Box Score Parkville, Mo. – This afternoon the seventh ranked Columbia College women's volleyball team took on William Woods (Mo.) University in the AMC Semifinals match. The Cougars were able to defeat the Owls in a (3-2) set (25-20, 16-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10) and will advance to the AMC Championship Final tomorrow afternoon in Parkville, Missouri.
To start the match the Cougars were tied 4-4 early. Neither team was able to find any separation early as they found themselves tied at 11 as the set progressed. The game remained very close throughout as the two teams were tied multiple times in the set. After being tied at 17, Columbia was able to go on an 8-3 run to secure the first set with a score of 25-20 and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
After dropping the next two sets to the Owls, the Cougars looked to bounce back as they trailed 2-1 in the match heading into the fourth set. The fourth set started out much like the first with neither team able to gain much space. The Cougars were able to grab some breathing room as they led 13-9 midway through the set. The Owls were not going down without a fight as they cut Columbia's lead to three late in the game, but the Cougars were able to hold on and force a fifth set with a 25-20 victory.
Both sides came out exchanging points to start the fifth set. The Cougars would lead 8-5 halfway through the final set. Columbia was able to control the set and win the match 3-2 with a final score of 15-10 to secure their spot in the AMC Finals.
Columbia was led by Caroline Clifford (15), Pamela Jaime (15), and Ariadne Borges (12) who each recorded double-digit kills. In addition, Gabriela Walton (21), Yamilet Velazquez (16), Caroline Clifford (15), and Johanna Mueller (10) all tallied double-digit digs, while Yamilet Velazquez also recorded a match high 43 assists.
Following the conclusion of the game, the American Midwest Conference announced the 2017 Women's Volleyball All-Conference Team. For their efforts on the court this season, Caroline Clifford, Zori Curry, and Yamilet Velazquez were all recognized as First Team All-AMC selections. Ariadne Borges, Pamela Jaime, and Gabriela Walton were all recognized as Second Team All-AMC selections. In addition, the American Midwest Conference also announced the superlative awards for the 2017 season with Yamilet Velazquez earning Newcomer of the Year honors and Coach Melinda Wrye-Washington receiving AMC Coach of the Year accolades for the 11th time.
The Cougars will take on the winner of the Park (Mo.) University vs Missouri Baptist (Mo.) University Semifinal match in the AMC Championship Final tomorrow afternoon in Parkville, Missouri. The match is set to start at 1:00 p.m.
