Sept. 23, 2008
Final Stats
Senior Tijana Knezevic (Indija, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) nearly still had her back turned by the time the Presbyterian player mishandled the chance for a free ball and the ball careened to the floor, giving Knezevic one of the most unlikely kills of the night and leaving the USC Upstate volleyball team just one point away from clinching a win against the Blue Hose, which it did four points later, giving Upstate head coach Jennifer Calloway historic win No. 250 in thrilling 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 17-25, 17-25, 15-10) fashion in non-conference action at the Hodge Center on Tuesday night.
Calloway, 35, who joins current assistant coach Joe Bowman, as the only coaches in Upstate history to reach 250 career wins, is currently the youngest coach in the NCAA (all levels) with 250 career wins. In her 13th year at Upstate, Calloway has compiled a 250-159 career record, but still has a way to go to catch Bowman, who finished his 11-year career at Upstate as head coach with 350 wins. Calloway is also the youngest coach in the NCAA Division I with 250 wins and is one month and four days younger than the next youngest coach with 250 wins, Bryan Snyder of Washington & Lee, who has 285 career wins.
"I'm very grateful to all the student-athletes, assistant coaches, support staff and the University personnel that have all factored into my 250 wins," Calloway said. "I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach some great athletes during my time here, first and foremost, but also I am thankful for the opportunity that I was given to coach this program. Also, to do it in the manner that we did, against a team that beat us twice last year in Presbyterian, in a five-set match, was great."
With the Spartans (4-9 overall) on a 5-0 run and up 13-7 in the fifth set, Knezevic made a great hustle play to clinch the match, as senior Jovan Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia, New Mexico Military Institute) fielded an attack from Lisa Shelley, but the ball scooted high and wide to the left. Knezevic on a dead sprint, bumped the ball over the net, where the Blue Hose frontline bumped it into the net, giving the Spartans a 14-7 lead. After three Blue Hose points helped close the gap to 14-10, a Presbyterian attack error ended the match.
The Spartans used a balance attack in the win, with freshman Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) posting a career-high 11 kills and senior Jovana Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) also added 11 kills. Sophomore Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)) added 10 kills and freshman Kelsie Queen (Blythewood, S.C./Ridge View) added eight.
The team had a balanced defensive effort with Lubura posting her first double-double of the season, posting 11 kills, 10 digs, four blocks and three aces. Sophomore Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) posted a team-high 13 digs and Queen added nine digs. Senior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) added 32 assists and eight digs. Knezevic also added two kills, two assists and eight digs. Campbell tied for a team-high with four blocks.
Upstate took an early 2-0 lead, using a very clean offensive attack. In the first set, Upstate hit a solid .333. The Blue Hose (3-8 overall) took a 15-13 lead in the first set, but a powerful kill from Thomas and a service ace from Lubura tied the set at 15. After the team's traded points, Queen gave the team the lead with a big kill and Thomas followed with a service ace. Presbyterian retied the match at 19, but Queen and Lubura responded with kills and then a block from Campbell and Lubura helped lift Upstate to the 25-22 win.
In the second set, Upstate took the 25-21 win, thanks to four kills in the set from Thomas and a surprising three from the setter, Mauldin, who also added 10 assists and seven digs in the set. The Spartans took a 10-9 lead after a kill from Lubura and never relinquished it again, although the Blue Hose closed within one at 18-17 after a kill from Haley Thurmond. However, Upstate scored the next two points and closed the set on a high after a kill from Mauldin and a block from Campbell and Lubura closed the set.
The Blue Hose controlled the third set, hitting an impressive .448 to take the 25-17 win and then used a set-opening 10-5 run to lead to another 25-17 win in the fourth set to force the deciding game.
In the fifth set, Upstate took a quick 2-0 lead after a kill from Campbell and a Blue Hose attack error. However, the Blue Hose fought back, tying the match at three and five before taking the lead on an Ashley Dunlap service ace. A gutsy sneak attack from junior Morgan Bucciferro (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka Community) dropped behind the Blue Hose front row to retie the match and then Lubura netted a kill after her attempt from the right side nipped the net and fell in front of the Blue Hose defense. Presbyterian closed within one point, but Upstate started a 6-0 run to take a commanding 14-7 lead capped by Knezevic's play to wrap up the win.
Lisa Shelley led the Blue Hose with 15 kills and Justine Lanchester also added 10 kills, six digs and six blocks. Heather Swain posted 11 kills and Haley Thurmond added 14 kills. Elizabeth Heineman added 19 digs and Rachel Lewis posted 51 assists and 12 digs to go with two service aces and two blocks.
The Upstate win avenges to 3-0 losses during the 2007 season, both school's first at the Division I level and also snaps Upstate's longest skid at the DI level at four matches.
Upstate will look to stay in the win column on Friday when it travels to Atlantic Sun Conference leading Florida Gulf Coast for a 7 p.m. tilt in Fort Myers, Fla. The Spartans will wrap up their Floridian swing on Saturday as they travel to Stetson for a 3 p.m. match.
