A Look at Scorpion Opponents at NAIA National Tournament
Posted November 28, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- UTB/TSC begins play in Pool B at the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Wednesday, November 28. The Scorpions are the 12th seed in the tournament and play against No. 9 seed Lewis-Clark State College of Lewiston, Idaho; No. 2 seed California Baptist University from Riverside, Calif. and No. 19 seed University of Virginia-College at Wise from WIse, Virginia.

Scorpions vs. Lewis-Clark, 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, November 28

The critical match for the Scorpions is their tournament opener against Lewis-Clark, which is seeded higher than the Scorpions because they come from the tougher Region I, which received two spots in the national tournament. Westminister (Utah), also from Region I, qualified as the No. 10 seed in the tournament, one position behind Lewis-Clark.

Lewis-Clark defeated Westminister in the Region I tournament championship match, 3-0, but the two teams were not favored to represent the region. College of Idaho and Southern Oregon were ranked No. 8 and No. 10 in the nation, respectively, but both were upset in the semis.

With a strong front row presence, UTB/TSC has a slight height advantage over Lewis-Clark. However, any other comparisons between the two teams are hard to make because they did not play any common opponents.

Because Lewis-Clark is the No. 9 seed and the Scorpions are the No. 12 seed, a victory over the Warriors is essential to advance to Friday's competition.

"Of our three matches in pool play, the Lewis-Clark one is the most critical one," Scorpion head coach Marcus Young said. "We match up well with them, but we haven't seen them play, and we haven't played anybody they have played. Region I is a very strong region, so we know that they must be a very solid team."

A victory over Lewis-Clark would not guarantee anything, but would give the Scorpions a good start in the national tournament.

Lewis-Clark has two players listed at 6-0 and two others at 5-11 who anchor the front line. Anile Clemente, a 5-11 outside hitter, has 320 kills in 100 games, but three other players have at least 246. setters Lisa Davis and Mindy Moyer have 694 and 340 assists, respectively.

Scorpions vs. California Baptist, 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 28

By far, the toughest opponent for the Scorpions in pool play will be the nation's No. 2 ranked team for much of the season. California Baptist comes from Region II, which had the top five ranked teams in the nation for most of the season. Four teams from Region I -- Fresno Pacific, Cal-Baptist, Concordia, and Biola -- advanced to the national tournament, the most allowed from a single region. The fifth-ranked team -- Azusa Pacific -- did not advance to Columbia.

With a very strong and deep front line, California-Baptist will be heavily favored to defeat the Scorpions in pool play, making the Lewis-Clark match even more important. The Lancers finished second in the Golden State Athletic Conference regular season, and qualified as the No. xx seed in the Region II Tournament. The Scorpions and Lancers have no common opponents.

As members of the GSAC, Cal-Baptist lost only four matches during the season, three to Fresno Pacific. They are very talented and have a very strong bench.

"Cal-Baptist comes from a very strong conference, and the level of volleyball they play there is the best in the country," Young said. "We will have our hands full with them. It is going to be a tremendous challenge for our team, and we hope to make it tough for them. We would have to play a perfect game to have an opportunity to win."

The Lancers have four players listed at 6-2 and three others taller than 5-10. Verania Willis, a 6-0 senior from Costa Rica, as 598 kills in 103 games. Shi Fei, a 6-2 sophomore from China, has 376 kills, and Yudelka Bonilla, a 5-11 senior from the Dominican Republic, has 326 kills. Setter Kayla Van Duyn, a 5-10 junior, has 1,263 assists.

Scorpions vs. Virginia-Wise, 3:45 p.m. Thursday, November 29

UTB/TSC will be favored to defeat a Virginia-Wise team that comes from the Appalachian Athletic Conference, which is not as highly regarded as others around the country. The Lady Cavaliers entered the Region XII Tournament as the #5 seed, and pulled off two surprising victories to qualify for nationals. UVW upset No. 1 seed King College, 3-2, in the semifinals and No. 2 seed Bryan College, 3-2, in the finals to gain the national tournament berth.

The Scorpions will have a size advantage over the Lady Cavaliers, who were never ranked in the national Top 25 or received any votes for the national poll at any point during the season.

"For Virginia-Wise to get to the national tournament is a great accomplishment for them as well, and we have to respect that," Young said. "They pulled off two big victories to get to nationals. By the time we play them Thursday, we should know exactly where we stand in the tournament. Hopefully the match will be important for us to qualify to get to play Friday."

Virginia-Wise is led by 5-9 outside hitters Natasha Viers from Abingdon, Virginia, who has 705 kills in 144 games, an impressive 4.90 average. Kristin Salyer, a 5-10 outside hitter from Gate City, Virginia, has 455 in 146 games for a 3.12 average. Setter Sam Puryea from Briston, Tenn. has recorded 1,632 assists. The tallest player is 5-11 Whitney Lane, who has 297 kills.