11/29/03
Texas 3, No. 5 Kansas State 1
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Juniors Bethany Howden (Austin, Texas/Westlake) and Mira Topic (Kastela Kambelovac, Croatia/Vladimir Nazor) combined for 47 kills and The University of Texas volleyball team kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive by upsetting fifth-ranked Kansas State 3-1 (35-33, 30-28, 23-30, 30-25) on Saturday evening at Gregory Gymnasium before 1,737 fans. Howden knocked down a match-high 25 kills and Topic added 22 to help the Longhorns close the regular season at 15-14 overall and 10-10 in Big 12 Conference play. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. (Central) and will be broadcast live on ESPN News.
Two other Longhorns - freshman Brandy Magee (Mission Viejo, California/Capistrano Valley) and junior Kathy Hahn (Leander, Texas/Leander) - also recorded double-figure kills. Magee had 13, while Hahn added 10. The two players combined for nine blocks. Freshman setter Jenny Andrew (Houston, Texas/Kingwood) had a double-double with 11 digs and 61 assists, joining Howden who chipped in 14 digs to go with her 25 kills. Sophomore libero Erin Larson matched her career high in digs with 24, a mark which she set in the team’s five-game victory over No. 22 Texas A&M on Oct. 1.
For Kansas State (28-4, 18-2 Big 12), four players recorded double-figures in kills, led by Cari Jensen’s 17. Valeria Hejjas added 13, Lauren Goehring 11 and Gabby Guerre 10. Guerre notched a triple double in the match, adding 50 assists and 13 digs.
Holding a tenuous 2-1 lead in the fourth game, Texas came out swinging, connecting for a .324 attack percentage. Led by Howden’s six kills and riding Magee’s hot streak down the stretch, Texas earned its first win over a top-five opponent in 2003, and its third win over a ranked team.
The Longhorns jumped out early, building a 16-9 advantage to force KSU into a timeout. Coming out of the break, the Wildcats pulled within two points at 20-18, but got no closer. UT rode Magee, who had four of the team’s final four points, to the win and a possible NCAA Tournament berth. All of Magee’s kills in the fourth game came in the final 10 points.
“I’m really proud of all our players tonight because this was a big win for us,” said Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott, who’s seeking his fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance overall and third-straight at Texas. “We’ve been executing very well in each of the last two matches, and our blocking and defense have been solid, as well as our serve receive. But tonight it was really about our players just coming through in the clutch. They knew they needed this win and they went out and got it.”
It was just the second conference loss for the Wildcats (28-4, 18-2 Big 12), who saw their 16-match win streak come to an end.
In the first game, the Longhorns pulled out to a 15-10 lead before seeing KSU pull even at 22-22. The Wildcats pulled ahead by as many as three (26-23) before Texas scored three straight points to tie the score once again. The two teams shared seven ties before UT got the last two points to take the game. Topic led all players with seven kills in the game as the two teams struggled at the net; UT led KSU, .164 to .093, in attack percentage.
In the second game, UT managed a 17-13 lead but Kansas State again pulled even at 20-20 and the two teams fought through multiple ties. At 28-28, Magee registered a kill and a Wildcat attack error handed the game to the hosts. Both teams improved at the net, as K-State paced the offense with a .317 attack mark, leading Texas’ .280. Topic continued to strike the hot ball, connecting for six kills.
Kansas State came out of the break strong, pulling out to a 19-13 lead before extending it to a 25-18 advantage. Texas tried to battle back in the closing points, pulling as close as six points at 29-23, but Guerre’s kill sealed the game for the Wildcats. Led by six kills from Jensen, KSU hit for .385 in the third game and limited UT to a .234 mark. Howden’s nine kills pace the Longhorns’ attack, as the team had 18 kills in the game.In a pre-game ceremony, seniors Whitney Garvens (New Braunfels, Texas/New Braunfels) and Kathryn Wilson (Macomb Township, Mich./Dakota) were honors in a Senior Night presentation. They were presented with framed jerseys and pictures from their four years at the Forty Acres.
The Longhorns will find out their fate when the NCAA Volleyball selection committee announces the 64-team 2003 tournament bracket at 7 p.m. on Sunday night.
“When you compare us to the other few teams who are on the bubble of getting in the NCAA Tournament, we have quality wins over three teams, and that was something the committee was stressing. If we were extended a berth in the tournament, it would be a great reward for this team after all the hardship and adversity it battled all season,” Elliott added.
