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Post by skrapheap on Nov 7, 2011 17:07:39 GMT -6
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Post by PantherU on Nov 7, 2011 23:45:40 GMT -6
I'd like to show up, if my schedule allows. I have avoided volleyball games this season because of a personal issue, but the girls work very hard and they deserve a great home crowd.
The note that the Panthers, should they win both matches this weekend, could be the first team to go undefeated in conference play since Notre Dame in 1994 is a huge deal for a very proud program. This is a feather in our cap that I'd like to see happen.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 10, 2011 13:53:35 GMT -6
Fun Panther Fact:
The only week in the month of October in which a Panther volleyball player was NOT selected as a Horizon League Player of the Week was the last week...in which the Panthers did not have any matches scheduled.
This year's squad is made of awesome...but you'd never know it by the way they conduct themselves on the court.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 11, 2011 14:50:35 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 11, 2011 21:22:33 GMT -6
The Panthers passed a difficult test tonight, beating Valparaiso in four sets on the road, on Valpo's Senior Night.
After winning the first set 25-22, the Panthers and Crusaders played a very close second set, with the Panthers winning 26-24.
Valpo came out of the break determined, and was in control of the third set throughout. The Panthers pulled to within a point of two on a couple of occasions, but the Crusaders had an answer every time and won the third set 25-20.
This set the stage for a fourth set. The Panthers started quickly, getting out to a 5-1 lead. Valpo then scored six straight points to take a 7-5 lead. After trading points with the Panthers, the Crusaders then stretched their lead to six at 15-9 and then 16-10. A run then pulled the Panthers within one, whereupon Valpo answered with another run of their own.
Late in the match, Valpo was up 23-17, and it looked like the match would turn out like the previous meeting in Milwaukee, in which the home team had gone down two sets to none, and then won two more sets to force a fifth set to decide the match. The Panthers had other ideas, and went on another run to pull within three at 23-20, and then staved off three set points to tie the match at 24. The Panthers finished the run with two more points to take the fourth set 26-24 and win the match in four sets.
Only a match tomorrow night at UIC stands between the Panthers and an undefeated regular season.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 12, 2011 20:57:35 GMT -6
The Panthers made history tonight, as they beat UIC 3-1 and finished the regular season undefeated (16-0), the first time since 1994 that an MCC/Horizon League team has finished a perfect season. The Panthers had to win six more matches than Notre Dame had to win in 1994.
The live stats app was not working, so set scores and stats are not available.
Now it's on to the tournament, to be held in the Klotsche Center next weekend.
The Panthers and Cleveland State hold first round byes. The matches in the first round on Friday will feature 3rd seed Butler against 6th seed Green Bay, and 4th seed Valparaiso against fifth seed UIC.
On Saturday, the Panthers will face the lowest seed coming out of the first round, and Cleveland State will face the highest seed coming out of the first round.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 14, 2011 9:59:48 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 15, 2011 9:27:14 GMT -6
Panther players were prominent among the recipients of end-of-season honors for Horizon League Volleyball: uwmpanthers.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/111411aac.html
Coach Johnson won the Coach of the Year award for the fourth time in five seasons. Maybe the league needs to add an award for the best coach not named Susie Johnson.
Kerri Schuh repeated as Player of the Year, which had not been done since 1993-94.
Setter Kayla Price was Newcomer of the Year. Rachel Neuberger (last season's Newcomer of the Year) and Elizabeth Egerer (All Newcomer team last year) joined Schuh and Morgan Potter on the All League team.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 18, 2011 14:10:12 GMT -6
All tournament matches will be broadcast on the Horizon League Network.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 22, 2011 10:01:25 GMT -6
18-0 in the Horizon League, 25-4 overall. Regular Season and Tournament titles. (First time since 2002 that the home squad has won the tournament.) Panthers all over the place on the season and tournament honors lists.
That's one heck of a season, right there. What has impressed me along the way is how determined this team has been all season. They're focused. They don't get too high when they're on a roll. They don't get rattled easily: twice (vs. Green Bay and Valparaiso) they lost the first two sets, and then won three straight sets to take the match. They won nine regular season matches and both tournament matches in straight sets. This is a team that takes care of business.
Now it's on to the NCAA tournament. The last tournament team won the first sets for the school in NCAA tournament history, and took Dayton to five sets before losing. This team has a better than decent shot at being the first to win a match in the tournament.
My only quibbles on this season: (1) love the idea of having cheerleaders at home matches. They just need to learn some volleyball related cheers (2) Nice student section for the semifinal match vs. Valpo. They missed a great season, though.
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Post by Super King on Nov 27, 2011 17:09:31 GMT -6
We drew 4th overall seed Iowa State. Let's win a championship.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 28, 2011 11:40:40 GMT -6
i second the motion.
Here's the tournament bracket: www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/volleyball-women/d1
No word on coverage. The last time the Panthers were in the NCAA tournament, the match was streamed live. i haven't been able to find any information about broadcasts for this year.
Three of the four teams who beat the Panthers this season have made the tournament. Western Michigan and Northern Illinois are in the same bracket as the Panthers. A rematch with NIU could take place in the second round of the tournament; a rematch with Western Michigan would require both teams to make the third round of the tournament. Marquette is in a different bracket entirely, so the only possibility of a rematch is for both teams to advance to the championship match.
I didn't see any of the teams the Panthers beat in the bracket. The Horizon League was not as strong this year as it has been in the past, and to date the League has not, to my knowledge, received two bids to the tournament. A 26-2 Panther squad was not included in the tournament a couple of years ago because they did not win the HL tournament.
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Post by skrapheap on Nov 30, 2011 15:59:08 GMT -6
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Post by skrapheap on Dec 2, 2011 10:21:20 GMT -6
The Panther's first-round match in the NCAA tournament will be broadcast on GameTracker (a live stats application). Video will be available on a subscription basis via the Iowa State Athletics website, cyclones.com
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Post by skrapheap on Dec 7, 2011 10:09:57 GMT -6
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