Posted: Nov 04, 2018
IRVING, Texas -- Colorado College won its second consecutive SCAC volleyball title, defeating Southwestern University, 3-2, in a thrilling championship match Sunday afternoon on the campus of the University of Dallas. Official Championships Website | Postgame Interview
In an intense and well-played match, fourth-ranked Colorado College (31-2) held off an upset-minded Southwestern squad to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Pirates (18-12) will have to await word of an at-large bid when the national bracket is announced tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. CT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trailing 14-9, the Pirates battled back to tie the first set at 14. CC won the next two points, but Southwestern took the next four to take their first lead of the set. CC battled back and evened the set at 24, but Southwestern won the final two points to earn the 26-24 victory.
- The second set was literally a back-and-forth affair with neither team pulling ahead by more than three points, After 12 ties and 11 lead changes, CC won the second set, 25-22, and evened the match at a set apiece.
- Another tightly contested set found Southwestern up 25-24 and serving for the set. But after a service error by SU, the Tigers responded with back-to-back kills by Marguerite Spaethling and Isabelle Aragon-Menzel gave CC the 27-25 third set win.
- Colorado College led for most of the fourth set, including a 19-13 lead, but Southwestern scored nine of the next 12 points to even the fourth set at 22. The two exchanged points and with the scored tied at 24, the Pirates took the final two points to take the set 26-24 and force a fifth and deciding set.
- Colorado College won the first four points of the fifth set and the closest Southwestern could get was 10-8 before the Tigers rolled off five consecutive points to win the fifth set 15-8 and the match 3-2.
COLORADO COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Myca Steffey-Bean: 15 kills, 6 digs, 4 blocks, 2 service aces
- Marguerite Spaethling: 14 kills, .333 hitting percentage, 5 blocks
- Haley Harris: 10 kills, 19 digs
- Lizzy Counts: 40 assists, 20 digs
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Haven Cathey: 14 kills, .273 hitting percentage
- Jamison Duck: 12 kills, 26 digs
- Lauren Crabtree: 12 kills, 7 digs
- Makenzie Mendez: 22 digs, 51 assists
NOTABLES
- The All-Tournament Team was announced immediately following the event. Earning all-tourney honors were: Elizabeth Smith of Dallas, Sarah Mullens of Trinity, Brandi Campos and Jamison Duck of Southwestern and Lizzy Counts, Myca Steffey-Bean and Marguerite Spaethling of Colorado College. Spaethling was named tournament MVP.
- The championship was the second consecutive for Colorado College and the fifth overall for the Tigers.
- CC is now 5-1 all-time in SCAC championship matches.
- The appearance in the title game was the 10th for Southwestern who are now 4-6 in those matches.
- The Tigers earned the program's 21st consecutive appearance in NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball championship as the SCAC's automatic qualifier.
