Volleyball zips to MIAC finals date vs. St. Olaf

November 8, 2002
Check here Friday night and Saturday for updated results of the 2002 MIAC Volleyball Tournament.

Second semifinal match: FINAL: St. Thomas def. Concordia 3-0
Game 1: St. Thomas 30, Concordia 23 (Tommies lead best-of-5 1-0)
(Tommies break to 13-6 lead to take control)
Game 2; St. Thomas 30, Concordia 24 (Toms lead 2-0)
(Tommies never trail, pull away late)
Game 3: St. Thomas 30, Concordia 21 (Toms win 3-0) see UST-Cobber box here

Tommies move their school-record win total to 30-6 and beat the Cobbers for the third time this season. Despite playing again without three injured players, Katie Reynolds led a balanced Tommie attack. Reynolds had 22 digs and broke a UST career digs record. She added 13 kills and hit .393; Tessa Pritts had 14 kills and eight digs; Emily Buehler had eight kills, three aces, 16 digs and four assisted blocks; and Jane Gibbs had 40 assist and 15 digs.

Amy Fitzner had nine kills and Jessica Walden had 28 assists to lead the Cobbers.

Tommies advance to Saturday's 8 p.m. final match vs. St. Olaf (18-14).

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First semifinal match: FINAl: St. Olaf def. Bethel, 3-1

Game 1: St. Olaf 30, Bethel 26
(Oles trailed 17-13 and used 11-1 run to take control)
Game 2: Bethel 30, St. Olaf 25 (best-of-5 match tied 1-1)
(Royals lead 10-3, 21-11 and hold on)
Game 3: St. Olaf 30, Bethel 22 (Oles lead 2-1)
(Oles break to 19-5 lead and hold on)
Game 4: St. Olaf 30 Bethel 22
(Tied 17-17, Oles pull away to make Saturday's final)

For St. Olaf, Andrea Drapcho had 14 kills, 13 digs and hit .370; Shannah Olson had 13 kills and 10 digs; Emily Ganzkow-Wold had 10 kills, hit .526; Danica Finseth had 11 kills and hit .391; and Brie Mattson had 56 assists.

For Bethel, Jill Thorvig had 18 kills and hit .250, Angie Frenell had 15 kills and hit .344, Katie Snyder had 42 assists.
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Welcome to the 2002 MIAC Volleyball Tournament on the University of St. Thomas campus. The top four seeds are still alive heading into Friday's semifinals of the single-elimination tourney.

Top-seed St. Thomas and second-seed St. Olaf had byes in Tuesday's first round. No. 4 Concordia scored a four-game victory over visiting St. Ben's, while No. 3 Bethel outlasted visiting St. Mary's in five games, including a 16-14 game five score.

The tournament winner receives the MIAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs, which begin Nov. 14 with regional play. NCAA pairings will be announced Sunday night.

Here are some quick facts on the four semifinal teams:

.Bethel (23-8)--The 2001 Royals won their second MIAC tournament title in a row and finished 25-10 but graduated two All-Region players... has been steady all season... has gone to five-game decisions eight times.

.St. Olaf (17-14)--Has beaten nationally-ranked Wartburg... took No. 1 Wash. U. to four games... Setter Brie Mattson is 4X All-MIAC honoree... first-year head coach Traci Cook, a former Ole star, has carried on strong Ole tradition.

.Concordia (21-8)--No seniors or juniors on 20-player roster... went 10-17 last season... has won seven of last nine... won last four MIAC matches to reach the playoffs... sophomore Jacki Barten repeated as All-MIAC.

.St. Thomas (29-6)-Ranked 20th in D-III poll... started 20-2 before injuries sidelined three players... in NCAA stats, Jane Gibbs is second in assists per game and Katie Reynolds is fourth in kills per game... Reynolds, second in MIAC career kills (1,879), needs four digs to break UST career record.

Season Head-to-Head Matches of Final Four teams:
St. Thomas def. Concordia, 3-1**
St. Thomas def. Concordia, 3-2#
St. Thomas def. St. Olaf, 3-2
St. Thomas def. Bethel, 3-2**
St. Olaf def. Concordia, 3-2**
St. Olaf def. Bethel, 3-2
Bethel def. Concordia, 3-1
**-Road win
#-Neutral win

2002 MIAC Volleyball Tournament
Tuesday's First-Round Matches
Concordia def. St. Ben's, 3-1
(24-30, 30-14, 30-18,30-25)
Bethel def. St. Mary's, 3-2
(27-30, 30-17, 18-30, 30-19, 16-14)

Semifinals & Finals
Fri.-Sat. Nov. 8-9, 2002
Schoenecker Arena/St. Paul, Minn.

Friday's Matches
5 p.m.--Bethel Royals (23-8) vs. St. Olaf Oles (17-14)
8 p.m.--Concordia Cobbers (21-8) vs. St. Thomas Tommies (29-6)

Saturday's Matches
5 p.m.--Consolation
8 p.m.--Championship