Volleyball wins AAC crown, earns second straight NCAA bid

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Advance To NCAA Tournament For Second Straight Season With 3-1 Win At Connecticut

STORRS, Conn. (SMU) – The SMU volleyball team locked up an NCAA Tournament bid and claimed sole possession of the American Athletic Conference championship for the second straight seasonwith a 3-1 win at Connecticut Friday. The win in Storrs is the second straight championship-winning match at Connecticut. The Mustangs won the last three sets for the win, improving to 25-7 overall, 18-2 in The American to stay one match in front of Cincinnati.

Four SMU attackers finished with at least 10 kills, led by Katie Hegarty's 13 kills. Janelle Giordano and Lauren Millseach had 11 kills, and Kristen Stehling scored 10 kills. SMU hit .341, with freshman setter Kendall Pattersonrecording 43 assists. Patterson also had 13 digs and Mills had 11 digs, each recording their 11th double-double of the season.

The SMU defense held Connecticut (16-15, 7-13 The American) to a .141 attack percentage, allowing 47 kills. Morgan Heise finished with 25 digs, and freshman Montana Watts had 15. For the SMU senior class, Giordano, Heise and Stehling, it was win number 100, marking the most successful four-year run in program history.

The Mustangs won the fourth set 25-17 to win the match, winning three straight sets after losing the first set. It was another fast start, as SMU built a 10-3 lead to start the set. The Mustangs led by as many as 10 points, 16-6, and never let the Huskies back within six points.

SMU took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-12 win in the third set. The Mustangs took a 10-2 lead to start the set. SMU stretched the lead to 12, 20-8, before outscoring Connecticut 5-4 to close out the set. Hegarty scored six kills to lead the SMU offense, which hit .400 with 14 kills.

The Huskies won the first set, 25-16, using a 7-2 run to take a 13-8 lead. SMU was unable to recover, falling behind in the match. Heise had seven digs in the set, but UConn hit .256 with 15 kills to SMU's nine.

The Mustangs bounced back in the second set, winning 25-11 to even the match, 1-1. SMU scored 18 kills, hitting .586 with just one error in the set, with Giordano and Stehling leading the way with five kills each. SMU took an 11-5 lead to start the set, and never let the Huskies come back.

SMU will play in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, earning the conference's automatic bid. The selection show is Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

[mustangxc]

Is this our second ever appearance in the NCAA tournament?

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Is this our second ever appearance in the NCAA tournament?

Yes

[mustangxc]

Thanks! I didn't remember them ever qualifying to the NCAA tournament before last season but had been looking to confirm it and couldn't find anything online.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Wow. SMU gets A&M Friday and the winner gets Texas in the second round.

[smupony94]

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Ridiculous draw. Hope we can beat the Aggies!!!!!!

[indianmustang]

the other guy predicted

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Cincinnati got an at-large bid as well. First time The American has has been a multi-bid conference!

[ebrooks11]

You need to clean your tv stand.

[smupony94]

Maid didn't come Thursday

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Still can't believe we get A&M and then Texas. Crazy.

[RGV Pony]

Vaqueros for the upset over the horns