Volleyball Opens NCAA III Tournament Play With 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 Victory Over Otterbein
Thursday, November 11, 2010
(Photo Courtesy of Wittenberg University)
By Calvin sports information student assistant Mitch Blankespoor
SPRINGFIELD, OH - The Calvin College women’s volleyball team is used to the campus of Wittenberg University. Pam Evan’s Smith Arena is almost a second home for Calvin. Ever since 2005, they have participated in the Wittenberg Border Battle; a competition fitting the best schools in Ohio versus the best schools in Michigan. Earlier this year, Calvin went 2-2 in this tournament. Coming into the day, Calvin is 3-4 lifetime at Pam Evans Smith Arena in the NCAA tournament. The Knights improved that record to 4-4 on Thursday afternoon, defeating Otterbein College in straight sets 25-21, 25-19, 25-14.
The Knights started the first set strong with a couple of crafty kills from setter Megan Rietema. That jumped Calvin out to a 4-2 lead. Neither team proved to lengthen or shorter the gap. In the blink of an eye, Calvin led by a score of 20-18. They then went on a 4-1 run to take a 24-19 lead. This caused a timeout call by Otterbein head coach Monica McDonald. The score was tied seven times, but the Cardinals could not take the lead. Calvin hit .323 in the first set and held Otterbien to a .138 percentage.
The second set did not get off to a good start from a Calvin perspective. Otterbein won the first five points of the set, and then traded side outs with Calvin until the scoreboard read 9-4. The Knights then went on a 10-3 run using some great blocking and some Lizzie Kamp kills to take the lead 14-12 which forced another timeout from coach McDonald.
“The block was great today. That made the passing easier which translates to a good set” Kamp said after the match.
The third set was very similar to the first. The Knights got on top from the start, and never looked back. The score was 5-2 at first, then 9-4, then 17-11, then 20-12, and finally 25-14.
Calvin came into the match leading the nation in hitting percentage at a .325 clip. They did not disappoint as they hit .342 in the match. The block for Calvin was a huge success. They held Otterbien, who made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament, to a -.044 hitting percentage. Calvin totaled 15 team blocks, while the Cardinals had just one.
Individually Lizzie and Rebecca Kamp led the Knights with ten kills each. Freshmen setter Megan Rietema dished out 24 assists and had seven blocks.
“I was a little nervous heading into the match, but I had total confidence in the team” Rietema said after the match.
The Knights had just one obstacle to get through, serving. Calvin had a season high 14 service errors and only five aces. Otterbein had seven aces to go along with seven errors.
“It’s no lie we served poorly today. I don’t think it was nerves; it just got in our head. We didn’t change anything, we kept calling zones” Head coach Amber Warners said after the match.
The Knights move on to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament; the round they were defeated last year by rival Hope. Calvin will face Heidelberg University, the top ranked team in the region, which defeated Greenville College in four sets. The game will be at 3:30 Eastern Standard Time at Wittenberg’s Pam Evans Smith Arena.
