Concordia Defeats Tampa in NCAA Championship
PENSACOLA, Fla. - No. 7 University of Tampa fell to No. 1 Concordia - St. Paul University in the NCAA Championship. The five set thriller was the sixth consecutive title won by Concordia.
Tampa concludes its 2012 campaign with an overall record of 32-4. The loss snaps a 15 game winning streak for the Spartans. The Golden Bears of Concordia finish 33-4 on the season.
Concordia was led by Ellie Duffy and Kayla Koenecke. The two connected for 23 and 20 of the 85 total kills by Concordia in the match. Setter Amanda Konetchy led the Golden Bears with 72 assists.
Top performers for the Spartans in the title match were Holly Reschke and Danielle Selkridge. Reschke, a junior, led the team with an errorless 26 kills. Selkridge, the recently named NCAA National Player of the Year, connected for 24 total kills in the match. Captain Jessica Yingling was the defensive leader with 21 digs and two block solos.
In the much anticipated rematch of the 2010 title game, the Tampa - Concordia rivalry picked up with great intensity as Tampa won the opening set 29-27. The Spartans held a slim margin throughout the frame, but were never able to pull away by more than three points. After Concordia took a brief lead, the Spartans and Golden Bears exchanged points, presenting Concordia with four match point opportunities. Tampa withheld the attacks to capture the opening set. Offensive leaders were Selkridge and Meagan Burke, who grounded seven and five kills respectively.
The Spartans ran the momentum into the second frame, opening with a 5-1 advantage. After Concordia battled back to tie the score at 13, Tampa went on a 7-0 run, capped by a service ace by Kahley Patrick. Selkridge once again led the team in kills on the set, adding seven, as Tampa ran away with the second stanza, 25-17.
The match intensified further in the third set with Concordia picking up the 25-23 victory. The Spartans displayed solid defense through the frame, totaling seven team blocks and limiting the Golden Bears to a .250 attack percentage. Reschke connected on six of 14 attempts to lead the Spartan offense. Ultimately, Concordia pulled away after the match was tied at every score from points 19 to 23.
The following stanza played out very similarly, with the Spartans and Golden Bears tied at 23. Concordia received the final two points to tie the match at two sets a piece. Leaders in the set for Tampa were Reschke and Selkridge, swinging for eight and five kills, respectively.
The final set could not have been closer, with Concordia taking the set 16-14. The Spartans had one match point opportunity, leading 14-13, but were unable to finish off the Golden Bears. Tampa received a strong fifth set effort from Burke and Reschke, who added three kills each to finish off their night.
Following the match, the 2012 All-Tournament Team was selected. Representing Tampa was Meagan Burke, Danielle Selkridge and Kahley Patrick.