Bulldogs crowned conference champs

UNC Asheville defeated Winthrop Saturday to secure their first Big South regular season title since 2002.

“It’s been seven years since we’ve won a championship, so this is amazing. We really have had a tough schedule to finish with, two of the top teams and playing back to back with little rest,” Head Coach Julie Torbett said on Saturday. “Plus we’ve been injured all year long, so the ladies really showed some true character and dug deep when they were tired. They found a way to win and that is what seniors do.”

The Bulldogs’ title victory came a day after a disappointing conference loss to rival Coastal Carolina on Friday night.

“Coastal played amazing, and I just think that we didn’t make pushes where we needed to. I know that we have the complete capability to go all the way, and anything less than that would be a fault on our part and not anybody else’s,” said senior middle side hitter Lauren Ficker. “We definitely have the best team in the conference.”

The game was close the entire way but the Chanticleers came out on top, winning in five sets on Friday.

“I think what went wrong was a psychological thing. Both teams hate each other, and we let our guard down for a second,” senior libero Raquel Miotto said. “That shouldn’t have happened, but we have learned from it.”

Although the loss helped the team focus, Saturday’s match against Winthrop was a bit of a challenge.

UNCA was up 2-0 and let Winthrop pull back to 2-2. The final set was still a close battle, ending 16-14 with the Bulldogs blocking the Golden Eagles hit for the final point.

“Winthrop is a solid team; they always are. It was a bit of a relief being up 2-0 on them, but we were a little out of gas from the Coastal match the night before, and it showed in games three and four. Going into the fifth set on senior night, we knew that there was no way we were going to lose that match,” said junior hitter Jenna Dover.

This win was even more special to the five seniors who played their last match at home.

With a final send off from the home crowd, the seniors received their jerseys in frames from their teammates.

“I don’t think that I can describe this, carrying the shadow box with my jersey in it and having the title on my chest; literally, I just can’t explain that. It all paid off and I never doubted we could make it,” Miotto said. “It hurts playing my last game at home. My heart is like, ‘This is awesome, winning,’ but it’s also painful knowing I am going to miss it.”

She and her fellow seniors celebrated their achievements alongside a cheering crowd of fans.

“This feels really good. It’s the first time anyone on this team has done it. Coming from where we were our freshman and sophomore years we have come such a long way. I am excited and sad at the same time,” Ficker said. “I have definitely put in the work over the past four years. You just feel like it’s your time to go, but, then again, you know as soon as you’re done you’re going to miss it.”

“Our match against Coastal Carolina was very intense. Unfortunately, our teams have not had the best relationship over the past few years,” Dover said. “If we meet up with them again this year in the conference tournament, it will be one of the sweetest victories of our season.”

The Bulldogs just might have their wish granted if the conference tournament plays out accordingly.

The second round of the conference could end up in a head-to-head battle, once again against the Chanticleers.

“I would like to play them again, but I am not sure if we are psychologically prepared for it though. I think that we are really mentally tough,” Miotto said. “This has been the best chance for us to win the Big South ever with five seniors and we all knew that.”

After winning the conference title, the Bulldogs said they are mentally prepared and confident to head into the tournament full force.

“I expect the tournament to be a lot of upsets and a lot of tough battles just like Saturday, but we have confidence. We’ve beat everybody in the conference with the exception of Coastal. If we get them again, I don’t know if they can beat us three times in one season. We will take it as it comes, but we know we have to get ready for Radford right now,” Torbett said.

The Bulldogs travel to Radford on Thursday to begin Big South Conference Tournament play with a first-round match against Radford.

1 comments

The Blue Banner

Fri Nov 20 2009 13:39

Way to go!!!

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