PENSACOLA, Fla. -- It was a tough fight, but No. 2-ranked Minnesota Duluth advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals by defeating No. 4 University of California, San Diego on Thursday in four games -- 32-30, 30-26, 28-30, 30-20.
Outside hitters Vicky Braegelmann and Kari Wolford lifted the Bulldogs, with Wolford notching 21 kills and 11 digs, and Braegelmann close behind with 20 kills.
This is the first trip to the semifinals for UMD (31-3) since 2004, when it lost to South Florida's Barry University.
Up next for the Bulldogs is No. 1-ranked University of Tampa (33-1), which swept Dowling (N.Y.) University, 30-23, 30-27, 30-27, in another quarterfinal match Thursday. The two meet at 4 p.m. today.
UMD's victory wasn't easy. There were some early jitters for both teams, with errors slowing the first game's scoring. But the Bulldogs settled in with a quick burst, led by Braegelmann's three fast kills, to jump to a 16-10 lead.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Early in this match I think both teams were a little tight, made some uncharacteristic mistakes," UMD coach Jim Boos said. "We were just fortunate that from a ball-control standpoint we were doing well enough that we were able to capitalize on some of [San Diego's] mistakes and score some points."
The Tritons (26-3) battled back -- the first of several rallies throughout the day -- to take a 19-17 lead. But the scoring was back and forth for the remainder of the game, with San Diego's Kristin Halvorsen notching three kills of her own to keep things close, until Braegelmann's late kill was enough to take the first game 32-30.
"It just showed that we could do it throughout the whole match. ... We brought it together at the end and it really meant a lot," Wolford said of the small rally in the first game.
The first game was indicative of the rest of the match. The teams dug to a 9-9 tie in the second game, until a UMD run stretched the score to 16-11. A big service ace from Whitney Meierotto and a crucial block from Wolford contributed to UMD's 30-26 second-game victory. Meierotto finished the game with 18 kills and 14 digs. Her older sister, Chelsea, was a force on defense, leading the game with 23 digs.
The Bulldogs looked ready to seal the match with a three-game sweep, but the Tritons had other plans.
UC San Diego fought the Bulldogs point for point in the third game, forcing UMD to play from behind for most of the set. The Tritons capitalized on a stretch of unforced errors and big blocks to the end, and three late Wolford kills weren't enough. The Tritons won 30-28 to force a fourth game.
"I thought we would be in for a big battle going into that fourth game," Boos said.
He was right. The Tritons appeared poised to take the fourth game as well, though the Bulldogs jumped to a quick 4-1 lead. Neither team got more than a two-point advantage early until a big kill from Wolford put UMD up 17-14.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bulldogs took control from there.
"We just got back into playing aggressive offense again. ... When we spread the ball out and our hitters hit hard, we're tough to defend," Boos said.
A four-point run put the Bulldogs on the brink of victory, and kills from Wolford and middle hitter Rachel Langseth sealed the fourth game 30-20.
The Bulldogs outpaced the Tritons in kills, 72-66. They finished with seven service aces, 66 digs and 25 errors.
UC San Diego coach Tom Black was impressed with his team's performance, but the Tritons were outmatched at the end, he said.
"They were a real physical team," Black said of the Bulldogs. "I think we started out pretty well, but our serving broke down. We didn't generate the runs we were hoping to."
* Braegelmann, a junior, was named to the 2006 Daktronics All-America Second Team -- the third time she's earned All-American honors.
