November 15, 2009

Coast Guard Women's Volleyball Captures ECAC Title

PLYMOUTH, N.H.--(11/14/09)--Freshman Lauren Bloch earned Most Outstanding Player honors as third-seeded Coast Guard won the ECAC Division III New England championship by beating top-seeded and host Plymouth State 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 26-24). It was the Bears third ECAC Championship of the decade as they also won it in 2002 and 2005.

The Bears made a remarkable turn around from a year ago when they finished 14-16 overall and missed postseason play for the first time since 2000.

Earlier in day, Coast Guard (28-5) earned a spot in the championship match with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-19) win over seventh-seeded Colby Sawyer in the semifinals.

Just as Coast Guard did in its win in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) and ECAC quarterfinal wins, the Bears dropped the first set in the semifinal win.

In the championship match, Coast Guard came out strong, winning the first seven points of the match to take the early lead. PSU got to within four points, but the Bears pulled away to a 16-9 advantage and went on to win the set 25-22 despite a late rally by the home team.

PSU (32-6) took a 4-0 lead to open the second set, but Coast Guard responded with nine unanswered points to take a 9-4 advantage. Coast Guard's largest lead was 14-6, but Plymouth State battled back to pull to within one point, 17-16. The Bears got four unanswered points late in the set to pull out a 25-20 decision.

The third set went back and forth, with ties at 10-10, 14-14 and 15-15. PSU rattled off five straight points on the serve of sophomore Meghan Sullivan, only to see Coast Guard come back to even the score at 22-22. PSU was determined, and won the next three points for a 25-22 win in the third set.

The fourth set was even closer, with neither team leading by more than a point until Coast Guard went ahead, 21-17. PSU got to within a point at 23-22, but the Bears were able to pull out the win in set four to claim the championship.

Bloch posted a pair of double-doubles on Saturday, recording 19 kills and 17 digs in the semifinal win over Colby-Sawyer and following that up with 14 kills and 21 digs in the championship match. Freshman setter Karen Matic also had a strong afternoon, finishing with 47 assists and 15 digs against CSC and adding almost identical numbers, 45 assists and 16 digs, in the victory over PSU.

Coast Guard also got double-digit kills from sophomore Nicole Johnson with 19 and freshman Katherine Walker with 12 in the championship match. Junior Jessica Anderson led the defense with a match-high 30 digs in the win over Plymouth State.

In the semifinal win over Colby Sawyer, freshman Catherine Walker also reached double digits with 11 kills while Anderson topped the team with 30 digs, and freshman setter Karen Matic recorded 15 digs and 47 set assists.

Colby Sawyer used a 10-4 run turning a 4-2 deficit into a 12-8 lead and later opened up a five point lead at 16-11 in the opening set. Coast Guard fought off back-to-back set points before dropping the opener 25-22.

The Bears scored the final seven points of the second set for a 25-17 win. Freshman Keriann Mason, a first team All-conference performer, got injured with the Bears leading 19-17 and did not return.

The third set was tied 19-19 before Coast Guard scored six of the final eight points for the 25-21 win.

Coast Guard used a 5-2 spurt turning a 13-12 edge into a 18-14 advantage and the Bears punched their ticket to the championship match with the 25-19 win.