SAN DIEGO – The back of assistant coach John Forster's shirt said, "gratitude and grit." What a way to sum up the 2022 University of Northern Colorado volleyball team.
UNC (22-9, 13-3 Big Sky) ended its season on Thursday night. It fell to No. 2 San Diego (28-1, 18-0 West Coast) in four sets at the first round of the NCAA Tournament (21-25, 14-25, 25-21, 11-25).
That tournament win remains elusive for the program. Still, the Bears have nothing to hang their heads about. They competed well against one of the best teams in the nation.
"I'm proud of this team. We fought in the first and third sets," said UNC coach Lyndsey Oates. "We certainly gave ourselves chances…I love how (Makenzie Harris and Kailey Jo Ince) played. These two showed that they can play with a top 10 team."
Northern Colorado came out swinging and showed no fear against the third-ranked team in the country. Many had written the Bears off, assuming the Toreros would sweep, before first serve.
UNC won the third set 25-21 after taking a lead early and holding onto it down the stretch. It led 21-20 in the first set, but the Bears weren't able to withstand a late run from the Toreros.
The Bears started strong from the service line but ended up with eight errors and four aces. They added 58 digs, matching the USD total, and two blocks.
San Diego coach Jennifer Petrie complimented the Bears in a postgame press conference, saying Northern Colorado played well in a tough environment.
Petrie noted the Bears' defensive effort, which forced the Toreros to win through multiple long rallies. UNC made her team earn the win.
Ince, an outgoing graduate student, led UNC with 21 kills, while Harris, a senior, recorded 15.
Junior setter Syd Cole logged 38 assists and libero Michaela Boon finished with a team-high 18 digs.
The Bears played with high effort, despite the lopsided scores in sets two and four.
"They were very scrappy, and they pushed us," San Diego graduate hitter Breana Edwards said of Northern Colorado. "Pressure is a privilege and it was a fun match to play."
Oates described her team as resilient. It's been the word of the season. It's also accurate.
Even when the Bears trailed and San Diego closed in on the win, Ince and Boon continued to rally their teammates. They kept encouraging big swings, tough defensive plays and maintained positive mindsets.
The Toreros gave the Bears every reason to give up, especially down the stretch, but they didn't. Harris and Ince scored most of the points in the final set, while Cole and Boon gave them the assists.
Yes, it's disappointing to lose, especially for the outgoing seniors, but it bears repeating: Northern Colorado kept up with and fought against a possible national title contender. This was not a bad end for the season or for some of their careers.
"I can't be more thankful enough. It's been the best five years of my life," Ince said. "I truly put everything into this team. I hope it carries on a tradition, and I can't wait to come back and watch."
No comments:
Post a Comment