WILLIAM ADAMS
Staff Writer
SARAH SCHERFF/Photo Editor
Pepperdine’s final match of the Asics Classic, hosted at Firestone Fieldhouse pitted the Waves against the Arizona Wildcats in the championship game. The match promised to be a tough one, but the Waves came out ready to fight, and fight they did.
In the first game, Arizona was forced to use both of its allotted timeouts early in the match as the Waves flew out of the gate on an 11 to 3 run. After a Kristen Seaton spike, the Waves spread the lead to 13 and never looked back, winning the first game 30 to 18.
The second game got off to a much closer start as both teams looked for any advantage. They traded blows, as neither team was able to gain a lead of more than three points at any moment in the game. The Waves scratched out a close one, 30 to 27, to move into a commanding two games to none lead.
The third and final game began in similar fashion to the second, but the Waves were able to maintain a safe lead throughout. Chants of “MVP” rained down as Julie Rubenstein delivered a powerful kill to widen the lead to four. The team closed out the game, and the match, winning the tournament on a Wildcat service error making the finale 30 to 25.
After the game, the Waves head coach Nina Matthies reflected on the weekend. “That was the team I know and love; we executed and played very well.” Coach Matthies also extended her thanks to the Pepperdine faithful saying, “[the] crowd was awesome… it was so great to have them all here. I could not have been happier, it was the best of my 25 years here.”
The Waves look to carry their momentum into their next match, Wednesday night at the University of Southern California.
09-02-2007