Nov. 15, 2002
DENTON, Texas. - The Western Kentucky volleyball team had to go the distance against a motivated North Texas squad Friday night to complete a perfect 14-0 run through the Sun Belt Conference and win a school-record 30th regular season contest. WKU won the match 22-30, 30-27, 22-30, 30-25, 15-13 to wins its 16th straight contest.
The Lady Toppers became the first team since Arkansas State in 1996 to run the table.
Western took the deciding game to the wire before pulling it out 15-13. Neither team was able to get more than a two-point lead. Leading 11-10, Amanda Schiff (So., Indianapolis, Ind.) knocked down a kill to give WKU a two-point cushion, but North Texas scored two straight to tie the match at 12. After trading points, the Lady Toppers pulled ahead for good when Crystal Towler (Fr., Sussex, Wis) placed a tip over the Mean Green block. Towler then ended the contest with her 21st kill of the game. The 21 kills was a personal best as were her three solo blocks. The freshman added career-high 10 digs for her first double-double.
In the opening game, North Texas used the emotion of senior night to jump out to a 1-0 advantage with a 30-22 win. The Mean Green used a .359 hitting percentage to pound its way past the Lady Toppers. Despite seven kills by Schiff and six by Towler. Western hit just .205 in the game. WKU also had four service errors while the hosts had none. Jill Ruskowski and Brieanne Fowler had five kills apiece for North Texas.
The Lady Toppers evened the match in game two with a 30-26 win rallying from a 13-10 deficit. Freshman Jessie Wagner (Franklin, Ind.) led the team to the come from behind win with eight kills and only one error. Blocking by WKU was also key as they had five blocks in the game including a pair of blocks by the duo of Towler and Schiff gave the team a 20-19 advantage. Wagner added a solo block that latter made it 22-20. Leading 27-24 after a kill by Schiff, Western would close out the game with a 3-1 run with three kills by Towler.
North Texas regained its game advantage in the third game by hitting .389 in the game. Trailing 10-7, the Mean Green outscored the Lady Toppers 23-12 for a 2-1 lead. Brittney Gregory keyed the run for North Texas. Gregory had eights kills in the game with no errors on 11 attempts.
Senior setter Sara Noe (Louisville, Ky.) finished the match with 69 assists. Tracy May (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) just missed her season-high with 24 digs. Sophomore Amanda Cecil (Louisville, Ky.) had her 13th double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. Wagner added 15 kills.
Western will next play Thursday in the opening round of Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The tournament is being held in Miami, Fla. on the Florida International.
