2008 Woodie Awards
No. 13 Gorillas sweep Fort Hays
Curtis Thom
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Sports
Curtis Thom
Collegio Reporter
For the No. 13 Pitt State Gorillas, it's not always how you start, but how you finish.
The Gorillas (19-3, 5-2 MIAA) swept Fort Hays State (8-11, 1-5 MIAA) in three straight sets (25-20, 25-18, 25-21) in front of more than 780 fans on Wednesday night in John Lance Arena.
Following a rocky start, including six errors, the Gorillas battled back to even the game at 13-13, before Fort Hays matched PSU's start with three straight errors, giving the Gorillas some breathing room. Senior striker Sammie Williams caught her stride nailing four kills for the game, giving her team the 1-0 lead.
Behind a pair of early kills from senior Klaudia Grelowska, the Gorillas jumped out to an early 7-5 lead, before reeling off four straight points. While errors continued to plague the Gorillas' offense, their defense caused their fair share, netting six unforced errors.
Going into the locker room with a 2-0 lead, Williams knew the third game would be a battle, mostly with themselves.
"In past years, we would have lost that last game," said Williams, who finished the match with a team-high 12 kills. "We came back out and focused on eliminating mistakes, especially in crucial times, towards the end of the game, from points 20 to 25. If we play to our capabilities, we can close out those games."
Returning in the third set, the Gorillas relied on a veteran performance to give them their final victory of the match, including Pitt State's four seniors responding for 12 kills.
As the Gorillas clinched their eighth straight win, head coach Ibraheem Suberu said getting the win at home was vital, before starting a four-game road trip.
"It was very important for us to come out and defend our home," said Suberu, whose Gorillas moved to 8-1 at home this season. "Now we head out on the road for four straight games, including some crucial conference games."
With games against conference powerhouses Emporia State and Washburn coming, Williams said the Gorillas learned something from their games.
Collegio Reporter
For the No. 13 Pitt State Gorillas, it's not always how you start, but how you finish.
The Gorillas (19-3, 5-2 MIAA) swept Fort Hays State (8-11, 1-5 MIAA) in three straight sets (25-20, 25-18, 25-21) in front of more than 780 fans on Wednesday night in John Lance Arena.
Following a rocky start, including six errors, the Gorillas battled back to even the game at 13-13, before Fort Hays matched PSU's start with three straight errors, giving the Gorillas some breathing room. Senior striker Sammie Williams caught her stride nailing four kills for the game, giving her team the 1-0 lead.
Behind a pair of early kills from senior Klaudia Grelowska, the Gorillas jumped out to an early 7-5 lead, before reeling off four straight points. While errors continued to plague the Gorillas' offense, their defense caused their fair share, netting six unforced errors.
Going into the locker room with a 2-0 lead, Williams knew the third game would be a battle, mostly with themselves.
"In past years, we would have lost that last game," said Williams, who finished the match with a team-high 12 kills. "We came back out and focused on eliminating mistakes, especially in crucial times, towards the end of the game, from points 20 to 25. If we play to our capabilities, we can close out those games."
Returning in the third set, the Gorillas relied on a veteran performance to give them their final victory of the match, including Pitt State's four seniors responding for 12 kills.
As the Gorillas clinched their eighth straight win, head coach Ibraheem Suberu said getting the win at home was vital, before starting a four-game road trip.
"It was very important for us to come out and defend our home," said Suberu, whose Gorillas moved to 8-1 at home this season. "Now we head out on the road for four straight games, including some crucial conference games."
With games against conference powerhouses Emporia State and Washburn coming, Williams said the Gorillas learned something from their games.
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