Colleges

UT back in familiar territory

By DAVID NORRIE
Published November 27, 2005

In 21 years of coaching, Chris Catanach's volleyball program has stood as a model of consistency, earning 13 Sunshine State Conference titles, 19 trips to the NCAA Tournament, eight Elite Eight appearances and two national runnerup honors.

This year, his University of Tampa team continued that trend by capturing another conference championship en route to its 20th NCAA appearance and a ninth Elite Eight berth. But it's the runnerup numbers Catanach doesn't want to add to.

"Do we have a realistic shot at a national championship? I don't know," said Catanach, whose Spartans face Concordia-St. Paul in the quarterfinals Dec.1. "Some years you go in thinking you have a shot and you don't get it done like in 1993 when we went in ranked No.2 in the country. This time we enter ranked No.6 but with a team who has a closer bond. So I'm not going to say either way. I haven't won it yet so until I do, I can't say." Tampa (28-3) bullied its way through the South Region tournament, led by a dominating performance from middle hitter Ericka Womack. The SSC player of the year posted 22 kills and four blocks in a trio of three-game sweeps over Francis-Marion, Barry and Florida Gulf Coast. Her hitting percentages in the first two games (.857 and .800) were higher than her season average of .700, which is tops in the nation.

The timing between Womack and setter Gabriela Saade is peaking at the right time. Catanach credits that as well as the team's precision passing as key factors in making a run at a title.

Kayla Mora (12) and Katelen Dixon (11) each posted double figures in kills in the South Region tournament while Margeaux Sinibaldi led the way with 56 assists. Those three, along with outside hitter Stephanie Rivera, will have to play big to defend against the talented and athletic front line of Concordia.

The Bears (30-4) swept both of their semifinal and finals matches in the North Central Region championships. They are riding a 17-game win streak, dating to September when they lost to Minnesota Deluth, which they beat in the region final. Catanach hopes the Spartans, who lost to Concordia 3-2 in a Colorado tournament this season, can reverse their fortunes and exact revenge.

The Elite Eight will be held at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

[Last modified November 27, 2005, 01:19:10]