GRAND FORKS, N.D. - With a 3-1 (25-12, 18-25, 25-20, 25-14) win over No. 3 Houston Baptist, second-seeded North Dakota punched its ticket to the 2011 Great West Conference Volleyball Tournament title match where it will face top-seeded Utah Valley.
"Utah Valley really pushed us this year, and you have to give their players and their staff a lot of credit," head coach Ashley Hardee said. "Yes, the regular season is important, but the tournament is our Super Bowl. We wanted to make sure that we made it to the championship match, and it's nice we'll get to play it against Utah Valley."
This will mark the third meeting between the Fighting Sioux (25-5) and the Wolverines (23-8) this season, and the second time the two teams have played for championship bragging rights. In the regular season finale (Nov. 11), UVU defeated UND 3-1 to claim the regular season title.
"We knew that this tournament would be another challenge for our team, and challenge is good for us" Hardee said. "That night in the lockerroom in Utah, we knew that we'd be seeing Houston Baptist in the semifinals and that we would have to play a solid game to make it to the championship. This is the path that we're on, this is the journey this year, and I am all for it."
North Dakota opened the initial set with a 4-1 lead, but the Huskies were able to tame the frame to a 6-6 tie. After trading points, the Sioux broke out to a 12-8 advantage and continued to hold HBU at arm's length. UND closed the set with an 8-0 run to win 25-12.
The Huskies nabbed a close 25-18 victory in the second set to tie the match at 1-1 as the teams went into the break.
"HBU is a great team, and we can't take credit away from them," senior outside hitter Devin Trefz said. "We were able to regroup in the lockerroom and then tweaked a few things when we came out for the third set."
In one of the most exciting sets of the tournament, UND used a burst of short runs to lead HBU 14-9 midway through the third frame. The Huskies tried to claw their way out of the deficit, but the Sioux pulled together a 7-0 run to take a 19-12 advantage heading down the final stretch. Continuing to knock down kills, UND won the third set 25-20 to take a 2-1 lead.
North Dakota scored the first two points of the fourth set, and from there on out, never let the Huskies in any closer. UND tacked on a 5-3 run to take a 7-3 lead, and then used another run, this time a 6-3 clip, to open up to a 13-6 advantage. HBU managed to chip the lead down to five (14-9), but that was all the closer it would get as the Sioux continued to thwart off the Husky attack. With the 25-14 win in the fourth set, UND paved its way to its third straight GWC Tournament title match.
Trefz led the Sioux with 20 kills and a .459 hitting percentage. She also added four block assists and an ace. Classmate Annika Smed (OH, Albert Lea, Minn.) posted her 12th double-double of the season with 13 kills and 14 digs, and 2011 Great West Conference Co-Freshman of the Year Nikki Husfeldt (R-Fr., S, Andover, Minn.) led both sides of the net with 43 assists.
"It was great to see Devin step up the way that she did tonight," Hardee said. "Twenty kills in four sets is a big number for any player."
Defensively, sophomore libero Erica Turner (Andover, Minn.) finished with 20 digs and sophomore middle blocker Lisa Parlich (Delavan, Wis.) finished with seven blocks, including one solo stop.
The Huskies were led on the kill by Heather Leaverton (12) and Isis Gardner (10). Jolie Graf finished with five blocks (two assists) and 2011 Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Year Courtney Whittleman recorded a team-high 22 digs.
No. 2 North Dakota and No. 1 Utah Valley will begin their battle for the GWC tournament title tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
- Go Sioux -
