Sul Ross State Ends
Mountaineer Playoff Hopes
with 3-0 Win
(10/27/06)
The scenario that SU
Volleyball hoped would not
come about, did. ASC
West Division leading Texas
Lutheran came into Alpine to
play Sul Ross State on
Friday night but had already
locked up the top seed and
tournament host for next
week's ASC Tournament.
With nothing on the line,
Texas Lutheran was
dispatched easily by Sul
Ross State, 3-0. That
meant that Saturday's
regular-season finale
between Sul Ross State and
Schreiner in Alpine was for
the final spot in the ASC
Tournament.
Sul Ross State used its
home-court advantage and got
the important first game
win, 30-26. Schreiner
started slowly in game two
and lost 30-16. Game
three was closer, 30-25, but
Sul Ross State was the
better team on this day with
its 3-0 win.
Although the two teams
finished tied for third
place in the ASC West, SRS
will get the final
tournament spot because it's
1-1 record vs. TLU was
better than Schreiner's
(0-2). Although the
season ended prematurely for
SU Volleyball and its fans,
it doesn't take away from a
great turnaround story.
Last year, the Mountaineers
went 2-22 overall and 2-16
in the ASC. This year,
Schreiner finished 10-8 in
the ASC. While the
Mountaineers loose their
defensive leader,
Whitney Barron,
to graduation, SU is very
young and will only have one
senior next year (Kassie
Barlow).
With the current group of
players, some new recruits
and the expected return of
middle hitter Xandria White
(out for most of the past
two seasons with injuries),
don't be surprised if the
Mountaineers make another
jump in 2007. |
