Perfect run ends at NCAA

UTD Volleyball was ousted from NCAA Division III Championship Tournament play by Maryville College in the regional quarterfinals Nov. 12 after a slow start in the first of three sets.

The Comets, who entered the game with a 25-0 record, struggled to recover in the second and third sets, but ultimately came home their first loss of the season. Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas hosted the game.

Winning the American Southwest Conference (ASC) title earned UTD an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the second year in a row.

The Comets took a beating in the first set (14-25) largely due to the 12 collective attack, service and ball-handling errors suffered during this period. They fared better in later play as the Comets racked up fewer errors (10 in the second set and seven in the third), and nearly matched their opponents nearly kill for kill in the later sets. (21-25, 22-25).

Head coach Marci Sanders said she couldn't speak for each player in terms of how nervousness affected the game.

"The kids decided they were going to work hard a little too late," said Sanders. "We started coming back, but we still just weren't playing college volleyball."

Height can be an asset in volleyball, particularly when blocking. The Scots are formidably tall - 10 out of the 17 players on their roster are 5 feet 10 inches and above. Three players, all 5 feet 10 inches or taller, together contributed more than 70 percent of Maryville's total kills: Kristin Findley (11), Lindsey Little (10), and Kara Strickland (8).

But Sanders said Maryville didn't exploit their height advantage as much as they could have.

"They didn't really block us as much as they could potentially," Sanders said. "I just think we didn't pass well, so they served well."

Of UTD's 26 kills, business senior Kyleigh Irish and chemistry freshman Dana Hilzendager's both totaled seven kills, followed closely by psychology junior Jessica Nassau's six.

Maryville has received eight NCAA tournament bids in their 28-year program history, but hasn't made an NCAA appearance since 2006. Since 2004, UTD has won or shared two ASC championship titles and received their second invitation to the NCAA National Tournament this year.

The Comets will lose only two graduating seniors, albeit key ones, this year: government and politics senior Patrica Allen and Irish. High retention for next year means Sanders is optimistic the Comets will do at least as well next season.

"We've got some big shoes to fill especially for Kyleigh Irish, but we've got most of our kids back, Sanders said. "If somebody can step up on our left side to take Kyleigh's place, then there's no reason why we shouldn't be back (in the NCAA National Tournament) because we're only losing one starter."

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