University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Volleyball Suffers Tough Road Loss
10/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Despite the fact that the Mean Green recorded a higher hitting percentage, .243 to .150, and had 16 blocks in comparison to Florida International’s nine, the Golden Panthers still won games one, three and five by scores of 30-28, 30-28 and 15-12, respectively. While all three FIU wins were by three points or less, North Texas won games two and four by eight points each, 30-22.
"We played great tonight, it just didn’t end up the way we wanted it to," said North Texas head coach Cassie Headrick. "Nirvana Kos hurt us with her serving all night long. They served well enough that we couldn’t keep our offense clicking all the time." FIU had nine service aces on the night, including a match-high four by Nirvana Kos.
Corina Marginas (So.; OH; Brasov, Romania) led the Mean Green with a match-high 25 kills, a team-best three service aces, 15 digs and six block assists. She registered her 11th double-double of the season and her seventh 20-plus kill match. Brieanne Fowler (So.; OH; Odessa, Texas) and Kristin Sheppard (So; S; Texarkana, Tex.) also had double-doubles. Fowler posted 19 kills and a match-high 18 digs, while Sheppard had 48 assists and 12 digs.
Freshman middle blocker Anne Pope (Aurora, Colorado) led North Texas at the net with 10 block assists, tying the second most in school history, and tallied seven kills. For the second time this season, North Texas had 30 block assists as a team. That total ranks tied for seventh all-time at UNT.
"We made some mistakes in game one and let them have a little run at the end that hurt us," said Headrick. "We played extremely well in game two and in game three we battled back after being down. They made some good changes in their rotation in game five and although we adjusted well, we just waited a little too long."
Not only was it the second consecutive match the Mean Green has gone a full-five games, but the 10th time in 20 outings this season. North Texas holds a 3-7 record in those matches.
The Mean Green remains in Florida this weekend for a 1 p.m. match against Miami on Sunday.
