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Box Score 4 RICHARDSON, TX - The experienced and talented UT Dallas volleyball team opened the 2008 season wondering just how good it could be. After a 4-0 start to the season at the opening UTD Gilbert Memorial Tournament, tthe UTD squad got a glimpse of just what kind of potential might be there.
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The Comets opened their 2008 campaign with four wins that included a 3-0 defeat of 2007 ASC runner-up Hardin-Simmons (25-18, 25-22, 25-18) and the team's first-ever victory over regional powerhouse Southwestern University (17-25, 25-22, 27-29, 25-23, 15-13).
UTD opened the tournament Friday with a 3-1 victory over a strong Wiley College team (25-17, 25-21, 24-26, 25-17) and then disposed of Baruch College of New York, 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-11).
The tournament was highlighted by the hard-fought, dramatic rally against Southwestern, a team that has traditionally been nationally-ranked and among the top NCAA Division III teams in the nation. UTD rallied from a 2-1 set deficit in the match to take the final two sets by two points each. UTD rallied back from deficits in all four final sets of the match to claim the victory.
Throughout the tournament, the Comets (4-0) put together a relentless attack that tallied 181 kills in the four matches and involved almost every player on the floor. Sophomore
Amber Wetz had a 46-kill weekend while freshman
Aubrey Bratcher tallied 43. Sophomore setter
Niki Calverley was credited with 152 assists. All three
(pictured above, left to right) were selected to the All-Tournament team, voted on by participating coaches.
UTD also averaged 5.0 team blocks per match.
In the tournament's opening match, UTD handed Wiley College (an NAIA school from Marshall) its only loss of the tournament. Bratcher, Patty Allen and
Kyleigh Irish combined for 38 kills as UTD survived a close second set and a narrow 26-24 loss in the third set before putting the match away with a dominating 25-17 showing in Set 4.
Baruch College from New York provided little resistance as
Stephanie Waller and Wetz were both in double-figure kills in an one-sided romp.
UTD anticipated a tough match to open the second day of the tournament against ASC rival Hardin-Simmons, which advanced to the conference title game last season. But the Cowgirls commited a combined 40 errors in the three-set loss while Allen, Bratcher and Irish combined for 26 kills.
Wetz was the standout in the Southwestern match with 20 kills, while Bratcher and Irish combined for 24 more.
UTD will face both HSU and Southwestern again later in the season in rematches.
BOXSCORES: WILEY | BARUCH | HSU | SOUTHWESTERN
