FORT COLLINS — For a brief moment, the monumental task appeared feasible for the Northern Colorado volleyball team.
In their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level, the Bears had the brutal draw of No. 6 Washington in the first round Thursday at Moby Arena. Many considered a Huskies win a mere formality — until the Bears won the first set.
But whatever doubt was instilled in Washington was short-lived.
The Huskies came back to oust UNC 25-27, 25-15, 25-22, 25-21 and advanced to the second round tonight against the Colorado State-Middle Tennessee State winner.
“They had a second gear,” UNC coach Lyndsey Benson said. “We didn’t have a second gear tonight.”
Washington (24-5) was buoyed by a match-best 20 kills by Eaton High School graduate Kindra Carlson and overcame an uncharacteristically poor serving night (nine errors).
“UNC does a lot of things I like,” Huskies coach Jim McLaughlin said. “They play fast and serve tough. . . . Hopefully this is our tough match in the tournament.”
The Bears received 19 kills from outside hitter Kenzie Shreeve and 15 from middle blocker Allison Raguse.
“They were good, but they had their weaknesses,” Raguse said of Washington. “The scariest part was watching them in warm-ups, thinking, ‘We have to play them?’ “
Colorado State fans were rooting on UNC (21-12), and not because the Bears are another in-state school. Rams fans were hoping for the Bears rather than Washington as a prospective second-round opponent.
