FRANCESCATTO COMES ALIVE LATE, LEADS 3-2 VCU UPSET OF JMU
11-18-06
Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Senior outside hitter Ludmila Francescatto (Fraiburga, Brazil) (pictured) smashed six of her 20 kills in the deciding fifth game to lift sixth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University past second-seeded James Madison Saturday in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament semifinals at Hofstra University’s Physical Fitness Center.

The victory sends defending champion VCU (16-14) to the CAA Championship match, where it will meet top-seeded Hofstra at 2 p.m. The Black and Gold are just the second No. 6 seed ever to advance to the CAA Championship match, joining the 1989 JMU squad.

The Rams also got virtuoso performances out of senior middle blocker Melissa Peterson (Ganado, Ariz.), who fired 15 kills and hit a match-high .448, sophomore outside hitter Ana Luiza Bernardes de Borja (Florianopolis, Brazil), who had 20 kills, and sophomore libero Laryssa Goncalves (Curitiba, Brazil) who collected 22 digs.

“It was really great getting a total team effort for second night in a row,” VCU Head Coach James Finley said. “We got outstanding play from Melissa Peterson and Ana Luiza Bernardes de Borja. And one of the things that allowed our offense to click was the great ball control by Laryssa Goncalves.”

Game Five was back-and-forth affair, featuring six ties and two separate VCU four-point leads. However, with the score knotted 12-12, Francescatto sandwiched two kills around one by sophomore Elisa Kuehnel (Dresden, Germany) to give the Rams the game and match.

The two teams traded the first eight points in the frame, but VCU built an 8-4 advantage on four consecutive JMU miscues. However, The Dukes battled back to tie it at 8-8.

The Rams answered again, with Bernardes de Borja sparking a 4-0 burst with a kill as VCU went ahead, 12-8. James Madison had one last gasp, however, with Ashley Copenhaver and Allyson Halls weaving kills within two Rams’ hitting errors to pull the Dukes even at 12-12.

“We didn’t get rattled,” Finley said. “They’d get off a run and we’d answer every time.”

The match was relatively even on the attack, with the Rams owning a slight, .222 to .207 hitting advantage. However, VCU owned a 14.0 to 8.0 margin in blocks, with freshman middle blocker Ivana Rich (Cumberland, Va.) providing six block assists.

Allyson Halls had a match-high 21 kills for the Dukes

Saturday’s match was the third this season between JMU and VCU to go five games. Madison won the previous two.

Hofstra advanced to the championship match via a 3-2 win over fifth-seeded Delaware in Saturday’s other semifinal. The Pride own two victories over VCU this season, a 3-1 triumph Sept. 16 in Richmond, Va., as well as a 3-1 win Oct. 20 in Hempstead. The Black and Gold knocked off Hofstra, the top seed last season as well, 3-0 in the semifinals a year ago.

Notes: Francescatto’s 20 kills put her within two of 500 for the season and 15 of Jonnie Stone for the single-season school record… Sophomore setter Cat Juson had 58 assists Saturday, moving her within four of Idalis Otero for fifth-most by a Ram in a single season in program history… James Madison committed 13 service errors and VCU added 12 Saturday.