Video | Press Conference (Schmorantz, Yelin & Borcic)
SEATTLE, Wash. [NCAA DIVISION II QUARTERFINAL] – The second-seeded Barry University women's volleyball team was eliminated in four sets, 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 28-26, 25-22) by seventh-seeded University of Missouri-St. Louis in quarterfinal round action at the NCAA Division II National Championships hosted by Seattle Pacific University in the Royal Brougham Pavilion. The Buccaneer season ends at 28-6 while the Tritons improve to 25-6 and advance to a national semifinal matchup with West Texas on Friday afternoon.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball is making its first appearance at the NCAA Championships after winning its first Midwest Regional title in program history against Ferris State on Nov. 19 in Quincy, Ill. The Tritons have won four straight matches, 17 of its last 19. Today's matchup featured AVCA National Player of the Year and first team All-America, Diana Akopova, registering her fourth consecutive NCAA postseason contest with 30 or more kills.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
Final: UMSL 3, Barry 1
Records: USML (25-6), Barry (28-6)
All-Time Series: Barry leads the series, 2-1, and this was the first meeting in NCAA postseason. First meeting was in 1995 when current Buccaneer head coach, Leonid Yelin, led Barry to its first national title. Barry met University of Missouri-St. Louis the following season and won that match.
SUMMARY:
- 1st set | The Tritons never trailed in the opening set and built a 6-2 advantage on a 4-0 run. Hailey Flowers had a pair of kills and Rylee Edson notched the first of her team's eight service aces. Djuly Schmorantz had the first two kills for Barry which trailed by six, 11-5, before Marija Borcic had a kill and followed that with a service ace. Charlotte Richards, a first team All-America for the Tritons, had a kill but the Bucs were winning five of six points to pull within two, 12-10. The Tritons opened their largest lead, 19-12, by winning seven of the next nine points and maintained that margin through the end. | USML 25, Barry 18
- 2nd set | Charlotte Richards had a kill for the first point before the Bucs engineered a 4-0 run with a kill from Diana Akopova and a service ace from Djuly Schmorantz. Another 4-0 run for Barry was helped by a Triton service error and two attak errors, and Barry led 10-4. The Tritons came within one point on three occasions and, once Jeyhlen Thomas had an answer with a kill from the right., Barry never let USML knot the score. | Barry 25, USML 22
- 3rd set | This is the one that got away as Barry had multiple four-point leads evaporate each time. The Buccaneers led 6-2 following a kill by Djuly Schmorantz. A 3-0 run capped by a kill by Diana Akopova put the Bucs up 12-8. Tied at 13-13, Akopova had three kills during a 4-0 Barry spurt. The teams split the next four points before the Tritons won four straight to tie the score at 19 apiece. Kills from Borcic and Thomas preceded attack errors from the Tritons and Buccaneers led 23-19. A kill from Mya Elliott, a service ace from Kylie Adams, and two kills from Richards tied the score at 23-all. Barry then squandered three set-points before the Tritons converted its only set point for a 2-1 lead. | USML 28, Barry 26
- 4th set | The Buccaneers led early, 4-2, but then trailed by as many as five (14-9 and 15-10). Coming back to tie the score at 20-all, 21-all, and 22-all, Barry ran out of fuel with University of Missouri-St. Louis getting the final three points with a pair of kills from Lexie Rang and the clincher from Hailey Flowers. | USML 25, Barry 22
NOTEWORTHY:
- Leonid Yelin has taken his last two Buccaneer teams to the national quarterfinals (1995 and 2022).
- USML struck for eight service aces.
- Diana Akopova (41.5), Charlotte Richards (25.0), Lexie Rang (17.0), Jeyhlen Thomas (11.0) were the only players to reach double digits in points.
- Kills - Diana Akopova (37), Jeyhlen Thomas (8), Djuly Schmorantz (5)
- Aces - Diana Akopova (1), Djuly Schmorantz (1), Marija Borcic (1)
- Blocks - Jeyhlen Thomas (7), Christy Paul (6), Diana Akopova (5)
- Assists - Marija Borcic (43), Luana Bulara (4), Djuly Schmorantz (3)
- Digs - Marija Borcic (21), Luana Bulara (19), Djuly Schmorantz (11)
ON THE HORIZON:
The Bucs finish their season after making their first visit to the national finals since winning the championship in 2004. Barry had advanced after winning the South Regional title by knocking off defending national champs University of Tampa on the Spartans' home court last month.
