MATCH PREVIEW:

Matchday Program:

Complete Matchday Program vs. Hamline (pdf)

MATCH REWIND:

Match Pictures: Concordia vs. Hamline Picture Gallery - Now Online!

Match Stats: Concordia vs. Hamline Box Score - Now Online!

MATCH RECAP:

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/30/07)--Concordia entered the 2007 MIAC playoffs having played in the last six conference tournaments, having won three of the last four playoff titles and compiling seven wins during that stretch. Hamline entered the postseason for only the second time and still in search of their first MIAC playoff win. The difference in postseason experience showed on Tuesday as the Cobbers patiently held off the Pipers 31-29, 30-26, 30-21 to advance to the conference semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 1 at St. Ben's at 7 p.m.

Concordia has now won three straight MIAC playoff matches after capturing the crown in 2006. Overall, the Cobbers have an 8-4 mark in their seven league tournament stints.

Hamline (17-11) came out in the first  game like the match was a sprint and they wanted to speed past the Cobbers en route to the win. Concordia, playing the role of the tortoise, calmly let the Pipers push to a 9-7 lead in the opener before reeling HU in and tying the game at 18-18. Hamline then pushed again in the late 20's, gaining single-point leads at 28-27 and 29-28. The Pipers faltered on their only game point in the match and allowed the purposeful Cobbers to tie the game at 29-29 and then claim the opener by winning the final two points.

The Cobbers allowed Hamline to take another big lead in game 2 at 20-12. CC head coach Tim Mosser then called timeout and made several key adjustments. Following the timeout, Concordia went on an 8-1 run and brought the game to within one point at 21-20. Sensing the lead and the match slipping away, Hamline desperately tried to keep CC at bay by taking a three-point lead at 23-20. That tactic failed to produce as they watched as the Cobbers once again creep by them at the finish line, scoring 10 of the final 13 points and recording the 30-26 win.

The third game was more of a victory lap for Concordia as they bolted to a 10-4 lead and never looked back. The Cobbers never let the Pipers get closer than four points and at one time held an 11-point lead before settling for the nine-point victory at 30-21.

Concordia (17-7) was led by the senior/junior tandem of Michelle Honek and Abby Scheel. Honek finished with a match-high 14 kills and 14 digs and Scheel added 11 kills and two blocks. It is the first time in the last eight matches that Scheel has amassed a double-digit kill total. Honek, on the other hand, posts her 20th 10-plus kill total in the team's 24 matches this year.

Anna Tinkham came away with a match-high 34 digs and now has 548 for the season. Jill Hance captained the CC offense and had a match-high 30 assists. It marks the first time this season she has had at least 30 assists in a match.

As a team, Concordia had 47 kills and had an attack percentage of .137. CC held Hamline to only 31 kills and a mere .012 attack percentage for the match. The .012 hitting percentage for the Pipers is the lowest for an opponent in MIAC playoff history for the Cobbers.

Hamline had only one player with more than seven kills. Tasha Simmons had 11 kills and 19 digs. Heidi Larsen posted 29 digs and Jackie Kelly came away with 13 assists.

Concordia will now play at St. Ben's in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. The match can be seen live via the St. Ben's athletics website.