UM Downs Northern Colorado, 3-0, Claiming Tourney Title
Sept. 6, 2009
Box Score | Box Score in PDF Format 
Greeley, Colo. – Miami defeated host Northern Colorado, 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 26-24), in a volleyball showdown Saturday night to claim the Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Tournament at the Butler-Hancock Pavilion in Greeley, Colorado.
Miami sophomore outside hitter Lane Carico was selected Tournament MVP after the final match of the weekend with a team-high tying nine kills. For the Manhattan Beach, Calif. native, this is the first tournament MVP award of her young career.
In the most exciting match of the entire weekend, all three sets were played vigorously by both teams as Miami (5-1) withstood late charges by Northern Colorado down the stretch of each set.
Miami opened the match with a 7-1 advantage on the strength of two kills from Carico and another from Ali Becker. North Dakota State (5-3) used two kills from Kenzie Shreeve and another from Taylor Smith to storm back and knot the set, 13-13.
A kill from Nrithya Sundararaman and Lici McGee broke what was just a one-point advantage six times for UM, allowing the Hurricanes to move out in front, 20-18. Another kill from McGee, and the `Canes opened up a 24-20 lead, good enough for McGee to post another kill and give UM the opening-set victory, 25-23.
In the second set, neither team cracked the .200 mark for hitting, but Miami rode McGee, Becker and Carico with three kills each.
The `Canes opened a 7-4 lead following back-to-back attack errors charged to the Bears. UM would push the advantage to 20-15 when Northern Colorado committed four errors in a five-point stretch–added a kill from Mayhew.
The set was tied 24-24 when setter Katie Gallagher provided a kill for Miami to push the Hurricanes in front late. A bad set by Northern Colorado’s Natalie Laband, and Miami held on for the win, 26-24.
With UM holding a 2-0 edge in the match, the third set was a back-and-forth affair until Northern Colorado was aided by back-to-back errors by the `Canes to take a 10-8 advantage in the set. Miami’s Genny Mayhew then added a kill and combined for a block alongside McGee to tie the match, 10-10.
The Bears went up again, this time at 14-11, as Shreeve posted a kill off a Marissa Hughes set. But the `Canes came right back to knot the set, 14-14, as Sundararaman and McGee combined for kills in a 3-0 stretch.
Sundararaman, a freshman setter/right side hitter from Naperville, Illinois, then helped put UM on top for the first time in the match on the strength of a 3-0 run as she collected a kill and combined with Becker to take an 18-15 lead.
Northern Colorado came back to tie the match, 20-20, as Kelley Arnold stamped a kill and Allison Raguse served an ace.
The set became tied for the 13th time when Carico had an attack error to allow the Bears to score a 24-24 tie.
Blocks from Becker and Gallagher–the fifth of the set for Becker, put Miami on top, 25-24. It would only be fitting for Carico to record the final kill of the tournament in helping the Hurricanes to collect a 26-24 win in the set.
Mayhew was instrumental for the Hurricanes in the set as well, collecting four kills while teammate McGee posted three of her own.
With the win, Miami took its first in-season tournament championship of the season after falling in the championship match of the Hurricane Invitational last weekend. UM has now won three consecutive out-of-state in-season tournaments–the last being the Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational last year in San Francisco.
Northern Colorado was led on the night by Shreeve with a match-high 14 kills, and Arnold added another 11 to place herself in double-digits. Breanna Vandermost led the squad with 11 digs on the defensive side of things.
Miami was led by three players with nine kills each. The three `Canes included Carico, Mayhew and McGee. Becker led all players with six blocks (assisted), and Sundararaman added five kills and four blocks (assisted).
Senior Cassie Loessberg led all players with a match-high 17 digs, while Gallagher added 29 assists, six digs, three blocks and three kills.
Joining Carico on the All-Tournament Team for Miami was Becker and Loessberg.
Miami gets back to action again Thursday evening when they travel across town to face FIU in Miami. Match time is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
For more information on the University of Miami Volleyball team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes Volleyball program.
2009 Hampton Inn & Suites All-Tournament Team
Lane Carico (Miami) – MVP
Cassie Loessberg (Miami)
Chrissy Knuth (North Dakota State)
Kenzie Shreeve (Northern Colorado)
Allison Raguse (Northern Colorado)
Ali Becker (Miami)
Lauren McLaughlin (North Dakota State)
