Nov. 22, 2009
MILLSBORO, DE — Vanderbilt powered its way to its fourth consecutive Hawk Classic Championship Sunday, ending its excellent fall campaign with two titles in three contests.
The Commodores had a commanding weekend, going 11-1 in head-to-head play and making relatively quick work of a good Fairleigh Dickinson team in the championship match.
Vanderbilt won the day’s opening match against FDU, taking the series four games to three on the strength of its best game in the seventh and deciding Baker game. That win conveniently pushed VU into the title game while the Knights had to scramble in the loser’s bracket.
In the championship game, the Commodores again looked at FDU and this time won in more comfortable fashion, four games to one.
“We tried not to talk about a four-peat very much because this is essentially a new team,” Coach John Williamson said. “We looked at this as a new experience; we wanted to create our own history.”
Williamson was pleased with his team’s competitive spirit, especially after the explosive Knights unloaded a tremendous 273 score to take the fourth game of the second match-up.
“It was nice to see us recover from the affect of an opponent’s great game,” he said. “We didn’t hang our heads; we didn’t let ourselves get caught up in their excitement.”
The first match of the day was much tighter, with every game won on the right hand lane. “The left lane was kinda screwy,” was Williamson’s non-technical analysis of what had happened.
Using a lineup of Jessica Earnest, Ashley Belden, Kim Carper, Brittni Hamilton and Josie Earnest for all 12 games, Williamson said everyone made key shots when they were needed.
Hamilton made the all-tournament team, finishing fourth individually in a tightly bunched leader field with a 199 average Saturday. Paula Bilas of Maryland-Eastern Shore was the winner with a 203 average. Jessica Earnest placed sixth and Josie Earnest 10th.
“Josie was Josie,” he said of his anchor and two-time NCAA Player of the Year. “You can find yourself taking her for granted because she has been so dominant for so long. Today she was money.”
Williamson also thought Belden and Jessica Earnest were strong, consistent players on a day when things went very well.
The Commodores are now off for the holidays and won’t resume tournament play until late January.
Host Maryland-Eastern Shore held off Valparaiso in the consolation match and won third place. Twenty teams were in the field.
Vanderbilt’s Sunday Results
VU 4 Fairleigh Dickinson 3
VU 197-176
FDU 215-190
VU 213-173
FDU 132-235
VU 192-178
FDU 172-137
VU 217-179
Championship Match
VU 4 FDU 1
VU 218-198
VU 171-155
VU 196-191
FD 273-191
VU 182-156
