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ST. PAUL, Minn. – AVCA first-team All-America Laura Prinsen recorded 19 kills, 18 digs and three blocks to help lead No. 5 West Texas A&M University to a 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-18, 27-25) win over Flagler College in the first semifinal of the 2009 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament Friday night at the Gangelhoff Center.

West Texas A&M (39-3) advances to the national championship match tomorrow (Dec. 5) at 7:30 p.m. Central and will face the winner of the Cal State-an Bernardino-Concordia-St. Paul Match.

Flagler (36-9) closed its season with a school record win total and had its school record win streak halted at 29 matches. The last loss for the Saints was on Sept. 18 at USC Aiken.

Prinsen hit .432 for the match with just three errors on 37 swings. Second-team All-America Melissa Harper also recorded 19 kills and hit .500 with just three errors on 32 swings. The Lady Buffaloes other second-team All-America selection, Katie Rickwartz, recorded a double-double with 48 assists and 14 digs. She also tallied two aces and had a pair of blocks. Lauren Beville added 16 digs.

Rachel Stacy (Orlando, Fla./Timber Creek HS) recorded a match-high 21 kills and hit .410 with five errors on 39 swings for Flagler. She also added two blocks. Meg Weathersby (Miatland, Fla./Orangewood Christian School) recorded her 14th double-double with 16 kills and 14 digs while senior outside hitter Justine Burkhardt (St. Augustine, Fla./Winthrop U.) notched her 17th double-double in the final match of her illustrious career with 12 kills and 11 digs. Senior outside hitter Katie Beale (Stuart, Fla./Martin County HS), an honorable mention All-America selection, recorded a match-high 21 digs to close out a great career for the Saints. Senior right side Becky Hendrian (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton HS) collected three digs, one assist, one ace and had one block as she wrapped up her career. Weathersby was selected to the All-Tournament team.

The Flagler senior trio finished their careers with a 102-55 (.650) and have put the volleyball program on the map in NCAA Division II - forever.

Olivia Snipes (Easley, S.C./Easley HS) tallied 26 assists and nine digs while Rebecca Royal (Green Cove Springs, Fla./Fleming Island HS) finished with 23 assists, three digs and one block.

West Texas took control of the first set by going on a 5-0 run to take an 11-6 lead. Natalie Johnson and Rickwartz both recorded kills and Beville served an ace in the run. The Saints would narrow the margin to 14-10, but the Lady Buffs went on a 4-0 run and took an 18-10 lead en route to a 25-17 win. West Texas A&M hit .244 (15 kills and five errors on 41 swings) for the set while Flagler hit .128 (12-7-39).

Flagler jumped out to an early 9-5 lead in the second set, but West Texas A&M rallied. The scored was tied ten times in the set. The Saints broke it open with a 5-1 run on the strength of a Weathersby and Burkhardt kill and three attack errors by the Lady Buffs. WTAMU broke set point twice until Stacy put home the winner, 25-22.

The third set West Texas A&M took control early with a 6-1 lead which then grew to a 16-7 spread. The Lady Buffaloes went on to a 25-18 win and hit .297 (12-1-37) and held the Saints to a .087 mark (13-9-46).

In the fourth and final set, there were 16 ties and eight lead changes. Flagler had set point after an attack error by Prinsen, but West Texas A&M staved off the first set point with a kill from Erika Dupree and then Harper and Dupree blocked a Stacy attack to tie the set at 24. The Saints re-took the lead when Burkhardt spiked the ball, but the Lady Buffs came right back with Harper providing the point. An attack error by Beale and then a double-block by Rickwartz and Harper wrapped up the match for West Texas A&M, 27-25.

Flagler ends just its second season of eligibility for NCAA post-season with a bunch of records, both team and individually, and has made its name in its new conference – the Peach Belt Conference – and has made its presence felt in the southeast region and nationally.


