2008 Woodie Awards
Gorloks find groove in debut
By: Will Savage
Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: Sports
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In the first match, the Gorloks didn't give the players of St. Louis College of Pharmacy any room to breathe as they beat them in three games to finish the match. During the first game, the level of competition seemed equal as the score hovered at 10 points for both teams, until something clicked and the Gorloks took off, cruising to a 30-13 win.
The second and third games finished quickly as the Gorlok offense woke up. Led by senior Crystal Spinner, who tallied 10 kills, the Gorloks outscored STLCOP by scores of 30-8 and 30-7. Sophomore Stephanie Larson had a great performance during the first half with seven kills on nine attempts with no errors.
The second match was played against Missouri Baptist University, and the Gorloks fared just as well in this match as the first.
The Gorloks seemed to find their groove after the first game, and the last two games were won easily. Senior Erin Grobe played solid defense, including saving a ball by nearly diving into the stands.
The end of the second match ultimately came down to how mentally and physically prepared each team was, and the Gorloks did not disappoint. While Missouri Baptist seemed to fall back and tire as the match went on, the Gorloks seemed to play even harder. As the season moves along, and the opposition gets tougher. the Gorloks will look to continue that resolve.
While the Gorloks were extremely successful on opening night, Coach Merry Graf still saw room for improvement.
"We are going to continue to work on our passing during practice," she said. "When we are passing well, our quick offense is extremely effective."
Looking ahead on the schedule, the Gorloks play their first conference match against Principia College at home in Grant Gymnasium Sept. 11. This promises to be a tough and exciting match for the Gorloks. In the preseason coaches' poll of the conference, four head coaches picked Webster to finish first, while the other three head coaches picked Principia to take the conference title. After being beaten by Principia for the first time in the regular season, the Gorloks made an impressive showing in the conference tournament and beat Principia in five games for the title. The matchup is expected to be a playoff preview of two of the better squads in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Conference.
The Gorloks look to take the momentum from the success of their first matches and use it against their next opponents. They will continue to prepare for the conference schedule by playing McKendree University Sept. 5, and then by traveling to Colorado for the Colorado College Tournament Sept. 7 and 8.
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