Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Wyoming
`Dogs Boot Cowgirls on Way to Championship
9/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 5, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - For the second-straight week, the Bulldog volleyball team played in the championship match of a pre-season tournament as the `Dogs battled the host Wyoming Cowgirls on Saturday night and came out victorious, 3-1 with set scores of 25-18, 25-12, 23-25 and 25-20. The `Dogs were the tournament champions with a perfect 3-0 record in Laramie, Wyo., over the weekend.
This is the first time since 2005 that the `Dogs have won three-straight and the first time since 2004 they have won three-straight non-conference matches when the `Dogs defeated San Francisco, UNLV and San Diego State. With a 5-1 record on the season, the `Dogs are off to the best start since 2004.
"This is the first time since I have been here that we, as a group, played well, consistent and stayed disciplined the entire match," said head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell. "It was a tough home court to play on and Wyoming played well but we stayed steady and I was very proud."
Allanah Munson was named MVP of the tournament while Kelly Leonardo and Lauren Berger also earned all-tournament honors.
"We felt really good out there," Munson said. "We started slow but we got better as we went along and made a lot of progress in the tournament."
Down early, the `Dogs tied set one at 4-4 off of a kill by Baylee Platt.
Wyoming took an 8-4 lead, but Fresno State would make the set a tie early at 8-8 off of a kill by freshman Taylor Horton and a service ace by Lacey Gera.
The `Dogs took their first lead of the set at 9-8 off of a setting error by the Cowgirls.
The biggest lead of the set early for the `Dogs would be 11-8 off a kill by Horton.
Fresno State would maintain a three-point lead at 13-10, 14-11 and 15-12 and take its biggest lead, at that point, at 16-12 with a kill by Berger.
Wyoming fought back to tie the set at 16-16 with three-straight kills by Lauren Whitney.
Fresno State then went on an 9-2 run which included two service aces by Platt and two kills by Berger as the `Dogs took set one 25-18.
Set two was nothing but Fresno State as the `Dogs took an early 6-1 lead and expanded that to 13-2 off of back-to-back blocks by Gera and Brianna Clarke and an ace by libero Kelly Mason.
The `Dogs continued to dominate in the set, extending the lead to as many as 16 on two different occasions.
Fresno State had set point at 24-9, and after three-straight points by Wyoming, a Cowgirl service error gave the `Dogs a 25-12 set victory.
It was close early in set three before the `Dogs took a 9-6 lead off of a service ace by Munson.
Wyoming took the lead at 12-11 off of three-straight Bulldog errors.
The Cowgirls extended their lead to 18-13 with a service ace.
Down 19-14, the `Dogs cut the lead to within two at 19-17 with kills by Platt and Leonardo.
The `Dogs got within one at 20-21 and 22-21 and tied the set at 22-22 with a block by Berger and Clarke.
Back-to-back kills by the Cowgirls gave them set point at 24-22, but a kill by Berger kept the Bulldogs alive and forced Wyoming to call a timeout.
A Wyoming kill however, gave the Cowgirls a 25-23 set victory as the `Dogs remained up 2-1 in the match.
Fresno State took an early 4-1 lead in set four. Wyoming tied the set twice at 1-1 and 15-15 and took the lead at 17-15.
A kill by Kasey Van Grouw, followed by a block by Clarke, tied the set at 17-17. Then a block by Van Grouw and Clarke gave the `Dogs the lead once again at 18-17.
The `Dogs went up 21-18 and forced Wyoming to call a timeout.
Up 23-18, Wyoming scored two-straight points, but a Cowgirl service error and a block by Leonardo and Berger gave the `Dogs the 25-20 set victory and the match.
"We have been working really hard as a team and to play as we have been training to do," said Leonardo. "This third match of the tournament we played really well as a team and had fun out there."
Platt led the `Dogs with her first double-double of the season, tallying season-highs in kills (14) and digs (12). As a team, the `Dogs hit .273.
All-Tournament Team
Allanah Munson, Fresno State, MVP
Kelly Leonardo, Fresno State
Lauren Berger, Fresno State
Britta Hanson, North Dakota
Kyla Hendry, Montana State
Jodi Purdy, Wyoming
Lauren Whitney, Wyoming
Fighting Spirit
All 12 members of the team earned the `Fighting Spirit' tonight.
"All 12 players supported each other throughout the match and this is the first team winner of the season," said Netherby-Sewell.
"We Are Your Team" - The Fresno State Volleyball team heads to the Hornet Invitational at Sacramento State on Sept. 11-12. Single game tickets can now be purchased through the Save Mart Center Box Office, by phone (559-485-TIXS) or online at Ticketmaster.com.
