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Life > Athletics > Volleyball >10/11/07
#16 WTAMU OUTLASTS TWU
Box Score
 DENTON, Texas (October 11) – Sophomore outside hitter Natalie Johnson tallied 20 kills on 60 swings to help the West Texas A&M University Lady Buffs to a four-game victory (23-30, 30-20, 37-35, 30-24) over the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers on Thursday night at Kitty Magee Arena in Denton.
Johnson’s strong play was one of the primary reasons that the highly-ranked Lady Buffs (#16 in the nation, #1 in the Southwest region) were able to outlast the Pioneers in what was a hard-fought Lone Star Conference match.
Spurred on by a season-best home crowd of 310 fans, TWU started the match with a seven point win in game one. Junior outside hitter Katie King and junior middle blocker Kandis Schroeder (pictured) paced the Pioneers in the first game with seven kills and three block assists respectively.
A .318 team attack percentage carried WTAMU to a comfortable win in game two, tying the match at a game apiece and setting the stage for a dramatic game three.
The momentum of the third game went back and forth, as both TWU and WTAMU battled for control of the match. The Lady Buffs surged out to a 24-19 lead only to see the Pioneers answer with a 7-2 push of their own to pull even at 26. TWU would move ahead, and eventually have four game points. WTAMU, however, responded on every occasion, and thanks to a Johnson kill, was able to win the marathon game by a 37-35 score.
“That was the turning point of the match,” said TWU head coach Shelly Barberee of the third game. “We had our chances to take that game, but we just came up short. Give them credit, however, as they responded. They just made one more play than we did during that critical stretch.”
With their spirits lifted following their dramatic win in game three, WTAMU raced out to a quick 22-14 lead in the fourth game. As they did all match, TWU answered, and pulled to within three points (26-23). Unfortunately for the Pioneers, that was as close as they would get, as WTAMU closed out the game, and the match, by winning four out of the last five points played. Fittingly, Johnson hammered down her 20 th and final kill of the night on match point.
Despite the loss, Barberee was upbeat about her team’s performance after the match.
“We stepped up the challenge tonight,” she said. “That match could have gone either way. I’m so proud of my kids for the way they battled. Everybody fought, and everybody played hard. We never stopped competing, and we were never out of it. This is a match that we can build on for the rest of the season.”
King, who finished with 20 kills on 54 swings, was the Pioneers’ top offensive player in defeat. Freshman LyGene’ Traylor chipped in with five total blocks (1 block solo/4 block assists). Schroeder piled up seven block assists while junior middle blocker Danielle Pegues contributed six block assists.
In addition to Johnson, four other Lady Buffs totaled double-digit kills - sophomore right side hitter Laura Prinsen (17), sophomore middle blocker Melissa Harper (14), freshman middle blocker Lauren Tedford (13), and sophomore setter Katie Rickwartz (11).
The loss drops the Pioneers record to 11-9 for the season and 3-3 in LSC play. With the win, WTAMU improves to 21-7 overall and stays unbeaten in conference play at 6-0.
TWU will be back on their home court this Saturday, October 13, when they host another LSC foe, the Eastern New Mexico University Zias, at 2:00 p.m. |
