NCAA Volleyball Championship: Valparaiso-Nebraska Postgame Quotes
12/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Opening statement: "First of all, I would like to thank Michigan State for hosting this tournament. Best of luck to Nebraska. They are a very good team and I was really impressed with their defense and with their offense. They had a lot of great blockers. Offensively, they were just very physical and they were hard to stop."
On team progress: "I am extremely proud of this team. When I came here four years ago, they had only won eight games and now we are standing at 27 wins this season with post-season play at the NCAA tournament. We were very excited to have participated in the tournament and to have played here at Michigan State."
On game strategy: "We tried stopping (Melissa Elmer) and (Jennifer Saleaumua) and we did a good job on (Elmer) tonight because it looked like they had some setting difficulties with her. But their outsider attackers, (Dani Mancuso) and (Michelle Lynch), were phenomenal. They were hitting some very difficult blocks and they were really hard to stop."
On Nebraska's strengths: "They are a big, physical team! I was impressed with their blocking and their defense had some amazing plays today. They blocked extremely well on our left side attack. Defensively, they played an extremely difficult block to get around."
Sara Silcox on Nebraska's defense: "They were hitting around the block and over the block. Our block setup was great tonight, but sometimes it's hard to read that when they have good blocks set up and then they hit the line."
Cyndi Norman on the last game of her career: "Honestly it hasn't hit me yet. It feels like I still have games left. The experience to play here has been great. During my freshmen year, we only won eight games and I didn't think that we would get here, but we are and I am so proud of this team. I am really going to miss them, but we just played the No. 9 team in the nation, and if you're going to end the season, you might as well play a great team."
Nebraska Head Coach John Cook
Opening Statement: "We have a lot of young players who are in the NCAA tournament for the first time. At times, we were a little bit shaky, but after the first 20 points we did really well. We have a lot to build on for tomorrow. Half of our goal is accomplished. We won our first game and we will just have to find a way to win again tomorrow."
On the freshman class: "I think that they did a really good job. It was their first time in the NCAA tournament and I think, overall, they did a really great job tonight. We just told them that they are really sophomores because they have already been through one season."
On his team's performance: "We would obviously like to have some better numbers from our middles. I thought our setters did a nice job of getting Anna (Schrad), Jen (Saleaumua) and Dani (Busboom) in get spots."
Dani Mancuso on mental preparation for the contest: "We talked about confidence, believing in each other and what we've been taught to do. So, it really just helps to have your teammates out there and encouraging each other. The younger players are putting their trust in us so we just put the trust in ourselves. We just tried to stay focused and to get the job done."
Anna Schrad on not playing the first round at home: "We play with the cards that we are dealt. Now that we are here, we have to look at what is ahead of us."