UHCOUGARS.com :: University of Houston Official Athletic Site :: Women's Volleyball
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HOUSTON (Nov. 26) -- With the NCAA Volleyball Tournament selection committee keeping a close eye on the outcome Friday night's match in Hofheinz Pavilion, the University of Houston went to extreme measures to keep itself in the hunt for a possible at-large bid this Sunday. After dropping the first two games of the match to visiting Arkansas-Little Rock, the Cougars did their best "Rocky" impersonation and got off the mat to claim a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind win.
Led by junior outside hitter Jennifer Wittenburg's 23 kills, .348 hitting percentage, 16 defensive digs and six blocks, the Cougars were able to pull off an improbable 12-15, 10-15, 15-6, 15-3, 15-11 win. Senior Jillian King added 15 kills, a .324 percentage and 19 defensive digs as Houston improved its record to 21-9, the marking fifth time in the last six years for UH to win at least 21 matches.
Even if Friday's victory over Sun Belt Conference Co-Champion UALR doesn't make an impact on the committee, the Cougars can at least feel good about two things. First, what the team accomplished Friday was no easy feat. It was only the second time this decade a Houston team has come from being down two games to none to win a match 3-2.
The second is the redemption factor. For although coming from behind to win in that circumstance is rare, it is also equally rare to lose a match when being ahead two games to none. Losing a match in that fashion hadn't happened to Houston since 1988 and yet, on October 17 of this year, that's what the Cougars did in a conference match to DePaul - at home no less. That 3-2 loss had been hanging over the team for over a month and finally, the team can now feel some ammends have been made for winning a match the way it had let one get away before.
The DePaul loss aside, the volleyball team has shown several times this season to have a real "Rocky" kind of flare. Friday's win also marked a school-record seventh time this year Houston has won a match 3-2. Only last week the team tied the school record for winning the rally game of a match at the C-USA Tournament in Tampa, defeating Marquette 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
As for the NCAA committee, they'll still be watching Saturday as play wraps up in Houston's Conference USA Challenge. The Cougars will face the No. 23 ranked University of Arkansas, a 3-0 winner over Saint Louis in the day's earlier match, at 7:30 p.m. UA-Little Rock (19-12) will meet the Saint Louis Billikens (22-10) in a match slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Conference USA Challenge Volleyball Linescore UA-Little Rock 15 15 6 3 11 Houston 12 10 15 15 15 Kill Leaders Jennifer Wittenburg (UH) 23; Tanja Radovic (UALR) 23; Records Houston (21-9); Arkansas-Little Rock (19-12);
Conference USA Challenge Volleyball Linescore Saint Louis 12 8 1 Arkansas 15 15 15 Kill Leaders Yarleen Santiago & Eftila Tanellari (UA) 12; Saint Louis (SLU) 17; Records Arkansas (28-6); Saint Louis (22-10);