Volleyball finishes regular season 31-2 |
| Posted by Administrator on Nov 12 2008 |
Photo by Garrett Ritonya
Freshman outside hitter Shelby workman of Loveland, Colo. (left) and junior middle hitter Nikki Scott of Broken Bow (right) team up on a block against Colorado Christen Friday night. The Lopers swept CCU and clinched the top seed in the RMAC Tournament.
By Callie Erickson
Antelope Staff
The UNK Volleyball Team is on a roll and ready to take on whoever falls in their path as they near the end of their season.
The Lopers closed the regular season with a pair of sweeps Friday and Saturday night against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) teams Colorado Christian and Colorado-Colorado Springs.
The Lopers are revved up and ready to play for the RMAC Title Nov. 14-16 at the UNK Health and Sports Center after the fifth-ranked Lopers breezed past the Colorado Christian Cougars Friday night with game scores of 25-5, 25-17, 25-18.
This "Senior Night" match was a memorable one for lone senior Juli Minicz, as it also went down in the record books as the 30th win for the Lopers.
This is the second consecutive year UNK has reached 30 wins and the seventh time around for head coach Rick Squiers.
All 14 players who were able to play saw playing time on the court during this match.
"I felt my teammates did a great job of stepping up when put into different positions on the court," sophomore setter Cola Svec of Elkhorn said. "We know that in order to be a National Championship team, we may have to make some switches and try players out in different areas."
On Saturday night, the Lopers stepped it up yet again, defeating the Colorado Springs Mountain Lions 25-16, 25-12, 25-14.
"On Friday there were some stretches where we could have played better," Svec said. "However, I felt we played extremely well on Saturday. Volleyball is about more than winning, it's about having fun."
As the Lopers prepare for this weekend's RMAC Tournament, they will be focusing on tuning up any loose ends at practice. Work still needs to be done despite the 30-2 overall record.
"Coach has been stressing on the defensive effort," Svec said. "We want to be a solid blocking team and be able to play great defense around our block."
One of the team's goals for this season was to win the RMAC Championship. With the tournament just around the corner, this close-knit team turns their focus to playing with perfection.
"If we can play as well as we did this weekend we'll be able to clinch the championship," Svec said. "It's about playing together every time we step on the floor."
As the setter on the team, Svec fell into a position with a lot of responsibility. She may touch the ball every time it comes over the net into UNK territory.
"It's critical for any setter to deliver a great ball to their hitters, but I feel the most important thing for me to do is to make smart decisions down the stretch and play great defense," Svec said.
Playing the game since she was about four years old and being around both her mother and father as they coached has prepared Svec for her duties as UNK's setter.
"I have to be ready to lead my team to a victory by being positive and keeping the energy going" Svec said.
Not only is she a setter - a backbone of the team, but also a cheerleader and motivator helping the Lopers surpass their greatest challenges.
Off the court Svec still has a great role to play.
"I love having a fun time and keeping my teammates smiling and relaxed prior to a match," Svec said.
The first round of the RMAC tournament kicks off Nov. 14. The top-seeded Lopers take on the number eight seed, Adams State, at 7:30 p.m. at the Health and Sports Center.
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