Pittsburg State sweeps Emporia State, Hornets’ NCAA Tourney hopes teeter
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Emporia State volleyball team took a step back in its bid for an NCAA tournament bid Saturday, losing to Pittsburg State 33-31, 31-29, 31-29 on Senior Night at White Auditorium.
The loss drops ESU to 14-15 overall with one match remaining at No. 15 Washburn plus the MIAA tournament. Teams must have a record of .500 or better to be eligible for the NCAAs.
The Hornets had every opportunity to defeat the Gorillas at home. In Game One, ESU led 29-28, 30-29, and 31-30 but dropped all three subsequent game points. PSU went on to score the final three points, ending the game on an ace by Ashlee Maple.
ESU missed another golden opportunity in Game Two. After an attack error by PSU’s Laura Toman, the Hornets led 28-22, needing just two more points to seal the game.
They never came. PSU went on a seven-point run to take the lead, then finished it later with a pair of kills from Pamela Cartagena.
ESU rallied from a 27-20 deficit in Game Three, taking seven straight points to tie it up. The Hornets had a game point at 29-28, but Klaudia Grelowska and Cartagena posted three consecutive kills to end the game and match.
Arica Shepard paced ESU, contributing 15 kills. Leah Griswold and Mandy Chutskoff added 13 kills each.
Cartagena led PSU with 19 kills.
Wednesday’s matchup with Washburn will have added significance for ESU. If the Hornets win, they would need just one victory in the conference tournament to secure a .500 record. If they lose against the Lady Blues, the Hornets would have to win the MIAA tournament to grab an NCAA tournament berth. The latter wouldn’t be an easy task, especially with No. 1 Truman in the conference.
Saturday’s match marked the final home outing for seniors Leah Griswold, Courtney Aguilar, Jennifer Remmereid and Chutskoff. All were honored on the court with roses before the contest.