| OCR Text |
Show fl*JtlV,,l Sports: Year in Review • " ™ ™, MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008 * THE COLLEGE TIMES Season 2007 at a glance to SCREAM Record 21-10^ Honors^M about Independent Offensive Player of the Year: ; Jessica E n d r e s •<', Independent Defensive Player of the Year: Allyce Wilson Sports writer The women's volleyball team finished its season with a bang as they won the Division I Independent championship. After finishing second last year, coach Sam Atoa said last year's finish left a bitter taste in the mouth of the returning players. "This time last year, we tasted defeat. That was very hard for us," Atoa said, after his team won the championship in November. "Those that were here remember that and worked really hard to get back what we thought was ours.11 Taking Atoa's lead, the team's aggressiveness on . every point kept any team points the eritire weekend. The JBnal, against Cal State-Bakersfield, the Wolverines won easily (30-21, ,30-22,30-21). • -."They wanted this for so long, and it's been such an incredible.year to have the most wins ever (21) and to have it [the championships] on our home court," Atoa said. Unlike the first two matches of the tournament, in which strong hitting led to wins, Cal State-Bakersfield hurt themselves with 31 errors, compared to the Wolverines' eight miscues. While the team's hitting was .307, Independent Offensive Player of the Year First team All-Independent; ' -V'••'#; Jessica Endres, Camie Manwill, Kristi Lindley and Allyce Wilson. Second team All-Independent: Kayli Broadbent wins than we did last year, against Providence, and we are doing some good with Kristin Anderson things." After a runner-up finish in the 2006 The volleyball team is hitting .438 and nailing Independent tournament, the Wolverines knew from the getone of the teams, which 10 kills. go what the goal would be for 2007: a championship. After a "For sure, it helps keeps rising year after year, mediocre start playing in several tournaments and the team to be home, but also even amid tougher schedflirted with a .500 record, the women won 16 of their last 21 we lost in the finals last ules. to end the s e a s o n . , : V ,: ' " . •: The team saw early sucyear," Endres said. "We cess with a five-match winfome motivation ning streak after losing its from that." H I Q N11 C| n 11 Sweeping all three matches In the first game of the year to • "•• :Endres will be Wyoming in five games. Independent tournament to capture the crown that eluded . missed*.but she's just The win streak included the Wolverines in ,2006 gives coach Sam Atoa high expecta?;,, ; one of three seniors who three wins on the team's ( won't return next year, tions of his team way to winning the Butler .as the Wolverines will ; • ' * -1 " I' u * . • ':y•'?"'-" '•" •' "••'**???•• •Invitational. f be looking to defend u • i ' . ^ k 1 L O W I 1 Q i l L i Four straight losses in early Septem-, After losing in the final their second Indepen: '' ber showed the team still had plenty of work to do in getting game of the UVU Invitadent Championship. back in a position to compete for an Independent title. -• ... tional, it was a> tough road during the middle of the ' With the win, the -*: Wolverines season, with three consecufinished tive losses in the Michigan •"• .with a 21-10 record Invitational. setting a team-record The team bounced right Providence (30-18, 30-21, "We've done a good for most victories at the DI back seven straight victories 30-16) in earlier rounds of job meshing as a team and level. before being defeated by "I think it's great [to the tournament to set up its that's made a big differBYU. reach the mark]," Atoa said. third straight appearance in ence," Lindley said. Against fellow Indepenthe championship match. Endres led the way by "Especially when we are Weber State transfer, hitting higher than .500 in getting better and improv- dents, Utah Valley domiKristi Lindley, a first-team, both of those matches, in- ing. Whether it's 20 or 19 nated all year with a perfect All-Independent selection. cluding .611 against Provi- [wins], we have a few more 9-0 record. :••"-, .«f-'. I Independent C6act$6f the Year; Sam. Atoa i*j^J Jessica Endres was once again the leader on the court by hitting .500 and totaling 10 kills. She finished the year with a team high of 448 kills. Camie Manwill, who led the team in kills per game with 3.91, was busy in defense with 14 digs, but she still was able to get eight Dean Larsen / College Times kills in the match. The Wolverines swept Junior Camie Manwill got pumped up during the Independent tournament in the fall. Texas-Pan American She and her teammates had plenty to be excited about during the team's record (30-17, 30-24, 30-22) and season. ,^.:. ,. , . •• ' v v ; Independent Freshman of the Year: ' Kayli Broadbent Women's Volleball team caps record season with dominating tournment performance Jason Adkins B3 By the numbers Ntimbej of games tfre.vdji'eyball team lost in the Independent Tournament on their way to 7^\ the championship sweeping three- v matches. MajpTi wards given out to outstanding Independent players and coaches—all won by Utah Valley • - . • > . • > . • • .•••-it" WiRs'this sea?:; the school record set by last year's team of 18. Ruling the Independent running world . • ' * • ' • • ' • / • • • r ' ' • $ $ ' & $ & • V Jtt -, **> A ^;""~ mm I ! . - ' ' " • ' • i - - • * * ' r { ' r ^4 L r - • r m ••' i •-] •v ••A ^^P i\ yi; ' /' .1 -. . j '.*"-], -'-1*' . • t-V '•' - • ^^ . T>. IF*'r f ' • ^ ''••'• ' * •' S ; . /• /C-Z A [•"•, Hi -*•>$ Sports editor h 1 ' •iip r \^ Una Ben Webster \ £&->.-:• "• " ' * r* • A &P\_ % • • — ! '• ' WtSJ Dean Larsen/College Times Utah Valley runners Jake Buhler (left) and Chase Englestead helped fhe Wolverines capture the Independent men's cross country championship. This state has some of the best young long-distance runners in the country, but this school hasn't always been the place those top runners wanted to go. Things are changing these days, and why not? With a cross country season like the one the teams just had, high school runners are taking notice of the way Utah Valley is competing. "Anyone who knows about this sport, knows Utah is a powerhouse for long distance runners," 1 cross country coach Scott Houle said. It always helps to cap the season with a championship. With Ayisha Mitchell, who finished first at the Independent championships, leading the wdy for the Wolverines, the women took first place. The men matched what the women did in taking home a championship. Chase Englestead led the way for the men and finished second at the championships. Utah Valley's season included competing against some pretty hefty competition. The best part is the team wasn't backing down against some of the nation's best. In the second meet of the season, both the men's and women's teams finished third at the BYU Au, tumn Classic, with Baylor and Minnesota also competing. "We went to a couple of big meets and fared very well," Houle said. "We competed against some top programs, and I was happy with what we did against teams like Arizona State and Minnesota." In the biggest meet the Wolverines competed in during the season, the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota, the women finished 1 lth out of 26 teams, and the men finished 17th out of 23 teams. Dean Larsen/ College Times Mary Nothum (left) and Ashley Evans were part of the Independent women's cross country team. |
