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From the Amarillo Globe News:
The last time the West Texas A&M volleyball team won a national championship, no one on the current roster was even alive. Heck, the last time WT even advanced to the national championship the players were all less than 10-years old.
That was the case until Saturday night.
For the fourth time in program history, and the first time since 1997, the Lady Buffs are the NCAA Division II National Champions in volleyball after defeating Concordia-St. Paul 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 28-26 at Royal Brougham Pavilion.
The Lady Buffs did it in style, winning 26 matches in a row to close out the year.
WT (33-4 overall) capped it off with the four-set win over the top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, the Lady Buffs secured a 16-0 mark in Lone Star Conference play. Bryli Contreras, Abi Nash, Kayla Elliot and Torrey Miller were named to the All-Tournament team with Miller being named National Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
It was an award well earned.
Miller has been an outstanding player throughout her career, but has turned it up a notch in her junior campaign. She closed out the season with 14 kills, three blocks and an ace in the national title game.
It was a banner night in general for the Lady Buffs as Elliot finished with 17 kills and six blocks, Nash put up 15 kills and three aces and Camy Jones added six kills and eight blocks.
It was a tight contest early with seven lead changes and 15 ties in the first set alone. The Golden Bears came away with a 25-23 triumph to put WT on its heels.
The Lady Buffs responded in set two by hitting at a .278 clip with 14 kills on 36 attempts with four errors and out-blocked Concordia 3-1 to take a 25-23 victory.
WT went up in the contest with a 25-20 win in set three. Elliot had six kills in the third set alone as she caught fire while the Lady Buffs as a team held Concordia to a hitting percentage of just .154.
That set up one final set that was as back-and-forth as the first.
A 4-0 run by the Golden Bears put them in front 17-16 and eventually went up 23-20. The contest looked like it would be heading to five sets before WT tied it up 24-24. The Lady Buffs went on to take it 28-26.
Head coach Kendra Potts was named AVCA National Coach of the Year prior to hoisting the title. This marks her first National Championship at the helm in Canyon and moves her to 9-2 in the NCAA Tournament and 91-10 overall. She's the fourth head coach to lead the Lady Buffs to a National Championship.
None of the other three won a second title, however. Miller, Jones, Contreras, Tatum Stow, Emma Becker, Emma Patterson, Blair Moreland and Ainsley Malis are all coming back for more next year. That's before you include Bushland alum Jaycee Adams and other underclassmen that didn't see the court much this year. It's before you include the upcoming freshman and transfer class.
So, while this is a historic moment that the Lady Buffs will embrace fully, don't be surprised to see them go for another title next year.
The last time the West Texas A&M volleyball team won a national championship, no one on the current roster was even alive. Heck, the last time WT even advanced to the national championship the players were all less than 10-years old.
That was the case until Saturday night.
For the fourth time in program history, and the first time since 1997, the Lady Buffs are the NCAA Division II National Champions in volleyball after defeating Concordia-St. Paul 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 28-26 at Royal Brougham Pavilion.
The Lady Buffs did it in style, winning 26 matches in a row to close out the year.
WT (33-4 overall) capped it off with the four-set win over the top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, the Lady Buffs secured a 16-0 mark in Lone Star Conference play. Bryli Contreras, Abi Nash, Kayla Elliot and Torrey Miller were named to the All-Tournament team with Miller being named National Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
It was an award well earned.
Miller has been an outstanding player throughout her career, but has turned it up a notch in her junior campaign. She closed out the season with 14 kills, three blocks and an ace in the national title game.
It was a banner night in general for the Lady Buffs as Elliot finished with 17 kills and six blocks, Nash put up 15 kills and three aces and Camy Jones added six kills and eight blocks.
It was a tight contest early with seven lead changes and 15 ties in the first set alone. The Golden Bears came away with a 25-23 triumph to put WT on its heels.
The Lady Buffs responded in set two by hitting at a .278 clip with 14 kills on 36 attempts with four errors and out-blocked Concordia 3-1 to take a 25-23 victory.
WT went up in the contest with a 25-20 win in set three. Elliot had six kills in the third set alone as she caught fire while the Lady Buffs as a team held Concordia to a hitting percentage of just .154.
That set up one final set that was as back-and-forth as the first.
A 4-0 run by the Golden Bears put them in front 17-16 and eventually went up 23-20. The contest looked like it would be heading to five sets before WT tied it up 24-24. The Lady Buffs went on to take it 28-26.
Head coach Kendra Potts was named AVCA National Coach of the Year prior to hoisting the title. This marks her first National Championship at the helm in Canyon and moves her to 9-2 in the NCAA Tournament and 91-10 overall. She's the fourth head coach to lead the Lady Buffs to a National Championship.
None of the other three won a second title, however. Miller, Jones, Contreras, Tatum Stow, Emma Becker, Emma Patterson, Blair Moreland and Ainsley Malis are all coming back for more next year. That's before you include Bushland alum Jaycee Adams and other underclassmen that didn't see the court much this year. It's before you include the upcoming freshman and transfer class.
So, while this is a historic moment that the Lady Buffs will embrace fully, don't be surprised to see them go for another title next year.
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