USC-Michigan Quotes
Quotes following USC's 12-3 victory over Michigan
 | |
May 9, 2008
2008 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship
First Round Quotes: USC 12, Michigan 3
Head Coach Matt Anderson, Michigan
Opening Statement...
USC showed why they are the number two team in the nation. They came out of the gates a little bit faster and that was a key. All of the teams ended up here because they progressed through their conferences by coming out a little bit harder in all of our conference championships. Take away the first seven or eight minutes and I thought we did OK. We did what we would have like to have done in the second half when we had a lot more steals, a lot more turnovers, and we outshot them. The scoreboard did not show that the second half was very competitive. That is why USC is number two in the country because when they get a lead like that they are going to be hard to come back on. I thought we did a good job to get ready to do what we need to do on Saturday to win a game and on Sunday to win a game I n the fourth period. So now we just need to go out and show what we can do in the next two games.
On east coast water polo...
I think that it has developed to the point where a team like us as the number 10 team in the nation has defeated a handful of ranked west coast teams. Take away the top two or three teams in the nation and we have been extremely competitive all year with anybody and normally that?™s how it is. Now you also have teams like Hartwick, Princeton, and Maryland developing and I think this year we truly deserved to be where we were and had a legit shot in the opening game and it?™s been a few years since the east has come out feeling that way.
On Michigan having a shot in the first game...
If you look at what USC has done the last few years against the east coast champion they have put over 20 goals on them and our goal was to keep the game under 10 and that is how we like to play water polo. They did have to work for their goals and that is the main thing that we kept pushing.
On Playing Stanford and USC...
I think that they make us better. I honestly think this competition with UCLA and Stanford make us better.
Kelsey Haley, Jr. Driver, Michigan
On how many games she has played at Stanford...
I grew up playing Stanford water polo, so I started playing the summer after seventh grade so that is seven summers of playing water polo here so that is a lot.
On Eastern water polo...
I definitely think that eastern water polo is rising and I think you could see that especially in our eastern conference championship tournament. You get the top-8 teams from the east coast that are fighting for that NCAA bid. Last year we weren?™t prepared for it to be as competitive as it was and we ended up losing to Princeton in the semi-finals and didn?™t even make it to the finals. I think that the east is definitely something to be reckoned with in the coming years.
Mary Chatigny, Jr., Driver, Michigan
On Going to Michigan and the difference to California...
I definitely think that it is growing and you see it in the age-group, but even more so in college. You see a lot of east coast coaches recruiting California girls, but they are very open-minded to the east coast girls that are working just as hard. One of our best players the last two years, Shana Welch was from Pennsylvania. I think it is a really good thing that coaches are keeping their minds open to girls no matter where they are from. They are giving them a chance to really show what they got and I know on our team it is just the same. Girls are earning their spots no matter where they are from.
On the competition in California compared to the east coast...
Because California is such a powerhouse, I definitely think that the it helps to have the same girls competing against each other over and over. That keeps the competition at such an elite level that it makes it hard for the other areas, like the Midwest, to get to that level. They are not playing against the same competition every day so it is a fence that definitely needs to be broken down. It would be good for the sport in general to bring up the level in the Midwest and the on the East Coast.
Head Coach Jovan Vavic, USC
Opening Statement...
I thought we played good defense for most of the game. We score 12 goals so that is a pretty good offensive effort. Everyone played, so it was a great way to start the NCAA's.
On playing in the top conference, the MPSF...
It is really a great advantage. You really have to compete against the top teams on a regular basis to get better. You have to practice to with good players and if you practice with players that are weak then you don?™t get better. That is really the advantage, so hopefully the other conferences will get better and I think that they are getting better. I think that they are closing the gap. It has been a slow process, but I think that they are definitely closing the gap. I think that women?™s water polo will definitely get more competitive the next four or five years.
On recruiting against the east well now...
I think that it is good for the sport. Personally, I would not like to lose a player to anybody, but it is good for the sport. I hope that other coaches invest time and energy to recruit and I think they are doing that. If you look at this Michigan team, they have many players from California. If you look at ASU, they have many players from California that are very competitive and have been competitive for the last few years. Hawaii has been recruiting internationally and they are a very strong team. You don?™t want to lose a top notch player to anybody, but if you are going to lose it, I would much rather lose them to a Michigan than to my conference competitor.
Whitney Morgan, Jr., Goalie, USC
On California players going east...
The program I played for was not as strong so a lot of girls I played with went back east or played division III. I think that it is great that a lot of girls are going to play in college and getting the opportunity to, and doing at whatever level they want.
On Playing Stanford and UCLA...
It is great to have a game that you are always excited about and it is great to have a tough match.
Sarah Van Norman, Fr., 2-Meter, USC
On the high school competition in Southern California...
It was very competitive so it was good to train with.
On making the east more competitive...
It would be great, make better competition and really get water polo out there.