Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Colorado
Bulldogs Herd Buffaloes in Three Sets
9/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 1, 2012
BOULDER, Colo. - Seize the moment.
Head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell said those three little words before the match and the Fresno State volleyball team did just that by sweeping the Pac-12's Colorado (28-26, 25-21, 25-20) 3-0 to conclude the Omni Hotels Colorado Classic.
"It's a great win," added Netherby-Sewell. "Colorado plays at a high level and they are big team. The way we controlled the match and got that done in three sets was really impressive."
The Bulldogs (4-2, 0-0 MW) finished in second place behind Northern Arizona. The `Dogs were 2-1 on the weekend with their only losses coming to the Lumberjacks.
"We recovered well from a tough match the day before," Netherby-Sewell said. "We got really fatigued yesterday and that was a problem for us. Today we were fresh and ready to go. When we play well, we are good. We controlled the first ball contact really well and that was what we strive to do. Once our offense picks up, we are pretty tough to beat."
Junior Korrin Wild recorded her first double-double of the season and the third a Bulldog has logged in 2012. She had 12 kills and 11 digs along with two assisted blocks.
Wild served up three-straight points for the `Dogs as they trailed the Buffs 9-7 in the first set. An ace from sophomore Maci Murdock and kill from Marissa Brand tied the set 10-10. A block from junior Megan Callahan and Murdock gave the `Dogs a 1-point advantage and fueled a 5-1 Bulldog run.
"I think we were united as a team tonight," said Murdock. "We brought our chemistry and ability to adapt to the court. We played together and never let the little things get to us. We were always one step ahead whether it was swinging high, hitting the line or whatever we could do to win this match. We came together and stuck to the game plan."
In a back and forth battle in the end, the `Dogs won a close first set, 28-26. Wild led the pack with six kills, while Murdock tallied three assisted blocks.
The Bulldogs took control in the second set with an 8-4 lead. The Buffs rallied from behind to tie the set 10-10. The `Dogs and Buffs traded points keeping the set tied 20-20. Then the Bulldogs pulled ahead 24-21 and Murdock recorded an ace for the set-point giving Fresno State the set win, 25-21.
In the second set, Brand added four kills for the `Dogs and Callahan led with seven kills in the set hitting .600 for Fresno State after two sets.
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 over Colorado heading into the third set.
Colorado had an 8-3 lead to start the third set, but the Bulldogs came backing tying the set 10-10 with another kill from Brand, she led the team with 14 kills. Murdock came up with a block giving Fresno State a two-point lead, she ended the night with a total of seven assisted blocks.
The third set stayed close until the Bulldogs ran away with a 25-20 win to take the match in three-straight sets. Callahan ended the night hitting a team-high .526 on the right side. She recorded 11 kills in 19 attempts.
Libero Christina Lee had a solid defensive night for the Bulldogs. The sophomore collected a team-high 13 digs and she is averaging 3.6 digs per set.
"I was most impressed with Christina Lee this weekend," said Netherby-Sewell of Lee. "She passed well and dug a lot of balls. She controlled our defense and was reliable. It is the first time I have seen her look like a libero."
Murdock and Brand took home all-tournament honors for Fresno State. Netherby-Sewell named the team the Fighting Spirit Award Winner for the week.
The Bulldogs host the Fresno State Classic next week Sept. 7-8 in the Save Mart Center. The `Dogs face Sacramento State to open the tournament at 7 p.m. on Sept. 7.
"Discover Fresno State Volleyball!"-- Catch the action on 790 ESPN The Deuce, which is the flagship radio station for Bulldog Volleyball. The `Dogs home opener is Sept. 7 against Sacramento State at 7 p.m. in the Save Mart Center.
