WVU Records Program’s 600th Win

By Abby Norman for WVUsports.com
August 26, 2011 04:18 PM

Senior Serinna Russo makes a dig for West Virginia during Friday's 3-0 victory over New Hampshire to open the 2011 season.

All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Down 15-21 in the third set, senior Michelle Kopecky led a huge comeback as the West Virginia University volleyball team won its 600th game in program history and took the second match of the WVU Volleyball Mountaineer Invitational 3-0 (26-24, 25-12, 27-25) over New Hampshire, Friday.

Trailing the entire third set, the Mountaineers (1-0) capitalized on two service errors and four straight attack errors by the Wildcats (0-1) to bring the score to 21-22. New Hampshire fired back with kills by Destiny Tolliver and Desiree Ates, but the Mountaineers fought back with three kills from Kopecky and a kill from senior middle blocker Abby Monson. After one more kill from Ates, Kopecky and freshman outside hitter Halle Kearney ended the set and the match with a kill a piece to seal the win.

“The thing that I liked, is that we got ourselves in two pretty tight situations and we got out of them,” coach Jill Kramer says. “There were some people who stepped up really big in clutch situations. Michelle (Kopecky) and Ky (Kylie Armbruster) both did that. Kari (Post) set the ball really well and Halle (Kearney) finished the game off for us which was really cool.”

In the opening set, the Mountaineers went back and forth with the Wildcats until a service error and attack error by New Hampshire forced a timeout at 20-18. A kill by New Hampshire’s Lauren Laquerre followed by a kill from Kopecky and attack error by Jessy Dick forced another New Hampshire time out at 22-19. The Mountaineers were then forced to call a timeout after three kills from Laquerre and Morgan Thatcher and an attack error from Kearney. With their backs against the wall, senior outside hitter Kylie Armbruster and freshman middle blocker Evyn McCoy came through for West Virginia with three straight kills to end the set 26-24.

After going on a 6-0 run, the Mountaineers never looked back as they dominated set two. Armbruster led the offense with six kills and a .235 hitting percentage while senior libero Serinna Russo led the defense with seven digs.

Armbruster led the team with 13 kills while Kopecky contributed 12. Senior setter Kari Post led the team with a double-double with 30 assists and 17 digs and Russo chipped in 17 digs.

“I think we had some really brilliant moments where we were playing really good volleyball. We were communicating well and everything was clicking,” Kramer says. “We just have to create more consistency. The other thing we have to do is we have to get the newcomers a little more involved. Our seniors have some history and everybody needs to start to play as a team, not just the core that we have. Our goal for the weekend is to work on that.”

The Mountaineers will wrap up play on day one of the invitational with another match at 7 p.m. against Valparaiso at the WVU Coliseum.

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