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Media Credit: courtesy of Big South Sports

Media Credit: courtesy of Big South Sports

The UNC Asheville volleyball team's 2008 season ended last Tuesday as the Bulldogs swept the visiting Wofford Terriers 3-0.

"Wofford didn't make their conference tournament, so it was a nice match for two teams to come together and celebrate our successes," Head Coach Julie Torbett said. "It allowed us to have another match to play, which we're shooting for every year, after the conference tournament to end the season on a win."

The Bulldogs fell short of claiming any silverware this season when they lost to Liberty two Saturdays ago in the Big South Conference Volleyball Tournament 3-0.

Torbett said her team still achieved some of their other ambitions before the season started, despite some setbacks.

"At the beginning of the year, we had goals that we had set out to achieve," Torbett said. "They were to finish the season with a winning record, to finish in the top half of the conference and to win the conference championship. We were two out of three and we missed the most important one, but I like the way this team fought all year."

The season wasn't without its share of surprises, according to Torbett.

"Rachel Olivo stepped in when Lauren Fickers got injured and that was a surprise, not because she's isn't a good player, but when you come in as a freshman, it's hard to play at this level," Torbett said. "Of course, Cindy Miller got forced right in from the beginning, and Rachel could've just been comfortable with where she was at, but she stepped up and that was a surprise."

While some of those surprises came in the form of overachieving freshmen, she said there were a few surprise victories as well.

"We also beat the team that just won the conference championship, in Liberty, as well as beating High Point, who I thought was a very good team this year," Torbett said. "Those were two tremendous wins. We beat Winthrop twice, which we haven't been able to do since the 2002 season. We definitely had some success this season."

Heather Burns, senior middle blocker, said she had mixed feelings after the game.

"I'm happy and sad at the same time, because this is probably the last time I'll be able to play competitive volleyball," Burns said. "I'm happy, though, because I have a little more time to focus on school and worry about my future and my career now."

Burns had five blocks against Wofford, finishing sixth all-time on the Single Season Block Assists list with 111 blocks.

"I mainly focused on blocking and helping my team like I always try to do and end the season with a win," Burns said.

She said it was great to knock off rival Winthrop in the first round of the tournament. She also said that she wasn't too upset over losing to Liberty in the semifinals.

"We definitely worked hard and that paid off, because we beat Winthrop," Burns said. "But against Liberty, it's not that we played bad, we played great, but they're just a better team. I'm not comfortable with losing in the conference semifinals, but I don't feel bad, because they're a good team, and we worked as hard as we could".

According to Burns, they were just able to take advantage of her team's errors and lack of positioning.

"Liberty is a big team," Burns said. "They played up the whole time and took advantage of the holes in our blocking when our defense wasn't in the right places."

Despite being shut out by Liberty on their home court, sophomore right side hitter Jenna Dover said her team gave them all they had.

"We played Liberty pretty tough," Dover said. "They were really a solid and well coached team. We beat them once this year and we can say that we beat the conference champions this year."

As for where the team will be next year, she said there's only one place to go and that's up.

"I see us being at the top of the conference next year," Dover said. "I think that with the returning players we have coming back, we'll have five seniors and our junior class has come a long way since we were freshmen."

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