The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- December 21, 1998

Central (Iowa) captures five-game thriller in women's volleyball

Central (Iowa) claimed its first Division III Women's Volleyball Championship by outlasting defending titlist UC San Diego, 15-10, 12-15, 15-6, 8-15, 15-13, December 6 at Juniata.

The Dutch advanced to the championship game for the first time and were faced with the task of defeating a Tritons squad that not only was the defending champion but had claimed seven national titles. Central, however, was prepared.

"We spent the whole season preparing for this match," said Megan Clayberg, Central head coach. "We played 17 of the top 20 teams during the year so that we would be ready for tonight."

The tone of the seesaw match was set early as Central jumped to an 8-2 lead in the first game.

The Tritons knotted the score at 9, but the Dutch rallied to score six of the final seven points to go up, 1-0.

The Tritons grabbed the momentum early in game two, posting a 6-0 lead before the Dutch could score.

Central dominated game three, 15-6, but UC San Diego controlled the fourth game to send the match to a fifth and deciding rally-scored game.

Central trailed, 11-9, but took the lead, 12-11, on a UC San Diego hitting error. The Dutch then claimed the title on another hitting error by the Tritons on match point.

"The team that gains momentum will get a run going," Clayberg said. "It's hard to stop it, then it's hard to get it going again. We wanted to gain some momentum at the end of the fourth game to get us going in the fifth. If UC San Diego had been able to put us away quickly in the fourth game, we would have had trouble in the fifth."

The Dutch (36-2) were led by American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year Abbie Brown, who tallied 27 kills and a .368 hitting percentage in the title match.

She also chipped in with 10 digs and eight blocks (four solos). Brown, a junior, broke the Central career kills record during the match.

"Brown and (Candace) Wilson just never let up," said UC San Diego coach Duncan McFarland. "No matter what kind of set they got, they put some heat on the ball."

Wilson came through with 17 kills and seven rejections, while Angie Nielsen dished out 51 assists and had 11 digs.

UC San Diego (26-5) got 19 kills each from Allison Bender and Kathleen Hentz, while Bender contributed 15 digs to the mix and four blocks.

In the semifinals, UC San Diego defeated Juniata, 15-13, 12-15, 15-9, 15-9, and Central downed Wellesley, 15-9, 15-6, 15-6.

Wellesley (37-1) defeated Juniata (39-3), 17-15, 15-7, 12-15, 13-15, 15-8, in the third-place match.

The all-tournament team consisted of Katie Antypas from Wellesley, Carrie Zeller from Juniata, Christine Kueneman and Kathleen Hentz from UC San Diego, and Brown and Nielsen from Central.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Central (Iowa) -- 15 -- 12 -- 15 -- 8 -- 15

UC San Diego -- 10 -- 15 -- 6 -- 15 -- 13

Central (Iowa) -- K -- E -- TA -- Pct. -- SA -- DG -- BS

Lyndsay Tucker -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- .000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Angie Nielsen -- 3 -- 0 -- 7 -- .429 -- 0 -- 11 -- 1

Steph Gerdes -- 0 -- 0 -- 0 -- .000 -- 0 -- 3 -- 0

Jody Woods -- 7 -- 1 -- 22 -- .273 -- 0 -- 1 -- 1

Amanda Whims -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- .000 -- 0 -- 3 -- 0

Abbie Brown -- 27 -- 6 -- 57 -- .368 -- 1 -- 10 -- 4

Candance

Wilson -- 17 -- 7 -- 43 -- .233 -- 1 -- 5 -- 3

Sara

Poppens -- 6 -- 1 -- 19 -- .263 -- 0 -- 11 -- 0

Martha Muir -- 1 -- 8 -- 21 -- .000 -- 0 -- 11 -- 1

Totals -- 61 -- 24 -- 170 -- .218 -- 2 -- 54 -- 10

UC San Diego -- K -- E -- TA -- Pct. -- SA -- DG -- BS

Jaime

Hackleman -- 0 -- 1 -- 2 -- .000 -- 2 -- 8 -- 0

Jamie Woods -- 8 -- 8 -- 26 -- .000 -- 0 -- 10 -- 0

Leslie Punelli -- 6 -- 6 -- 28 -- .000 -- 1 -- 16 -- 0

Shannon

Hawes -- 0 -- 1 -- 1 -- .000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Allison Bender -- 19 -- 7 -- 53 -- .226 -- 4 -- 15 -- 2

Kathleen

Hentz -- 19 -- 4 -- 42 -- .357 -- 0 -- 6 -- 0

Katie Vater -- 1 -- 1 -- 4 -- .000 -- 0 -- 0 -- 0

Christine

Kueneman -- 1 -- 3 -- 9 -- .000 -- 1 -- 16 -- 0

Dana Salter -- 3 -- 0 -- 5 -- .600 -- 0 -- 16 -- 0

Shannon

Noonan -- 7 -- 1 -- 13 -- .462 -- 0 -- 3 -- 0

Katherine

Brynjestad -- 7 -- 5 -- 17 -- .118 -- 0 -- 4 -- 0

Totals -- 71 -- 37 -- 200 -- .170 -- 8 -- 94 -- 2