From the Lockerroom
12/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 6, 2003
Post-Match Quotes Second Round NCAA Volleyball Tournament Dayton vs. Nebraska Dec. 6, 2003 East Lansing, Mich.
John Cook, Nebraska Head Coach Opening statement
"We played very well tonight and we were hitting very well on all cylinders. Our passing was great and it was a lot of fun to watch. We are very pleased with our effort tonight and we are ready to go back home and play next week."
On game strategy:
"I think it was our serving that took Dayton out of their rhythm. We also did a great job on our blocking and getting to their hitters early. Dayton got us a few times, but we still got on them and took away some of their confidence. Still, I thought they were going to beat us in that third game."
On preparation for Dayton:
"We had expected to play Michigan State, so we didn't have much time to prepare but I think that we executed very well for the amount of time that we had, which showed us a lot about our team and how we execute things."
On following the game plan:
"Dayton's Shannon Garner was the heart and soul of her team last night and we did a great job of holding her to a negative tonight. We prepared hard on them today and they are accustomed to following game plans. We did a great job tonight."
On stopping the Dayton serve:
"Its hard to gauge how tough they were serving but we did a lot of work on taking out those lob serves and we did a great job on taking that away. We did not let the jump server get going tonight."
Melissa Elmer On playing at Michigan State:
"We focused on keeping the energy consistent throughout the entire match. We had some fans here today but we still had to create a lot of that energy and I think that we did a great job maintaining that steady level of energy."
Amanda McCormick
On creating their own energy:
"We did a great job creating our own energy on the court tonight. We came out and made sure we were playing steady the whole time. We didn't want to get our energy up too high or low. I think that we did a great job at staying focused and doing our best."
On advancing in the tournament:
"I am really excited to go back home and play. This is my first time to play in the tournament and I am really looking forward to experiencing this new level of competition and to be able to play in front of all our fans."
Tim Horsmon, Dayton Head Coach
Opening Statement:
"Initially, Nebraska put us in a tough position. They served us hard tonight. We were out of system quite often and our offense was pretty much predicated on fast hitting middles and right sides, so we could never really get into that groove. They made very few hitting errors and they were very disciplined in their blocking. They did not leave any gaps and we did not bring any energy to the first two games. We were unable to play the defense we normally do, like we did last night. We didn't handle the ball. Take nothing away from Nebraska, they were obviously the better team and a very well-coached, great program."
Shannon Gardner On her success last night compared to tonight:
"Nebraska's blocking was amazing. It was hard to get through them or around them. I just did not play smart enough to get through it. MSU was very physical but Nebraska was very disciplined in its blocking. They were completely over the net tonight and, with MSU, it was just easier to find holes in their blocking and defense."
Carrie Snider On her team's performance in the first two games:
"The first two games were very frustrating. We didn't play with any heart like we did last night. Last night, we played so hard and we really worked together. Tonight, we just didn't do that."
On ending her career with Dayton:
"Naturally, it is a disappointment to go out on a loss because my career is over. I am very happy with our season and last night's win is probably what I will take away and remember the most. We set the bar for next year's team."
Christy Utnage On what to look for next year:
"Current girls on the team know about our new system. The seniors will be hard to replace next year. The team knows what it is like to be here and we want to get back, accomplish the same things and go even farther."