Stanford tops in volleyball
Associated Press
LONG BEACH, Calif. — It was all Ogonna Nnamani all the time yesterday, as Stanford's star player led the Cardinal to their sixth NCAA women's volleyball tittle.
Matt Sayles • Associated Press
Nnamani had 29 kills as the Cardinal earned a 30-23, 30-27, 30-21 victory over Minnesota in front of 8,826 at the Long Beach Arena. It was the 11th-seeded Cardinal's 15th consecutive victory.
Stanford's Ogonna Nnamani powers one of her 29 kills past the block of Minnesota's Jessy Jones, lifting the Cardinal to a three-game sweep and the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
Nnamani, the national player of the year, was voted the tournament's most outstanding player after setting an NCAA record with 62 total kills in the semifinal and final matches.
"Ogonna was spectacular," said Minnesota coach Mike Hebert, whose fourth-seeded team was making its first title game appearance. "She just wears you down. There are very few people who can attack the ball with the height that she can attack it and play such a smooth, even game in terms of demeanor."
Nnamani, a member of the United States' 2004 Olympic team that tied for fifth place in Athens, used the Americans' disappointing finish to motivate her
"Athens was an incredible experience and a very sad ending," Nnamani said. "I never forgot how that felt and I wanted to try to do whatever I possibly could not to lose again."
The win raised Stanford's record to 30-6 while the Golden Gophers finished 33-5.
"Once in a while, you get rewarded by being the last team standing," Stanford coach John Dunning said. "We're just lucky that it's us."
Erin Martin and Trisha Bradford each had 13 kills to lead the Golden Gophers.
