By Ron Smith
November 29, 2017
 
(SIOUX CITY, Iowa) With a three-set sweep of Marian (Ind.) in the second day of pool play at the NAIA Volleyball Championships, #6 Westmont (34-3) has earned a spot in the 16-team championship bracket to begin on Friday morning. The Warriors defeated the Knights (28-7) by scores of 25-22, 25-17 and 25-19.
 
"I thought that we looked more like us," said Cook, comparing today's match with yesterday's 3-1 victory over Saint Xavier (Ill.) "We know we can transition really well and I thought that was something that was missing yesterday. To see us get back into that flow was nice. We were confident, we were comfortable and we were used to the environment."
 
The Warriors offense kicked into gear and produced a team .303 attack percentage by recording 49 kills on 122 attempts. Junior outside hitter Samantha Neely recorded 11 kills and a .391 attack percentage while freshman outside hitter Hali Galloway notched 10 kills and tallied a .350 attack percentage.
 
"Sam was on fire," noted Cook. "She had an unbelievable game offensively, but also defensively as a blocker. She was also picking up on their roll shots from the right side and getting their tips. I thought she did a great job. Her energy and leadership was fantastic for us."
 
"We came out with a lot of energy, which I thought was really cool," said Neely. "We knew that this was an important game to solidify moving on to playoffs. So, we all came out and played our best and played aggressively.
 
"Yesterday, we were just shaking our nerves off and it wasn't really the way that Westmont Volleyball plays. Today, we showed what Westmont Volleyball is all about and we came out with a win."
 
"I was impressed with Hali's play," revealed Cook. "She came out swinging hard from the start and continued swinging hard right to the end. One of the things we have worked with her on is her serve receive and I felt like it was steady today. With her pass, she was able to provide opportunities for all the hitters, not just herself."
 
"I was a little nervous the first game," acknowledged Galloway. "It's very big and there are all these big players. It is a little intimidating, but I'm over that now and I'm here and ready to win. I have my eye on the prize of winning nationals, but we have to take each game one at a time.
 
"I thought we all gelled well today and played 100 percent today," continued Galloway. "I was really proud."
 
A seesaw battle in the first set ended in the Warriors' favor when Westmont produced a 5-1 run to claim the victory. Galloway, Cassidy Rea and Libby Dahlberg contributed kills in the run that put the Warriors up 1-0 in the match.
 
The second set belong to the Warriors from the beginning as Westmont jumped out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back. Galloway and Taylor Beckman recorded four kills each during the middle frame.
 
In the third set, Westmont put together a four-point advantage before Marian rallied to tie the game at 13.
 
"We knew we had to finish the third set strong because in a national tournament, where we play so many matches, playing the least amount of sets is awesome for our bodies to recover. We wanted to finish that third set."
 
Kills by Dahlberg and Brooklynn Cheney helped the Warriors go on a 5-1 run to go ahead 18-14. The Knights would get no closer than three points the rest of the way.
 
"Libby was definitely a factor," said Cook of her junior middle blocker. "She did a nice job of stopping their middles. We knew they wanted to set their middles quite a bit. Libby did a nice job closing to both pins and giving them a lot of trouble. Our defense really likes it when our middle blockers close the block. She worked hard and made it easier for everyone else.
 
"Taylor was steady. I told her that she played like a senior. She had a calming presence, looked like she knew what she was doing and directed others.
 
"Both setters (Amy Buffham and Camryn Kaina) were good at running the offense and dishing out the sets but also realizing who was going to be on fire in which rotation and in which transition. Amy is an incredible leader on the court. I love her connection with Sam. The location on her sets were spot on.
 
"Lauren Friis brought a feisty, defensive prowess that definitely helps. That type of energy gets us points. Cassidy is our lefty-hammer on the right side. She has so much range. She is just scratching the tip of the iceberg and I think she will just continuing getting better and better as the tournament goes on."
 
Westmont finishes up pool play tomorrow with a match against #11 Midland of Nebraska (21-9). Like Westmont, Midland is undefeated in pool play and has also claimed a spot in the championship bracket.
 
"Midland is a very strong team," said Cook. "They have some very good middles, which we haven't seen a lot of this season. We will be focusing on defending against that. I think we match up very well against them, though. I see us as very similar teams with strong arms in every location, with good passing and good setters that make good decisions. It is going to be a fun battle. If we can win the serving and passing game, the defense will take care of itself for us."
 
The last time Westmont went undefeated in pool play was in 1993 when Westmont, under head coach Cathy (Rex) Rossilli, finished third in the national tournament.
 
The winner of tomorrow's game will take on the number two team in Pool E in the Round of 16, while the loser will face the number one team from Pool E.