University of South Florida
Villanova
Quick Sweep Leads VB to Semis
November 16, 2007 | Women's Volleyball
Milwaukee, Wis. ? With a brilliant offensive performance, the #6 USF Bulls (19-8, 9-6 BIG EAST) swept the #3 Villanova Wildcats out of the BIG EAST Conference Tournament with a 3-0 (30-25, 32-30, 30-21) triumph at the Al McGuire Center today.
The Bulls found attackers all over the floor, outhit Villanova .374 to .192, and dominated the Wildcats at the net with a 9.5-3.0 blocking advantage. Led by the All-BIG EAST Conference tandem of sophomore Marcela Gurgel (First Team All-BIG EAST, 16 kills and 9 digs) and senior Kristina Fabris (Second Team, 16 kills and 11 digs), the Bulls continued their run of outstanding play, and will face the #2 St. John's in the semifinal at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow.
”I thought coming into this tournament our kids had the right mindset, and that it's all about team,” said Bulls head coach Claire Lessinger, who guides her team into the tournament semifinals for the first time. “They understand that concept, they understand their roles, and they're getting more comfortable with them every day. To have every player do what they're supposed to do tonight and do it consistently and efficiently, you get a result like we did. And that's a very, very good team. I'm just so proud of them and I think this is the momentum we need to keep moving forward in this tournament.”
The middle blocking pair of junior Nakia Williams and sophomore Alli Arbogast had an outstanding match on both ends, combing for 12 kills on 21 total attacks and recording nine total blocks, forcing Villanova (17-12, 9-6 BIG EAST) to respect the Bulls in the middle. That opened up the outside for Gurgel, Fabris, and junior outside hitter Cynthia Danthon, who posted four of her six kills in the opening frame.
Game one saw the Bulls fall behind early 4-0, but rallied right back to tie the game at 4-4. Tied at 11, three straight kills from Arbogast, Gurgel, and Danthon gave the Bulls a 14-11 advantage they wouldn't relinquish. Ahead 24-21, Gurgel used her powerful jump serve to help the Bulls score three straight points and take a six point lead that would be too much for Villanova to overcome. The offense was led by Fabris, who's five kills came on 12 attacks, and Danthon on the other side who had four kills without an error. But the standout was Williams, who had four kills on five attacks for a whopping .800 hitting percentage, and added two crucial blocks as well.
Game two saw the Bulls fall behind late, but then rally in dramatic fashion to capture the crucial momentum. A back and forth contest with neither team able to gain more than a three point advantage, Villanova's First Team All-BIG EAST outside hitter Elona Cherkez went back to serve with the game knotted at 26. She fired an ace, followed by two Villanova block solos to take a 29-26 lead. With Villanova serving for the game, Marcela Gurgel proved why she is one of the BIG EAST's most feared attackers. Gurgel rifled two straight kills, teamed with Arbogast for two consecutive tandem blocks, then fired off another two terminations to take the game 32-30. It capped a dominant performance for the Fortaleza, Brazil native, who had eight kills on 14 attacks for a .571 hitting percentage. Fabris chipped in another six kills and three digs, and Arbogast notched three kills on five attacks with four block assists. Despite being outkilled by VU 19-18, the efficiency of the Bulls was the difference, outhitting the Wildcats .368 to .262 for the frame.
With the energy in the Al McGuire Center clearly on the side of the Bulls, game three became an encore for the Bulls offense. Gurgel and Fabris were not only outstanding, but also error free, with Gurgel five for six on attacks for a whopping .833 hitting percentage, and Fabris five of 12 for a .417. Danthon was also perfect on her only two attacks, and the Bulls recorded a flashy .464 percentage as a team. Despite another valiant effort from Villanova's leader Cherkez, who tallied seven of her 19 kills in a terrific final BIG EAST match, along with 18 digs, the Bulls again proved too much for the favored Wildcats. The final kill, appropriately, went to one of the Bulls outstanding middle blockers, with Williams putting a quick set away to start the celebration.
Fans can catch the Bulls tomorrow via BIGEAST.tv, which is broadcasting every match of the tournament, and also check in with The Volleyblog on GoUSFBulls.com for exclusive coverage of the team on and off the court from Milwaukee.
