Premier Challenge too challenging for young team
Inexperience shows as Roadrunners play some of the nation's best volleyball teams
by Nate Timmons
The Metropolitan
Metro State came out of the Colorado Premier Challenge with a 1-3 record (3-5 overall). The 'Runners volleyball team's youth played a role in their three losses to Top 25 ranked teams. It was an up and down, roller coaster weekend, said assistant coach Amy Hendrichovsky.
On Friday, Sept. 3, Metro played the New Haven Chargers (Conn.) and 4th ranked North Alabama Lions.
Against New Haven, Metro proved to be the sharper team earning a 3-0 sweep (30-18, 30-25, 30-16).
In the second game of the match, the Roadrunners found a way to win the close game. As Metro looked to run away with the game up 19-14, the Chargers put together a rally and were down by just one point (26-25). Metro was in need of big plays and sophomore Stefanie Allison would provide them. Allison came up with two aces to push to a 29-25 lead, and after a New Haven error, Metro got the win. This game was the first of many in which the 'Runners would have to find a way to make plays in the end to be able to win.
Freshman Julie Green (Littleton) led the 'Runners with 12 kills in the match.
Later that evening, Metro took on powerhouse North Alabama. "That's a game that we were not supposed to win," said head coach Debbie Hendricks.
The defending national champion North Alabama Lions were coming off their own sweep of New Haven. The crowd of nearly 200 was eager for the match to begin.
Metro came out in the first game and hung with the Lions. The lead changed hands several times. Freshman Julie Green started a 3-point rally with a hard spike to give Metro a 17-15 lead. Allison came up with a block to extend Metro's lead to 21-18. The Lions battled back to tie the game at 23, and this was where the Roadrunners' inexperience hurt them.
Down 24-26, Metro had a controversial call go against them. A Lion's player hit a spike that sailed out of bounds and Metro thought they won the point. The referee made a late call that a Metro player had touched the ball on the block-attempt and awarded the Lions the point. The call rattled the young team as they saw the deficit grow instead of decrease. North Alabama went on to win the first game 30-26.
In the second game, Metro held an 18-16 lead. Again, the Roadrunners inexperience showed as the team could not hold on to it and the Lions ended the game on a 14-8 run to win 30-26. Like before, in the third game Metro just could not find a way to pull out the plays in the end as the Lions won 30-23.
Although North Alabama defeated Metro in three games, the 'Runners impressed their coach with their performance. "The whole team stepped up," Hendricks said.
On Sept. 4, in the second day of action, Metro traveled to Regis University to play No. 13 Central Missouri State and No. 16 Augustana (SD).
Metro did not carry over and play with the same intensity that they did in the first day of action, Hendricks said. The Roadrunners were unable to get a victory against either team. The team needs to play with more confidence that should come as they gain experience, Hendrichovsky said.
Hendricks said that she is still searching for the right player combinations out on the floor. Although the tournament wasn't a success for the 'Runners, they do have a lot to build on and youth will eventually work in their favor.
No. 17 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs defeated No. 2 UC-San Diego Tritons 3-1 to win the Colorado Premier Challenge.
Metro begins RMAC play Friday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. against division rival Nebraska-Kearney at Auraria. |
