Oct. 23, 2004

Box Score

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - In a dramatic ending to a two-hour plus match, Villanova (6-13, 1-3 BIG EAST) rallied past the Mountaineers for a 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon from the West Virginia Coliseum. The Wildcats defeated host West Virginia (14-9, 1-2 BE) by scores of 30-24, 34-36, 26-30, 31-29, 15-12.

Villanova trailed the match 2-1 and the fourth game 29-24 before fending off five straight Mountaineer match points. Sophomore Jen Lalli (Media, Pa.) served the final six points of the game and the Wildcats evened the match at 2-2 with a 31-29 victory. Junior Celine Nguyen (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif.) had three kills during the seven-point run, while sophomore Adrian Semrau (Grafton, Ohio) contributed two kills and a block.

There were seven ties in the pivotal fifth game, but Villanova never trailed after the first three points and sealed the match with a 4-1 spurt for its second consecutive victory. With the score tied 11-11, Semrau had a kill and junior Dana Kabashima (Santa Monica, Calif.) came up with a solo block to give the Wildcats a two-point cushion. A West Virginia attack error finally ended the marathon contest on Villanova's second match point.

For the second time this week, Nguyen and Lalli brought career-best efforts to the court. Nguyen had 27 kills and 36 digs, while Lalli counted 73 assists and 16 digs. The match was an outstanding display of defense on both sides, and Nguyen was just one of three Wildcats who had at least 30 digs. Kabashima had a 14-kill, 33-dig double-double, and junior Megan Bye (Englewood, Colo.) had 33 digs.

Villanova had the advantage early in the match, taking the first game 30-24 and not allowing West Virginia to take its first lead of the match until late in the second game. The Wildcats led 20-13 midway through the second frame, only to see the Mountaineers tie the score at 20 apiece with a 7-0 run. Later in the game, the teams alternated scores on 11 straight points, and West Virginia survived six Villanova game points to tie the match at one game apiece.

That rally gave the Mountaineers momentum heading into the third game, as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The Wildcats were unfazed, however, and rallied back to within two points at 21-19. However, West Virginia took the game 30-26 and led 2-1, setting up the Villanova heroics in the fourth and fifth games.

Villanova takes on Pittsburgh on Sunday at 2 p.m.