Read from the bottom up to read in real-time order.
9: 18 PM
That's a wrap from Hunstville. A closing thought on ULL is that they are not the same team as they were last year. Their freshmen clearly are playing a very big role. They could have easily staged a comeback here tonight and won the whole thing. They won't be a push over in my opinion. But, I think we are a stronger club than SHSU and I'd certainly favor us next Wednesday. But, ULL definitely had some impressive moments. Fogler hitting .364 was pretty nifty. I'll see all of you in Johnson Coliseum on Wednesday night.
9:15 PM
As expected, SHSU and ULL dominate all tourney team.. One player each from UTPA and Southern Utah receieve honors. Krolikowski and Fogler make all-tourney for ULL...watch for them next Wednesday. For SHSU, Kolbe and Stewart named to all-tourney. Stewart must have been honored for previous play...only seven kills in this match while hitting under .100. MVP of tourney was Anna Ferguson.
9:10 PM
For ULL: Freshman Fogler leads all players with 18 kills. Freshmen Krolikowski nets 12 kills and fellow rookie Hanley finishes with 9. Four players on each squad with double digit digs. Lindsay Brown for ULL leads all with 25 digs. All Tourney announcements coming...
9:07 PM
Kolbe finishes it off with two straight kills, 15-11. SHSU wins 3-2. Wrap up in just a bit.
9:06 PM
Stewart knocks one down again.. SHSU 13-10
9:04 PM
Stewart with her biggest hit of the night. SHSU 12-8.
9:03 PM
An ace from Haas and another kill pushes it to 11-5 SHSU...looks like their gonna get it in five
9:01 PM
Great fifth set so far. Very scrappy play - some awesome digs. SHSU leads 8-5 at the switch...has momentum
8:55 PM
Kolbe waking up in set five. SHSU leads 5-3.
8:52 PM
Freshman Fogler for ULL with 16 kills and hitting .345. Sam not stopping her. She also has five blocks. Ferguson 13 kills for Sam, Kolbe up to 11. Frehman Stewart doing nothing. Its all Ferguson and Kolbe for Sam. Libero for ULL Brown up to 21 digs. Here we go to five...
8:51 PM
SHSU gets flat out abused in set 4. ULL wins 25-13. We go to set five.
8:44 PM
Could be headed for five tonight. ULL leads 18-8 in fourth set. The block for SHSU is gone. Their back row is diving left and right and can't get to balls 'cause front row isn't slowing anything down right now.
8:34 PM
Wow. SHSU appears out of gas. ULL off to a 7-1 run early in set 4. Same Freshmen for ULL doing the damage early in set 4. Kolbe still out. SHSU is getting nothing from anybody not named Ferguson at this point.
8:30 PM
SHSU hit -.041 in set three -only five kills in entire set. Bad, but partly because ULL is deflecting a lot of stuff at the net.
8:27 PM
SHSU never really in this set. ULL takes it easily 25-16. Freshman Alyssa Hanley has a nice set for ULL (four kills, two blocks). Freshmen really the story for the Cajuns. Main go to on offense is Krolikowski and then they have three 6-2 freshmen that are doing a nice job at the net as well. Three Leading attackers at this point for ULL are all freshmen (Krolikowski, Fogler, Hanley). Kolbe: no kills in set 3. SHSU leads 2-1.
8:18 PM
SHSU using this set to look at other people since they got behind. Ferguson and Kolbe sitting, as is Loving. ULL leads 18-10.
8:12 PM
SHSU goes to freshman setter Michelle Miller as ULL stretches lead to 12-4.
8:08 PM
ULL comes out strong in set 3. Leads 6-1. One thing I've noticed about SHSU Fresh Kelli Stewart...she doesn't react to every little negative thing they way Kolbe did as a Freshman (and is a little tonight too). Stewart appears calm and cool, even chuckling a few times, even though she really hasn't been effective so far.
7:54 PM
Sam finishes off the set and leads 2-0 at intermission. ULL only hitting .086 thru first two sets. Krolikowski 6 kills for ULL leads team. Kolbe has 9 kills to lead all. Loving with 5 kills from the setter position for Sam. ULL Libero Lindsay Brown has 11 digs & leads all in that category. ULL looking a bit sluggish in second set from a long tourney.
7:53
Sam wins a really good and long rally with Kelli Stewart kill.. big momentum builder..leads 23-21 in set 2.
7:47 PM
An effective use of a timeout by SHSU coach Brenda Gray.. after getting behind, Sam rattles off several consecutive points to take lead 16-15 in set 2.
