn. "My defenders did a great job in front of me and I just tried to do the job I'm supposed to do in goal."

For Hooker, the trip to the NCAA III Tournament semifinals came down to applying offensive pressure. "We were able to switch the field an apply more pressure," said Hooker. "We did a much better job of moving the ball and that helped us get into the style of game we want to play."

Franklin and Marshall finished the game with a 23-22 shots at goal advantage but the Knights put 15 shots on frame, forcing Reingold into making seven saves and a centerback to also make a team save, clearing a first half shot by Calvin off the line.

"We'll enjoy this victory tonight but the goal after tonight is to refocus, regroup and get ready to play in two weeks," said Souders. "We know that whoever we play on December 2, it will be a top-notch opponent so our focus and preparation will have to be at a championship level."
Received on Sun Nov 20 08:05:58 2016