Saturday, November 15
Lynchburg, Va.
6:00 PM
Liberty University
22-8, 13-3BSC
3
vs
0
Winthrop
10-18, 6-9BSC
1st set1
2nd set2
3rd set3
FinalF
Winthrop
17
13
18
0
Liberty
25
25
25
3
LU Wins Share of BSC Regular-Season Title
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Liberty volleyball team honored graduating seniors Jessica Nelson, Carmen Streeper and Ashley Webber prior to Saturday evening's regular-season finale versus Winthrop at the Vines Center. All three players contributed to the Lady Flames' 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-18) sweep of the Eagles, which enabled Liberty to win a share of its second straight Big South Conference regular-season crown.
The Lady Flames, now 22-8 overall and 13-3 in Big South action, will share the championship with Coastal Carolina and High Point. Liberty has captured back-to-back Big South regular-season titles for the first time since the 1997 and 1998 campaigns. Meanwhile, the visiting Eagles, who had won four straight Big South regular-season championships entering this season, drop to 10-18 overall and 6-9 in conference play.
Among Liberty's senior trio, Nelson (OH, Tokyo, Japan) starred defensively for the Lady Flames, tallying a match-high 17 digs for her fifth consecutive double-digit effort. Streeper (RS, Rustburg, Va.) contributed two kills, three digs and a service ace to Liberty's 25-13 win in the middle set. Finally, Webber (MB, Lakeside, Calif.) hit .667 with four kills and a team-best four blocks.
It did not take long for Liberty to establish control of the opening set. Setter Kallie Corbin (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) served for six straight points to begin the match, including two aces. Winthrop got no closer than four during the remainder of the set, and Nelson's kill sealed the Lady Flames' 25-17 triumph.
Liberty recorded only eight kills in the first stanza, but benefitted from aggressive serving and stifling defense. Corbin and libero Kelly Haseman (Fr., Three Rivers, Mich.) each had two of the Lady Flames' five aces. Meanwhile, Nelson came up with six digs and Liberty posted three blocks to Winthrop's one rejection. Shannon Sitzmann, the Eagles' lone senior, paced all players with six opening-set kills.
Karyl Bacon (So., OH/DS, Temecula, Calif.) sizzled during a 4-0 burst, which gave Liberty the lead for good in the second frame. The Lady Flames trailed, 4-3, before Bacon put down two kills and served for three points during the surge. Haseman later served for six points in a row, boosting Liberty's lead to 20-10. Chelaine McCarty (Jr., MB, Houston, Ala.) had three kills and Streeper added a pair on Haseman's serve. Freshman Courtney Boggs (S, Marysville, Ohio) put the finishing touches on the Lady Flames' 25-13 win, fashioning a solo block on set point.
Liberty hit a match-best .394 during set two, sparked by Bacon's six kills and McCarty's five. On the opposite side of the Lady Flames' brand-new net, Winthrop managed only a .033 attack percentage for the set.
Winthrop did not go down without a fight in the final stanza, which featured 11 ties and six lead changes. Liberty broke away from a 13-13 deadlock with five straight points. The decisive burst opened with three consecutive kills by Bacon and also included an ace off Haseman's left hand. Appropriately on Senior Night, seniors Nelson and Webber recorded the final three kills of the Lady Flames' championship-clinching 25-18 victory.
Nicki Scripko (So., OH/RS, Fayetteville, N.C.) hit .300 with five kills during the final set, while Nelson spearheaded the Lady Flames' defense with seven digs. Sitzmann recorded a team-high four kills for Winthrop, while Janice Rivera had six digs.
Liberty owned the advantage in nearly every statistical category on Saturday, including attack percentage (.200 to .038), service aces (7 to 3), digs (55 to 46) and blocks (7 to 5). As a result, the Lady Flames were able to sweep both regular-season contests from the Eagles for the first time since 2003.
McCarty and Bacon led Liberty's offense with nine kills apiece, while their setter, Corbin, was the lone player in the match to record a double-double. Corbin summed a match-high 30 assists, increasing her season total to an even 1,000, and also posted 10 digs.
Scripko chipped in with eight assists, while Haseman added 13 digs and matched a career high with three aces.
Sitzmann, the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, paced the Eagles and all players in the match with 13 kills. The visitors also put two players into double figures in the dig category, as Rivera had 13 and Kaley Viola finished with 10.
The Lady Flames will return to action at the 2008 Big South Volleyball Championship, Nov. 21-23, where they will attempt to defend their title from the 2007 season. This year's tournament will be hosted by UNC Asheville, at the Justice Center in Asheville, N.C.
