Maryville College volleyball wins GSAC title, earns NCAA berth
By Christopher Jameschrisj@thedailytimes.com
Originally published: November 08. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: November 08. 2009 12:15AM
Kristin Findley said her Maryville College volleyball teammates did a lot of screaming when they found out the Great South Athletic Conference had regained an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament earlier this season.
The sophomore wasn't about to trade elation for tears in the conference final.
"I got really tired after the third (set). The fourth (set), I don't know," Findley said. "You kind of have to pull the strength out of nowhere. You just have to kind of suck it up and say, 'You know what, this is the last game and we're going to win,' and just go with it."
Findley willed her team past rival Piedmont on Saturday inside Boydson Baird Gymnasium, racking up 20 kills and 19 digs in a 25-13, 25-23, 30-32, 25-23 victory. The Scots' eighth conference title in 10 years sends them to their first Division III national tournament since 2006. MC won the GSAC last year, but was passed over by the NCAA for an at-large bid. When Wesleyan reinstated volleyball before this season, the conference regained its automatic bid and coach Kandis Schram knew exactly what her team needed to do to get in.
"We want to enjoy it. Today is, you get one day like this," Schram said. "You're on top of the world and you're champions. We're going to have a gathering and just enjoy it and celebrate."
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