Volleyball Stays Undefeated With Wins Over FSU And IUPUI
Sept. 13, 2002
Miami, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – – When outside hitter Biz Tyson’s spike tight-roped down the left-side line for the match-winning point against Florida State Friday, the University of Miami volleyball team had accomplished a number of feats, not the least remarkable of which was winning the match.
In the waning moments of the third game in the Florida International Fall Invitational first match, it appeared as if the Seminoles had taken the win, sweeping the fledgeling Hurricanes 3-0 as they had the year before in the latter’s inaugural season. The Hurricanes forced the issue, however, and won the third game 31-29. The Hurricanes continued to harry Florida State in the second game, winning 32-30.
With the match tied at two game victories apiece, UM and FSU were neck and neck in the fifth and decisive game. Finally, the Hurricanes went on a quick 4-1 run to win the fifth game 15-10 and; secure a 3-2 triumph over rival FSU.
Second-year head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch thought that the victory may be the program’s most important to-date.
“I would say it’s definitely, probably the biggest win so far for us,” she said. “We were playing a senior-laden team, a team that returned five starters, and a team that basically beat us pretty bad a year ago. The turnaround that we had and the persistence in the comeback was just incredible for this young group.”In addition to displaying the remarkable strides the program has made in just two years, the win also served notice that Miami is a team to be reckoned with.
“I think it means that we’re here and we’re a great team and we have a lot to say about this year and how well we’re going to do as a team,” Lantagne Welch said. “That was a great, great win for us. It was a crazy match, with all kinds of situations happening throughout the match, but it was a wonderful victory. I think being in such tight match… every game was so tight and it could have gone either way, but we just fought and fought. I’m just so proud of the way we performed under pressure.”
Later in the day, UM swept IUPUI, 3-0, extending its undefeated streak to 20 games (nine this season).
Tyson (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny HS) led the Hurricanes in kills with 27 and boasted a solid .396 attack percentage. She was second on the squad in digs with 15 and had team-high three aces. Margie Young (Santa Monica, Calif./Marymount HS), who earned the assist on Tyson’s game winner over the Seminoles, led UM with a match-high 73 assists. Senior outside hitter Marcela Gamarra had 23 assists and a team-high 16 digs.
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