Eagles Survive Playoff Scare From Sea Lions

Box Score 

(11/13/07 - Women's Volleyball) IRVINE - Despite being forced past the 30-point mark in two of the three games, #3-seeded Concordia used a balanced offensive attack to hold off sixth-seeded Point Loma Nazarene, 31-29, 30-20, 31-29, Tuesday evening in quarterfinal round action of the NAIA Region II Tournament.

The early moments of the match saw the Eagles seem to be stuck in the doldrums that saw them drop their final game against Fresno Pacific last Saturday by a 30-16 count. The Eagles did not register their first kill until the Sea Lions had tallied three of their own and taken advantage of an ace and ball handling error for a quick 5-1 lead.

Following a timeout, all-American Lindsey Campbell got the Eagles on the board with back-to-back tallies. However, the Eagles continued to struggle and saw their deficit balloon back to 15-9 after consecutive errors.

Another kill by Campbell turned the tide more definitively in the favor of the Eagles as they ran off 7-of-8 points to level the game at 16-16. Though the Sea Lions regained the lead on several occasions, the teams remained tied up through 29-29 before the Eagles made two crucial plays.

Senior Ashley Robbins blasted the last of her three kills in the opening frame that allowed the Eagles earn their second game point. Chelsea Scott stepped back to the service line and ended the game in dramatic fashion with an ace.

Game two saw the Eagles find a little more offensive rhythm, but in truth rely on their defense to earn the comfortable win. While the Eagles hit a respectable .245 in game two, the Sea Lions were in the negative with just six kills while making seven errors. Traci Weamer had six kills and two blocks in the frame while both Robbins and Campbell added five.

Game three ended up becoming a nailbiter for the Eagles, though they led nearly wire-to-wire. A 5-0 spurt broke a 10-10 tie and saw the Eagles push their advantage to 21-14. While the lead remained at a manageable five points at 27-22 after a kill by all-GSAC Stephanie Scheele, the Sea Lions had one more comeback attempt in their arsenal.

Melissa Boer fired a kill, then the Eagles made consecutive errors to quickly give up three points. Following a timeout, the rest of the lead evaporated after kills by Jen Michaelson and Boer, then Natalie Acklin actually grabbed the lead for the visitors with a kill.

Two errors by the Sea Lions quickly turned the tide and gave the Eagles their first match point, but Connie Irwin responded with a kill to keep the match going. A tight pass forced Kylie Morel to net on the next point, then Irwin hit the last ball of the match out to give the Eagles the victory.

Weamer and Campbell led the way for the Eagles with 11 kills each. Weamer added 16 digs and four blocks while Campbell had a pair of blocks and hit a team-high .476. Robbins and Scheele chipped in with 10 kills apiece and Amber Ridens recorded nine. Chelsea Scott paced the defense with a match-best 23 digs while Jenna Friedrich and Vanessa Perry combined to dish out 49 assists.

Boer had 12 kills and 14 digs to lead Point Loma Nazarene (17-13) while Irwin added 10 kills, 3 digs and 2 blocks. Michaelson led the Sea Lions along the backline with 17 digs while libero Jill Konderik added 14 digs.

With the victory, Concordia (26-4) all but assured itself a spot in the upcoming NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championships, November 28-December 1 at Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. Before that, however, the Eagles will face #2-seeded California Baptist in regional semifinal round play at Fresno Pacific on Friday, November 16 at 4:00 p.m.