Box Score
Box Score

MAYVILLE, N.D.– The Cougars have done it again. Cal State San Marcos defeated second-seeded Jamestown in straight sets to win the 2012 A.I.I. Volleyball Championship Saturday evening at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, defending their title and advancing to the NAIA National Championships.

In the program's short two year history, head coach Andrea Leonard and the Cougars have wasted no time racking up the hardware and making a name for themselves, this time winning the conference championship without dropping a set-- sweeping all four of their opponents.

"The team is peaking at the right time, and this tournament was a great example of the focus and determination of our players," beemed Leonard. "We had incredible performances by the entire team, and I am extremely proud of this group of young women and excited as we continue into Nationals."

After defeating fourth seed La Sierra and fifth seed Mayville State in pool play on Friday, the Cougars earned a spot in Saturday's championship match by knocking off third seed Ashford (Iowa) earlier in the day.

Saturday's championship match was the closest a team has come to notching a game from the Cougars in the tournament, as the Jimmies held the lead for the majority of the opening set. Jamestown led 21-17 before a kill by setter Alyssa Foster sparked an 8-2 rally to turn the tables and close out the set 25-23.

CSUSM hit an outstanding .438 as a team in the first set, and kept the momentum rolling in the second, posting a .478 hitting percentage en route to a quick 25-14 game that pushed them just a set away from the title. The Cougars finished the set on a 17-7 run.

In the third and final set, San Marcos jumped out to a 9-3 lead and never looked back, eventually taking the set 25-18 on a kill by freshman Andi Vordermann, her eighth of the evening.

The Cougars received a big game from all three of their All-Conference award winners, Taylor DeGraaf, Alyssa Foster, and Nichole May. DeGraaf—the A.I.I. Player of the Year— carried on with her hitting rampage throughout the tournament, recording 19 kills in the final along with a .500 hitting percentage. Her hitting percentage was the second highest in school history with at least 19 or more kills, falling just shy of her own record set against UC Merced in 2011.

For her effort, DeGraaf was named the 2012 Tournament Most Valuable Player. Over the tournament, DeGraaf tallied 70 kills in four games, 25 more than the closest individual Kaitlin Rogalla from Jamestown.

Setting up DeGraaf as usual was Alyssa Foster, who was named to the All-Tournament team in addition to being awarded A.I.I. Setter of the Year. Foster had three kills, 36 assists, and 5 digs in the final, and led all individuals in assists by a wide margin.

Libero and team captain Nichole May similarly was named to both the All-Conference and All-Tournament teams after leading all competitors with 13 service aces in the tournament, including four in the final. Her 11 digs in the the final match helped keep Jamestown attackers frustrated all evening. Co-captain Brittany Thompson recorded six blocks and four digs in the final, and was named an All-Conference Honorable Mention.

With the victory, the Cougars improved to 8-0 lifetime in A.I.I. Tournament play, and are now 28-13 on the season. Jamestown dropped to 27-8 with the loss. Both teams will be waiting for the release of the bracket to see whom they will face in the first round of the 2012 NAIA National Championships, which begin Saturday, November 17.
 

A.I.I. All-Tournament Team:
Katie Zent – Jamestown (N.D.)
Kaitlyn Rogalla – Jamestown (N.D.)
Katie Lee – Jamestown (N.D.)
Nichole May – Cal State San Marcos
Taylor DeGraaf – Cal State San Marcos
Alyssa Foster – Cal State San Marcos
Josette Glatt – Mayville State (N.D.)
Laura Kolness – Mayville State (N.D.)
Morgan Martell – Ashford (Iowa)
Karrah Toby – Ashford (Iowa)
Shelby Madigan – La Sierra (Calif.)
Emily Plowman – Valley City State (N.D.)