Gallaudet bounces SU from CAC semi

From: Salisbury Daily Times, MD - Nov 7, 2003

Top-seeded Gulls' 16-match winning streak ends

By Dave Prusak Daily Times Sports Writer

SALISBURY -- Jovin Dinkel had 13 kills and nine service points to lead fifth-seeded Gallaudet to a 28-30, 19-30, 30-20, 30-27, 15-12 victory over top-seeded Salisbury in a Capital Athletic Conference tournament semifinal Thursday night.

The loss snapped the Sea Gulls' school-record 16-match winning streak.

For Salisbury (26-7), Brittany Mister had 16 service points and five kills, Allison Wine had 15 service points; Lindsay Lawson had six service points and seven kills, Suzanne Powell had four service points and seven kills, and Abbey Petrecca had seven service points and five kills.

For Gallaudet (16-17), which lost to Salisbury in four games just nine days ago, Valerie Trofimenkoff had 14 kills and five service points, Charity Sanders had 10 kills and five service points, Pia Marie Paulone had 16 service points, and Tamijo Foronda added 11 kills and three service points.

"Our servicing broke down from the third game on,'' Salisbury coach Margie Knight said. "Gallaudet had great leapers in the middle. Trofimenkoff and Sanders were especially tough in the middle. Dinkel and Foronda were tough on the outside.

"We finished 16-18 last season, and lost six seniors and two juniors coming into this season, so to finish 26-7 was a terrific season,'' Knight said. "I'm not going to let one tough five-game loss today spoil a solid season. We will return everyone but Powell to next year's team, and Powell had a marvelous season for us.''

Gallaudet, a school for the deaf in Washington, brought along a very vocal fan base, including bare-chested male fans with "G-O B-I-S-O-N-!" spelled out one letter per body, and blue- and yellow-painted female fans, with bare-midriffs, who acted as cheerleaders.

Gallaudet jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first game and didn't trail until the third of Wine's service points gave Salisbury a 16-15 lead, an advantage the Sea Gulls wouldn't surrender the rest of the way in game one. Petrecca and Mister were key with three straight service points and a kill each down the stretch.

Salisbury never trailed in the second game. Mister started it off with seven straight service points. Wine added three straight service points twice in the game.

Gallaudet only trailed once in the third game, 15-14. Paulone had seven service points in the third game for the Bison, and five players had at least two kills each.

Gallaudet never trailed in the fourth game. Dinkel and senior Raylene Lotz had five service points each, and Trofimenkoff had five kills.

Salisbury jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the fifth and deciding game. The Sea Gulls still led 9-6, but Sanders had four straight service points as the Bison went on a 5-0 run to take an 11-9 lead, an advantage they would not surrender. Trofimenkoff had two kills, including the match-winner, and Dinkel and Foronda added one each down the stretch.

The Bison and their fans had a wild celebration on the court when it was over.

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