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| SUMMIT PHOTO BY MATT FOY
Chelsey Dougherty hammers home a kill against Clarke. |
Warriors sweep Clarke in postseason opener
Waldorf plays WIlliam Penn on Wednesday
By Matt Foy
Of The Summit
FOREST CITY - It's all about the team for Waldorf. And when that team is clicking, well, ask Clarke College.
The Warriors opened the Midwest Collegiate Conference tournament in impressive fashion, sweeping the Crusaders out of the tournament on Saturday night. Game scores were 30-27, 30-24, 30-14.
It wasn't just that Waldorf won but how. It wasn't incidental that the scores grew more lopsided with each game; after stumbling out of the chute, the Warriors looked better and better until they were completely dominating and very entertaining.
"The team was playing together like we always do," setter Sara Baker said. "Our passes were good, serving was excellent, we were all just coming together and playing together. Our team is known for teamwork. It just really stuck out well tonight."
The Warriors owned the net both offensively (48 kills to Clarke's 32) and defensively (11.5 team blocks to Clarke's 3).
But what about that slow start? Waldorf coach Jody Dosser said it had more to do with nerves and it being their final match at home than anything else.
"They wanted to be able to please and do well," she said. "Eventually they got in sync and tried some different things. They're a fun group of ladies to watch. Their chemistry together is unbelievable. They work well together on and off the court."
Synnove Abrahamson and Louise Mudra paced Waldorf with 11 kills; Alicia Bata added 10. Baker orchestrated the offense to the tune of 34 assists.
Chelsey Dougherty made things tough for Clarke's attackers, blocking eight balls. Amber Morrison added four.
It may have turned into a one-sided affair, but the 4-versus-5 match did feature two good teams. One of them just turned out to be unbeatable on that night.
"Clarke is a good team," Dosser said. "They're a much better team than when we played them earlier. Every team is going to be out to get the other team. At this point, it's good competition all the way around."
Dosser warns that a slow start like Saturday's may be too much to overcome for her team in its next challenge, Wednesday's semifinal showdown with MCC regular season champion William Penn University.
The Warriors (17-8) head to Oskaloosa with a six-match winning streak. They are four wins away from a trip to the NAIA national tournament but must win the MCC tournament to qualify for the Region VII tournament. As regular season champion, William Penn has already clinched a trip to the regional tournament.
Story created Nov 06, 2007 - 03:48:54 CST.
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