University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
2-3
Wisconsin
3-0
Bears Play Well, but Fall to Fourth Ranked Wisconsin
9/5/2014 1:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Northern Colorado Volleyball Takes a Set From #4 Wisconsin, but Falls Short 3-1
GREELEY – Facing the fourth ranked team in the nation Northern Colorado put up a fight, ultimately falling 3-1 to Wisconsin (14-25, 27-25, 22-25, 18-25). The crowd of 1,502 that packed Butler-Hancock saw a gritty effort form the Bears.
"They are a legitimate top ten team and I thought we played right with them at times using our strengths" said head coach Lyndsey Oates about her team's performance.
Wisconsin started the match out fast in the first set recording 16 kills, and hitting .344. The set included runs of 5-0 and 6-0 to pull away from the Bears, who only hit .037.
Northern Colorado responded well in the second set showing resiliency coming back from 4-1, and 13-8 holes. A 3-0 run with setter Ashley Guthrie serving brought the set even at 19 all. The teams went on to trade points the rest of the way until Guthrie contributed to the final two points of the set, first with a kill, and then a block assist with middle blocker Andrea Spaustat. The set saw twelve tie scores, and four lead changes.
Guthrie finished the match with 5 kills, 29 assists, and 3 total blocks, and leading the Bears hitting at .417.
"The way that Ash(ley) sets it is great she helps me see the whole back row and where to attack," said Kendra Cunningham about how Guthrie helps this team.
The Bears took the momentum of winning the second set with them into the locker room at intermission, but were unable to capitalize on it after. The third set was Kendra Cunningham's time to sign for the Bears racking up six kills and a .333 hitting percentage. She finished the night leading the team with 17 kills, second with 13 digs, and a .208 hitting percentage
"We challenged the team to come out of the break with that energy we took into it, and I thought we did a good job of that in set three, not being content with winning the second set" said Oates.
Wisconsin came out swinging in the fourth set finishing with 19 kills and a .326 hitting percentage. The Badgers used a few 3-0 runs to take over the set, and down the Bears 3-1.
The middle sets were the Bears best defensively holding Wisconsin to .185 and .273 hitting and combined for five of their eight blocks on the night. Once again the Bears help a top 15 team to their lowest hitting percentage of the year, this time Wisconsin hit only .272
It was not just Northern Colorado's experience that helped tonight, but also the freshman, especially the pair of outside hitters Kim Weissman and Timarie Nymyer. Both finished with a career high in kills, 7 for Weissman and 3 for Nymyer.
"There best strength tonight was that they are freshman, and have never faced pressure like that," said Oates of the freshman duo tonight, "Timarie and Kim are both undersize, but very aggressive, and played that way last night."
The Bears hit the court again Saturday night against Florida A&M at 7:00 pm at Butler-Hancock.Â