Seeding and matchups for the tournament will be announced Sunday, following the conclusion of Winthrop's match at Radford. The Eagles and Highlanders are scheduled to begin their contest at 1 p.m. at Peters Hall.
The Lady Flames, now 22-8 overall and 13-3 in Big South action, will share the championship with Coastal Carolina and High Point. Liberty has captured back-to-back Big South regular-season titles for the first time since the 1997 and 1998 campaigns. Meanwhile, the visiting Eagles, who had won four straight Big South regular-season championships entering this season, drop to 10-18 overall and 6-9 in conference play.
Among Liberty's senior trio, Nelson (OH, Tokyo, Japan) starred defensively for the Lady Flames, tallying a match-high 17 digs for her fifth consecutive double-digit effort. Streeper (RS, Rustburg, Va.) contributed two kills, three digs and a service ace to Liberty's 25-13 win in the middle set. Finally, Webber (MB, Lakeside, Calif.) hit .667 with four kills and a team-best four blocks.
It did not take long for Liberty to establish control of the opening set. Setter Kallie Corbin (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) served for six straight points to begin the match, including two aces. Winthrop got no closer than four during the remainder of the set, and Nelson's kill sealed the Lady Flames' 25-17 triumph.
Liberty recorded only eight kills in the first stanza, but benefitted from aggressive serving and stifling defense. Corbin and libero Kelly Haseman (Fr., Three Rivers, Mich.) each had two of the Lady Flames' five aces. Meanwhile, Nelson came up with six digs and Liberty posted three blocks to Winthrop's one rejection. Shannon Sitzmann, the Eagles' lone senior, paced all players with six opening-set kills.
Karyl Bacon (So., OH/DS, Temecula, Calif.) sizzled during a 4-0 burst, which gave Liberty the lead for good in the second frame. The Lady Flames trailed, 4-3, before Bacon put down two kills and served for three points during the surge. Haseman later served for six points in a row, boosting Liberty's lead to 20-10. Chelaine McCarty (Jr., MB, Houston, Ala.) had three kills and Streeper added a pair on Haseman's serve. Freshman Courtney Boggs (S, Marysville, Ohio) put the finishing touches on the Lady Flames' 25-13 win, fashioning a solo block on set point.
Liberty hit a match-best .394 during set two, sparked by Bacon's six kills and McCarty's five. On the opposite side of the Lady Flames' brand-new net, Winthrop managed only a .033 attack percentage for the set.
Winthrop did not go down without a fight in the final stanza, which featured 11 ties and six lead changes. Liberty broke away from a 13-13 deadlock with five straight points. The decisive burst opened with three consecutive kills by Bacon and also included an ace off Haseman's left hand. Appropriately on Senior Night, seniors Nelson and Webber recorded the final three kills of the Lady Flames' championship-clinching 25-18 victory.
Nicki Scripko (So., OH/RS, Fayetteville, N.C.) hit .300 with five kills during the final set, while Nelson spearheaded the Lady Flames' defense with seven digs. Sitzmann recorded a team-high four kills for Winthrop, while Janice Rivera had six digs.
Liberty owned the advantage in nearly every statistical category on Saturday, including attack percentage (.200 to .038), service aces (7 to 3), digs (55 to 46) and blocks (7 to 5). As a result, the Lady Flames were able to sweep both regular-season contests from the Eagles for the first time since 2003.
McCarty and Bacon led Liberty's offense with nine kills apiece, while their setter, Corbin, was the lone player in the match to record a double-double. Corbin summed a match-high 30 assists, increasing her season total to an even 1,000, and also posted 10 digs.
Scripko chipped in with eight assists, while Haseman added 13 digs and matched a career high with three aces.
Sitzmann, the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, paced the Eagles and all players in the match with 13 kills. The visitors also put two players into double figures in the dig category, as Rivera had 13 and Kaley Viola finished with 10.
The Lady Flames will return to action at the 2008 Big South Volleyball Championship, Nov. 21-23, where they will attempt to defend their title from the 2007 season. This year's tournament will be hosted by UNC Asheville, at the Justice Center in Asheville, N.C.
Seeding and matchups for the tournament will be announced Sunday, following the conclusion of Winthrop's match at Radford. The Eagles and Highlanders are scheduled to begin their contest at 1 p.m. at Peters Hall.
Team Stats
WU
LIBERTY
Kills
25
40
Errors
21
17
Attempts
106
115
Hitting %
.038
.200
Points
33.0
54.0
Assists
24
37
Aces
3
7
Blocks
5.0
7.0
Game Leaders
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
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