University of Minnesota Athletics
Florida State-Kentucky Post-match Quotes
12/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
#12 Florida State 3, #13 Kentucky 2
Dec. 11, 2009 - Sports Pavilion - Minneapolis, Minn.
Kentucky Head Coach Craig Skinner
Opening Statement...
"It's a tough match to swallow, and you've got to give a lot of credit to Florida State. I think in the games that really mattered, games two and five, they came up with some plays at the end that won the match for them. The three games that were somewhat controlled by us or Florida State, you can throw those out, but games two and five were the difference makers and that's what it comes down to in the NCAA Tournament, close games and making plays. I didn't think it was a great defensive match on either side, in terms of limiting what either team was doing offensively. And statistically when you have several more kills than your opponent and hit close to 50 points higher, you typically think you have a great shot to win, but I think that goes again to the games that were somewhat blowouts, and games two and five where the difference."
On coming back after going down one game to two...
"I think just looking at this and to lose game two, and Florida State plays great in game three, you've got two choices. We made the right choice in competing and giving ourselves opportunities to be successful in the match. I think that's a tribute to the seniors and the upperclassmen for making sure we always compete until the end of the match. As a staff were very pound of them for doing that."
On whether experience in the tournament helped his team...
"I think having experience in the tournament helps, but I don't think that was necessarily the difference in the match. Florida State had a lot of expectations, they have a lot of pressure to perform being the number three seed in the tournament, that may have had something to do with it. We had been playing great, we'd been playing well, as a unit and we've been practicing well, so that's more the difference, not necessarily that we've made the tournament before."
Kentucky Senior setter Sarah Rumely
On the fifth game...
"As you're competing in a game like that, you're just enjoying your teammates around you. I've been so proud of this team all year long, and I've loved this group of girls. I would have loved to step back in the gym tomorrow and play again with them, but it's just not the way it's supposed to be. The fifth game is just enjoying your teammates and playing hard every point, giving it everything you have to move on, but it didn't happen, and I'm really proud of the way our team came out and responded."
Kentucky Senior libero BriAnne Sauer
On coming back...
"We've been in a lot of matches up and down like that. We've been down 2-0, but that's the good thing about volleyball, you can come back the next game and win that game. Then the next game you could lose, but that's the thing about volleyball you can always come back, that's what awesome about it."
On the difference in game two...
"They're a good team and they responded, it happens. It's a game of mistakes, so, you can't think that you have it [won] because that's usually when you lose."
Florida State head coach Chris Poole
Opening statement...
"I thought it was a great volleyball match. Obviously, we started off a little nervous and I told the girls in the locker room that I was trying to find a chair that I could crawl under during that first game, because we looked so flat. I just think a lot of that is being in this situation for the first time and having them just try and understand what it means. I thought we came back in that second game and started getting into a rhythm, and really fought the rest of the match. I am really proud of the girls. I thought it was two great offensive teams, and neither one of us really stopped each other we just tried to slow each other down. We were just lucky enough to get the win in the end."
On fighting back after losing the first set...
"That has been the signature of this team all year long. We're a team that just two years ago was in the middle of the pack in the ACC. They've come along way over the last couple of years but they're still not where we want them to be, but they're working so hard. There were a lot of games during the season that we could've let get away and we didn't. That's a signature of a team with a lot of character."
Florida State Junior Jenna Romanelli
On how it feels to get to this point in the postseason...
"There are no words, absolutely no words. I think we have always meant to be here and had all of the tools in the world and all of the talent in the world, and this is the best group of girls to be with in this situation. It's incredible, there are no words, it's incredible."
On her play in the game...
"I tried to step up my game because I was struggling in the beginning, so I don't want to lose and I don't want to be the reason we lose. If I get digs in the back row then I know that we have six hitters who are unbelievable. As long as I get the ball up then they get the ball down, and that was our game plan so I just stepped it up for my teammates."
Florida State Sophomore Rachael Morgan
On what it felt like when the last point was scored...
"I started crying actually. We really felt like a family out there tonight. We had our lows and we had our highs, but we got it back together and didn't break. It's a true family and we have the determination right now to take it further, and we belong to be here right now. It feels great that we proved a lot of people wrong. We definitely belong here right now."
On her play in the game...
"I just wanted to play safe tonight. I didn't want to upset the team at all and I didn't want to upset our flow, so I really tried focusing on keeping the ball in the court. I got some confidence with the girls around me. I wanted to put the ball down, so I was just going up there and thinking put that ball down and get us closer to winning this game."
