Dec. 1, 2001
NCAA Volleyball Second Round Stanford 3, San Jose St. 0 Post-game Quotes
Stanford University Cardinal
Head Coach John Dunning
Opening Statement: First, I would like to congratulate San Jose State on a fine season. They went out there and played hard tonight. They are a well-coached team and it showed. I thought Logan Tom did an exceptional job for us defensively tonight, especially in the second game, when we needed it. I think our blocking also got better as the match went along and it showed on the court.
Questions:
San Jose State really shut down Logan Tom tonight. What was your reaction to that?
We play as a team. Honestly I didn't keep track of how many or few kills Logan was getting. Our job is to play as a team and contribute to the best of our ability. If teams are having to key in on Logan it means that someone else is open and we have to take advantage of that.
I agree with Ashley. Logan is a very important part of our team and she draws a lot of attention on the court. But we are a team and we don't focus on whether or not she's getting a lot of kills. I don't really pay attention. It's up to all of us to get good swings while we're on the court to be successful.
You were taking more swings tonight, were you more confident after Friday's match?
Yes. This is a dream come true for me. When I was in high school, my sister and I were "posers" when we watched the tournament. We pretended to be all of the great players. To actually be here, playing in the NCAA tournament is a dream. I'm so exited.
As you look toward the next round, you'll be facing Utah. Comments?
Utah is a very good team. They beat Colorado State in five. You can't take anyone for granted at this level. You have to go in and play everyone tough. It's a single elimination tournament and you're going to go home if you underestimate anyone.
San Jose State Spartans -
Head Coach Craig Choate:
Opening Statement: I thought we played pretty well. Stanford is just a really, really good team in every aspect. We're not as strong as they are, but I think that what we had to give, we gave tonight and I thought we did okay.
What was the difference in intensity between game three and the others?
If I knew why it was better, we would have done it in games one and two. It's just the flow of the thing. I think some of it has to do with the fact that we probably didn't talk much about it, but we came into it thinking it's Stanford - they're third in the nation - it's a little intimidating. It takes a little while to realize that it's not like they have magic. They do the same things we do, they're just bigger and stronger than we are. It takes a while for the confidence to come in. I think that given the circumstances, we came fairly close to maximizing what we were capable of doing. I wish we could have served better. I wish we could have served better the night before. We didn't. I can't change it. So be it.
Was it a consolation that you were able to hold Logan Tom to single digit kills?
The coaches were kind of laughing about it on the bench because I think she was negative going into game three. We thought, you know - she's fabulous, this is nuts. We don't understand it any more than John Dunning understands it, but he doesn't care because he has all kinds of weapons to go to. And all she has to do is go back and serve, for crying out loud, what a nice jump serve she has. It's a nice thought. In all honesty, I wish that every team could end there season on a match like last night, on a nice happy note where we're all excited about it, but at this stage only one team goes home happy.
Player Brianna Blair:
You beat Stanford's block a lot - can you leave this match with a good feeling?
I don't have a bad feeling about it, but I'm not exactly thrilled with how I played. I felt I could have gotten to a lot of the balls a lot quicker than I did. They are a huge block, so if it's low and inside, I'm not that big so I'm in trouble. There were a couple of plays where I hurt myself. Overall, I don't know, I'm never really satisfied with how I play if it's not up to my potential. I don't care what the team is or what the block is like, I feel like I should be able to get my feet there and keep the ball in play at least.