University of Houston
* Southern Miss
Houston Dominates Southern Miss in Conference Home Opener
10/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 5, 2002
HOUSTON - The University of Houston volleyball team defeated Southern Miss in three games, 41-39, 30-23 and 30-21 tonight in its Conference USA opener at Hofheinz Pavilion. The victory puts the Cougars on a three-match win streak following defeats of Saint Mary's and Baylor in September.
Houston (10-4, 1-0 C-USA) now leads the all-time series against Southern Miss 12-0. The victory tonight over the Golden Eagles (10-8, 2-1 C-USA) is the Cougars' first home victory since Nov. 16, 2001. Houston lost to Lamar in its home opener Sept. 10 and had last night's home match against Tulane postponed due to Hurricane Lili threats.
Outside hitter Jane Anne Karasek led the Cougars with a career-high 33 kills, hitting .353 on the night. She also added 12 digs and two block assists.
Freshman libero Jaci Gonzalez led the Cougar defense with 34 digs, also a team and career high. Middle hitter Jenny Tanneberger also had a strong performance at the net, totaling 16 kills and six digs. Tanneberger, the Sept. 8 Conference USA Player of the Week, hit .405 on the night and contributed four block assists.
Setter Donna Sellen also had a solid match, contributing 53 assists, 15 digs, four block assists and three kills.
Outside hitters Andrea Bush and Nikki Tribble led the way for the Golden Eagles, contributing 17 and 16 kills, respectively. Crystal Zane handled the setting duties, posting 45 assists and 16 digs. The defensive effort was led by Amy Truong and Tribble, who each added 21 digs on the night. Six Golden Eagles posted double-digit digs against the Cougars.
Excitement exploded in the first game, as the score was tied 19 times and eight lead changes occurred. After 45 minutes and a total of 159 attempts between the two teams, Houston scored two straight to end it at 41-39. The 80 points scored in game one were the most ever scored in a single game at Hofheinz Pavilion.
The Cougars came out stronger in the second and third games, hitting .226 and .422 as a team, respectively. The Golden Eagles tried to capitalize on Houston's 10 service errors, but could not regain the lead in either game.
The Cougars continue C-USA competition on the road this week, taking on Memphis Oct. 11 and Saint Louis Oct. 12. Action returns to Hofheinz Pavilion on Oct. 17 when Houston battles cross-town rival Rice at 7:30 p.m.
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