UW-Green Bay Edges Wright State in Volleyball Tournament Opener

Nov. 18, 2004

Box Score

UW-Green Bay 3, Wright State 2
(36-34, 17-30, 30-24, 27-30, 17-15)


YOUNGSTOWN-UW-Green Bay rallied from a three-point deficit midway through game five to defeat Wright State 36-34, 17-30, 30-24, 27-30, 17-15 in the first match of the 2004 Horizon League Volleyball Championship Thursday at Beeghly Center.


Trailing 10-7, the No. 5 seed Phoenix (9-18) scored four straight to take the lead but had to fend off a match point for the No. 8 seed Raiders at 15-14. UW-Green Bay then tied the game on a kill by Jill Smits, took the lead on a Wright State hitting error and won the match on a kill by Jackie Rosen that was touched by three Raider players by couldn't clear the net.


Wright State (4-25) had won only four matches all season but gave the defending tournament champions all they could handle. After UW-Green Bay won the opening game 36-34, the Raiders took the second in suprisingly easy fashion 30-17. After falling behind 8-7, they scored six straight points and were never threatened. The Phoenix then claimed game three by outhitting Wright State .273-.093 before the Raiders rebounded for a 30-27 win in game four to tie the match.


Rosen led UWGB with 20 kills, including nine in the first game alone, while Smits added 18 and Krystle Lange and Leah Steinbauer had 11 apiece.


Sarah Poling finished with 22 kills and 22 digs for the Raiders, who have now lost each of their last six matches to UW-Green Bay in five games. Tara Geegan, McKenzie Tiffin and Alisha Kimbro had 13 kills each.


"It's always a battle between us and Wright State but we had the mindset that we were not going to let the match get away from us" said UWGB head coach Debbie Kirch. "The character of this team is that they are always loose and relaxed. They always think they can win at any point in the match."


With the win, UW-Green Bay advances to face No. 3 seed Loyola in the tournament semifinals Friday at 5 p.m. EST.