University of Minnesota Athletics
Volleyball Defeats Wyoming to Claim Wyoming Tournament Championship
9/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Erin Martin (Ames, Iowa) was named the MVP of the tournament. Meredith Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis.) and Jessica Byrnes (Minnetonka, Minn.) were also named to the All-Tournament team.
Three Golden Gophers had double-figure kills. Martin led the way with 20, marking her third 20-kill match of the season. Nelson hit .500 (13-3-20) and had two block solos, while Trisha Bratford (Reseda, Calif.) had 12 kills and two block solos.
Minnesota averaged 18.67 kills per game in the tournament and held opposing teams to 10.11 kpg. The Golden Gophers outhit its opponents .329 to .088 for the tournament. Martin led Minnesota with 42 kills in the tournament. Nelson hit .500 (33-8-50) for the tournament, while Kelly Bowman (Maple Grove, Minn.) hit .432 (23-4- 44) for the tournament.
Wyoming jumped out to an early 4-3 lead in game one, but Minnesota scored nine of the next 12 points to take a 12-7 lead. Trisha Bratford (Reseda, Calif.) and Jessica Byrnes (Minnetonka, Minn.) paced the Golden Gophers with three kills apiece during the run. Wyoming scored the next two points to cut it to 12-9, but Erin Martin (Ames, Iowa) delivered consecutive kills to start a 6-2 run that put Minnesota ahead 18-11. The Cowgirls scored the next two points to cut the lead to 18-13, but the Golden Gophers scored seven of the next eight points to move out to a 25-14 lead. Minnesota moved out to a 29- 17 lead to put it at game point. Sophomore middle blocker Meredith Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis.) put down a kill to give Minnesota game one 30-17.
The Golden Gophers had 24 kills in the first game to nine for Wyoming. Minnesota also outhit the Cowgirls .475 to .161. Martin, Kelly Bowman (Maple Grove, Minn.), Bratford and Nelson each had five kills in the game. Byrnes had four kills, while Paula Gentil (Forteleaza Ceara', Brazil) had eight digs. Lindsey Taatjes also had 15 assists in the game.
Wyoming moved out to 9-7 lead in game two, but Minnesota answered with six of the next eight points to take a 13-11 lead. Wyoming cut the lead to 16-15, before the Golden Gophers scored seven of the next nine points to go up 23-17. Martin had four kills during that span. Wyoming had the lead down to four on several occasions, including 26- 22. However, Minnesota scored three of the next four points to set up game point at 29-23. Wyoming cut it to 29-24, but Martin put down a kill to give the Golden Gophers game two 30-24 to put them up 2-0 in the match.
Martin had a season-high nine kills in game two. Byrnes also had five kills in the game. Minnesota had 21 kills to Wyoming's 13 in the game, although the Cowgirls did outhit the Golden Gophers .344 to .255 in the game.
Minnesota jumped out to a 7-5 lead in game one. The Golden Gophers widened the gap with 12 of the next 15 points to take a 19-8 lead. Wyoming came back with a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 19-12. The two teams exchanged the next four points to make it 21-14. Minnesota followed with five of the next six points to take a 26-15 lead. The Golden Gophers scored three of the next five points to move it to 29- 17. Wyoming fought off three match points to make it 29-20, but Bowman put down a kill to give Minnesota the third game 30-20.
Bowman finished with seven kills, 31 assists and six digs, while Taatjes had three kills, 25 assists and eight digs. Gentil had a match-high 20 digs, while Byrnes finished with nine kills.
Minnesota outhit Wyoming .344 to .240 on the match. The Golden Gophers broke a school-record for most kills in a three-game rally- scoring match with 65, while holding the Cowgirls to 35 for the match. Minnesota also outdug Wyoming 50 to 32.
Wyoming was led by Sara Maytorena who had 13 kills and four digs.
Minnesota will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 10 when it hosts its first match of the Diet Coke Classic against No. 15 Kansas State at 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers will play No. 4 Florida on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. in a match that will be televised by CSTV on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. Minnesota will wrap up the tournament against No. 21 Northern Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.