Posted by
Sarah Hawbaker
-
Mon, Nov 5, 2007
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Volleyball
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Feeling the pressure of Kansas Wesleyan continuing their winning streak, the Swedes knew that if they wanted a chance to be the top contender for the top spot in the KCAC, they were going to have to put up a hard battle, as well as rely on other teams to beat Kansas Wesleyan.
The Swedes delivered two final wins in conference, with wins over Saint Mary, and Sterling College, making their overall conference record, 15-3. Although it wasn’t the perfect 18-0 that they wanted, the Swedes made school history by having the most wins in a season ever at Bethany. As stated by senior Kelli Noonan, Salina, Kansas, “I am sad that it is almost over, but what a great season we have had! Setting the school record for the most wins in a single season, beating KWU, and knocking Sterling out of the Conference Tournament (pay back from last year)."
Because of their outstanding finish in conference, the Swedes are rewarded with a first round bye in the conference tournament. The Swedes will play Thursday the winner of the Friends vs. Bethel. The game is set for 7 p.m. in Hahn Gym.
Although the Swedes lost the last time they played Bethel, the Swedes are optimistic that if they do face Bethel, they will beat them. “Having a first-round bye and hosting the second-round match will definitely work to our advantage. We took them in 3 last time at home. Hopefully we can get our crowd to come back out and support us again, so we can get another win against them and take us that much closer to a regional bid.”
If the Swedes win their first game, they will play again on Saturday to determine the conference champion. Where they play depends on how Kansas Wesleyan fairs Thursday night. If the Coyotes win and Bethany wins, the championship game will be played at KWU, but if Bethany wins and KW loses, the Swedes will host the championship game Saturday night in Hahn Gym.
When asked about how the team sees themselves doing in conference, Noonan stated, “Winning! I think we let ourselves down when we dropped back-to-back matches to KWU and Bethel during the regular season, so we have still have something to prove not only to ourselves but to the KCAC.”