West Texas A&M def. Flagler 25-17,22-25,25-18,27-25

West Texas A&M (39-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Laura Prinsen 19-0-3;
Melissa Harper 19-0-2; Katie Rickwartz 6-2-2; Natalie Johnson 5-0-0;
Lauren Purdy 4-1-3; Erika Dupree 4-0-1; Kirsten McCowan 1-0-0; Lauren
Beville 0-1-0; Lauren Thedford 0-3-0; Totals 58-7-6.0. (Assists) -
Katie Rickwartz 48. (Dig leaders) - Lauren Thedford 19; Laura Prinsen
18; Lauren Beville 16; Katie Rickwartz 14; Kelsey Mangum 9

Flagler (36-9) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Stacy, Rachel 21-0-2; Weathersby,
Meg 16-0-2; Burkhardt, Justine 12-0-1; Beale, Katie 5-1-0; Royal,
Rebecca 4-0-1; Snipes, Olivia 1-1-0; Hendrian, Becky 0-1-1; Totals
59-3-4.0. (Assists) - Snipes, Olivia 26; Royal, Rebecca 23. (Dig
leaders) - Beale, Katie 21; Gnann, Casey 15; Weathersby, Meg 14;
Burkhardt, Justine 11; Snipes, Olivia 9; Unitas, Jillian 8

Site: St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
Date: Dec 04, 2009 Attend: 326 Time: 1:29
Referees: Brad Aaberg, Crystal Lewis
West Texas A&M advances to its 4th NCAA
Championship match.

FLAGLER COLLEGE QUOTES
Head Coach Taylor Mott
Opening statement: ”I would just like to say thank everyone for supporting us, our administration, our families and all of our fans. I think our girls played amazing, we played as hard as we could. This was not our best match statistically, West Texas [A&M] really kept us on our toes and they put pressure on us. That is a great team, and I'm really proud of our team for staying in there and competing.”

On what this season means to program: "I think it means a tremendous amount to our program. We talked all weekend long about the transition, I think its remarkable that we came this far in such a short amount of time. I think this is great for the girls who have been playing for nothing, to finally have something to play for.”

On other teams with experience more experience: “I think sometimes ignorance is bliss. With us not being here before and not knowing what to expect, we just went out there and played. We didn't really feel any pressure, we've been unranked all year, and I don't think anyone here has really seen us play, so we didn't feel pressure. We were out making snow angels earlier today, we've just enjoyed every minute of it.”

Senior Middle Blocker Meg Weathersby
On this experience heading into next year: "I think it set us up for a great year. We have a really strong freshman class, the sophomores next year will be awesome. Rachel [Stacy] is a freshman, and she's huge for us. I think that we are set up in a great position, no one expected it. I'm really proud of our team.”

On reading the West Texas A&M hitters: “They are a great team, they have a really fast offense. We just tried to contain them, and get a touch on a block when we can. But they have a great offense, they're great players.”

Freshman Middle Blocker Rachel Stacy
On the biggest game of her career: "Everyone is supporting you were all a team. I just tried to help the best I could.”

On the experience: “I never would have guessed as a freshman, I'd be up here. It's been great. I've loved every minute of it, and I hope to be back.”
3, a 3-1 match win over Francis Marion.


WEST TEXAS A&M QUOTES:
Head Coach Jason Skoch
Opening statement: "Flagler is a great team. They are smart. It was pretty interesting as far as the draw goes this year. Those regions are getting so much better. Cal Pa. and Flagler are under appreciated in the national scene. We need to get our swagger back. We need to find our aggressive play style that we saw before this weekend. We need to focus on getting our energy back. We're playing tight and timid. Our ball control has really dropped off."

On NCAA Tournament this year: "These girls are just different. I inherited a group with older kids and a lot of younger kids. They were use to a different way and had to adjust. I've changed a lot. We won a lot of games and probably played the toughest schedule we have in 10 years. We've had some timely people step up. We've really developed nicely. We used a lot of different people out there that helped us."

Senior setter Katie Rickwartz
On playing for national title: “Its a great thing for our school. We are here to compete for the national title. We've put ourselves in the position to do so, its been a great experience for us so far."

On ending the game with solo block: "That was great. You always want to be the reason that you win. You don't want the other team to be the reason that you win. I was surprised. I'm not a blocker, I'm a setter so I'm usually never in that situation. I don't think I've ever ended a game before."

On ending the game in the fourth set: "You have to win to get into the championship game."

On being attacked defensively: "You just have to make sure to stay on the side line and cover your side."

Senior right side hitter Laura Prinsen
On playing for national title : “For me its what we've been wanting every year. The first few years we got to the Elite Eight and lost before we got to the finals. To make it to the finals senior year has been great. We're here so we might as well go for it."

On ending the game in the fourth set: "We've played five-set matches before this year. Just a long time ago."

On being attacked defensively: "You have to be ready because people are going to attack our side. Typically the right side of the defense is always a little weaker. You just need to make sure that you're always ready for anything to come your way."

On shift in her attack from last night: "Its just knowing that you have to be more aggressive. Being more confident in myself. Playing less aggressive and being on the defense all the time won't win it for you. You have to stay aggressive."