No. 13 Roadrunners reach regionals

Volleyball team in national competition after taking
third in RMAC event

By Michael BeDan
The Metropolitan

So much for rebuilding. The Metro volleyball teamâs future is now.

The expected growing pains of a young, vulnerable collection of talented but not-quite-ready-for-Prime-Time athletes quickly exploded into a bona fide contender ÷ two matches away from reaching the Elite Eight.

And with a 3-0 regular-season victory over Regis, top seed in the Division II volleyball regionals (Nov. 22-23 at Regis University), the Metro volleyball team proved it can play with almost anyone. The real test, however, will come in the its opening regional match against the University of Southern Colorado Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.

USC, a team with a four-match winning streak over the Roadrunners, including a five-game victory Nov. 15 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament semifinals, stands between Metro and a regional title bout with Regis or Hawaii-Hilo.

The Roadrunners enter regionals as the No. 2 seed. Regis is No. 1, Hawaii-Hilo is No. 4, and USC is No. 3.

ãThis is great to be this far so fast,ä Metro coach Joan McDermott said. ãWe are probably the only team in the region with a shot at beating Regis. For some reason, we match up really well with them.ä

Metroâs berth into regionals didnât materialize until it knocked off the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the third-place match of the RMAC tournament Nov. 15.

The Roadrunners lost 15-11, 9-15, 8-15, 15-9, 15-13 to USC in the semifinals after beating Adams State College in the opening round.

ãWe could have won it, but we got stuck and made a lot of hitting errors,ä McDermott said of the semifinal loss. ãBut it was a great match.ä

The loss put the Roadrunners in a do-or-die situation heading into the UNK match and a four-game win (15-8, 8-15, 17-15, 15-7) over the No. 13-ranked Lopers earned Metro a spot at regionals.

ãIf we lost, there was a good chance we werenât going to go (to regionals),ä McDermott said. ãIt scared me a little bit, but I had to tell them. I told them after our (USC) match. And I said, ÎAll weâve got is today, and if we donât win, we donât deserve to go.âä

Metro responded with only its third win ever over UNK and second this season. The first win came in 1989.

Michelle Edwards earned RMAC freshman of the year and lived up to her billing in the third-place match. Edwards led the Roadrunners with 16 kills. Holly Rice and Shannon Ortell chipped in with 13, Kelly Young had 12, and Audra Littou finished with 11.

Facing a possible 2-1 deficit with UNK leading 14-13 in Game 3, Metro fought off game point to tie the score. After fighting off another game point at 15-14, the Roadrunners responded with three-straight to take Game 3 and take command.

Rice, a senior, said another shot at No. 3-ranked Regis is all the Roadrunners can ask. Metro lost to Regis 3-1 Oct. 30.

ãI just think if we have one more chance at them ...ä Rice said, alluding to the fact that
Metro has nothing to lose now since itâs advanced further than even its coach could have predicted. ãTotally no pressure. Thatâs the way I feel, and thatâs how any team plays its best.ä

The Roadrunners, ranked No. 13, return to regionals for the first time since 1993 and make their first appearance as an RMAC school.
Metroâs last appearance came as a member of the now-defunct Colorado Athletic Conference.
The Elite Eight is slated for Dec. 6-7 at Michigan Tech.