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SAN BERNARDINO -- The drive toward a potential national championship got one step closer Thursday night.
Top-ranked Cal State San Bernardino, behind seniors
Priscilla Collings and
Megan Johnson, threw down a combined .346 team attack percentage and defeated No. 24 Flagler 3-0 in the final match of the opening round of the NCAA Finals, held at Coussoulis Arena before a crowd of 1,158.
Collings had 11 kills and Johnson had 10 as the Coyotes earned the 25-20, 25-16, 25-12 victory and advanced to Friday's semifinal round against Hillsdale (Mich.), which defeated Wheeling Jesuit 3-0.
Friday's semifinals begin with four-time defending champion Concordia-St. Paul against second-ranked Tampa. First serve is 5:30 p.m.
"Flagler was a tenacious opponent and they were impressive,'' said head coach
Kim Cherniss. "They are than any other team we've played this season. Their ability to adapt and make adjustments left a pretty good impression on our team.''
Besides Johnson and Collings' effort on the attack, the Coyotes were solid defensively again. Senior libero
Kelcie Tolan led the way with 15 digs, while outside hitters
Morgan Carty and
Danielle Newcombe each had 11.
Junior All-American
Camille Smith provided the lift at setter with 33 assists and 12 digs.
Collings was a sparkplug on this night and admitted she was amped to play well and shined with a .357 effort on the attack.
"A year ago at the finals, I didn't even see the court,'' she said. "I wanted to channel my energy into a positive thing. It's kind of like that little puppy that's running around.''
It took a little while to calm down, but CSUSB took control with just two attack errors int he opening set, grabbed command wtih a workman-like .250 effort in the second set.
"This team likes to do everything together,'' Cherniss said. "Whether it's the first match at regionals or tonight, everyone's a little bit crazy that first time out.''
The victory was CSUSB's 65th straight inside Coussoulis and it improved to 31-0 on the year.
The match against the Chargers on Friday figures to a be a solid test for both clubs.
"Hillsdale is a physical team,'' she said. "They play a style that we see a lot during the regular season.''