7:30 PM
SHSU completes comeback in set 1 - wins 25-23. Kolbe 6 kills in set, Ferguson a whopping six blocks. Niether team hitting overly well. ULL looks much stronger when Libero rotates up to front row and then out in favor of the twin towers...otherwise block can't hang with Kolbe and Ferguson is my take so far.
7:25 PM
Anna Ferguson taking over - SHSU ties it at 21.
7:20 PM
When the Libero rotates out, ULL is running a successful block tandem with Freshmen Mandi Gavin and Bethany Fogler...both 6-2 and doing a good job at the net. ULL leads 18-16 first set.
7:14 PM
ULL plays with a pretentious swagger...bench very talkative and a bit of a smug feel to the whole club...don't like it. ULL leads 12-10 first set.
7:05 PM
SHSU starting two freshman... Kelli Stewart from the strong HS program at nearby Magnolia and Libero Jamie Haas.
6:59 PM
Sam has broken with recruiting tradition...only one blonde among five newcomers
6:54 PM
ULL just took off warm up tops...its official.. they've got some of the ugliest black and red jersey's I have ever seen....hideous. I hope they wear these fashion messes Wednesday so everyone can get a look at the horror.
6:50 PM
Two Rajun Cajuns to watch for.. Freshman OH Ariel Krolikowski (hit over .300 so far) and JR OH Amie Goodwin. They've been the two go to hitters for ULL's first three matches in this tourney. SHSU PA announcer just tried to do the starting lineups with 11 minutes left on the clock...rookie.
6:37 PM
ULL pretty sloppy in warmups...plus they've got a guy assistant coach who is trying to prove how hard he can hit to the girls during drills...bouncing all around like a jelly bean. Goofy.
6:19 PM
UTPA is about to finish off Delaware State...match has been pretty bad. Delaware State in particular is very weak. A few folks starting to file into the Coliseum. Time to grab some pre-game chow.
5:46 PM
Watching Delaware State play UTPA... Delaware State has a girl whose 6'5"..and here's the weird thing...she's from Spring (north of Houston). That's a long way from home...and a lotta local schools that decided to pass...so that tells ya something. She's a legit 6'5"...I am standing a few feet away from her.
5:00 PM
Set up here in Huntsville. Here's a recap of this week's action around the SLC to get you primed for tonight's live blog. First, off the 'Jacks leave the state of Illinois with a 2-2 split as again today we win one and lose one. In our last game of the tourney, host Northern Illinois swept SFA 3-0. Amber Williams-Roberts led the way for the 'Jacks with 13 kills. Elsewhere around the SLC this weekend:
Central Arkansas: Beats HBU & loses to Rice...playing Oklahoma later tonight.
Lamar: Lost to Cal State Fullerton...plays Idaho and Appalachian State later.
McNeese: Beats Arkansas-Little Rock and then pulls off a nifty win against SEC foe Mississippi State...plays Jackson State later.
Nicholls: Lost all three matches played (Rice, Oklahoma and Houston Baptist)
Sam Houston: Has won all three matches played so far (Southern Utah, UTPA and Delaware State)...playing ULL later tonight.
SE Louisiana: Lost all three matches played (Baylor, Indiana, and Houston)
TAMUCC: Beat Norfolk State yesterday, lost to UTEP today...playing Texas Southern later.
Texas State: Lost all three matches played albeit against tougher competition than most. (Missouri, Ole Miss, and BYU)
UTSA: Beat North Texas yesterday, but lost to Northern Colorado earlier today...playing SMU now.
UTA: Lost to both Oral Roberts and Illinois State earlier...playing Gardner-Webb tonight.
Northwestern State: Couldn't get any friends to play with them. No matches until next week.
Noon:
Later today we will get started with our live blog from Huntsville covering our first home opponent Louisiana-Lafayette against host Sam Houston.
The 'Jacks just beat Western Illinois 3-1. SFA was able to go to their twin setting approach with Lo picking up 22 assists and Buckner dishing out 18. Three 'Jacks in double-figure kills and the team hit an impressive .311 for the match. Hanlan scooped 19 digs and one very good sign in my opinion was that Daron was integral to the offense with 10 kills against only 2 errors while hitting .348.
SFA plays host Northern Illinois at 2:00 before flying back to Texas. I am still in Nacogdoches, but will head to Huntsville shortly. We will update you on SFA/NIU when I arrive.
