Post Match Quotes
12/6/2013 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 6, 2013
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
CENTRAL ARKANSAS HEAD COACH DAVID MCFATRICH
Opening Statement....
"I want to start by saying congrats to Purdue, they put it on us pretty good tonight, we're not happy about it at all. We haven't even talked to our team yet, but what we're going to say when we get in there is that we've only been eligible for the NCAA Postseason 4 times and we've made it twice, but the truth of the matter is we're 0-2 and we don't like it. We don't like not giving our best effort, not to take anything away from Purdue, they beat us good, and I know we're young in NCAA Division 1, I know we've only gone to this thing two times out of four years, but we've got to change our attitude. We've got to come here wanting to win in the NCAA Tournament and not just be proud to get here. And that's the mindset that our coaching staff has got to instill on our team. The sad part is we thought we did it, but the way we performed...we didn't do it. So I think that part's on us."
On whether poise was an issue for Central Arkansas....
"I've got to tell you, it's counter-intuitive to think that about my team, but I think it was. I know some players were that way today. We are usually more poised and this season and leading up to this match we were very poised. We thought we were ready and the truth of the matter is we weren't. Assistant Coach John Newberry mentioned it that those first few points of the first game dictated the match. We never got in system and I'm angry about that. That comes back on me as a head coach. That's not the attitude that I teach my players and so that's not good on my part. We don't mind losing. Purdue beat us. They beat us fair and square. They beat us soundly. But for us to give an effort like that...I've got to take a look at the things that I'm doing as a head coach and I've got to make sure that I change some things so that we don't lose poise."
On how Purdue's service game bothered UCA...
"It did throw us off pace but we're so surprised that it did because we do that every day. We've seen it all season long...we've played Penn State this year, we beat Kansas this year, we played Arizona, we went five with #9 Marquette, we've seen it. And that's the frustrating part right now. Ultimately, and we'll tell this to our team, we're one of the winningest teams in the nation. We are 59-9 over the last two years, and when we leave the locker room tonight that's what we're going to give to our team. We are on a great two year run. Not many teams with four years eligibility in the NCAA can say that. And that's what we'll focus on. But, short, deep, we see that all the time. We handle it all the time and we didn't handle it today, so that's a bummer."
On UCA's fan support...
"That's probably one of the things that makes me most proud as a coach at UCA. Our fans are incredible. You know, we're not a name like Purdue, Missouri, Stanford, Washington, but I tell you what: we've got fans that we would put up against anybody. We had parents and family and friends drive all night in five inches of snow to get here at 30 miles an hour. We had people leave Little Rock, Arkansas, go to Memphis and come the back way to Columbia so they could get here. We've seen it all year long. We've seen them show up at tournaments we hadn't expected. To be honest with you if the weather hadn't been so bad we would have had another hundred people here. They're incredible, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude and we're a little sorry that we let them down with our effort but we hope we get their continued support."
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PURDUE HEAD COACH DAVE SHONDELL
Opening Statement....
"We're real pleased with the way we played. We feel like we've been playing better and better as the season has gone on. We have a real seasoned team that's ready for tournament time. You hope (as a coach) that your team comes out in your first match of tournament play with a sense of purpose and focus. I felt we really did both of those things tonight. Central Arkansas is a team that can cause you a lot of trouble. They serve a lot of different ways, and they have some live arms. I felt like we did a lot of positive things to make it difficult on them as well. We knew coming in that they would be good. We've watched film on them since last Sunday."
On making Central Arkansas uncomfortable as a team all night...
"I think our team's size played a big role. We got off to a good start and made some nice blocks and deflections. While those factors were good for us, I think the difference in this game was our serving and our defense. That has been our team staple all year."
On how effective his team served tonight...
"This is one of the best serving teams we've had in years here at Purdue. You obviously always emphasize strong serving. We had some types of serves that we didn't use tonight, because we didn't feel it was necessary to use them against this team (Central Arkansas). It's not because they aren't any good, but we wanted to move the ball around more against them. Our serving was very good tonight, and it needs to stay that way. If it does, we'll have a chance to do some great things."
JUNIOR KIERRA JONES
On how the team played with a sense of poise tonight...
"I think it was mainly because we did a great job of studying going into tonight. We knew that they (Central Arkansas) were a really good team, and that we'd need to prepare accordingly."
On how the Big Ten competition has prepared them for the NCAA Regionals in Columbia, Mo....
"There are obviously a lot of great teams in our conference. Knowing every meet that we'll go against a great team over the regular season, has definitely prepared us for the NCAA tournament. Our coaching staff did everything they could to study and prepare for Central Arkansas and other opponents we might face."
SOPHOMORE, ANNIE DREWS
On how the team prepared for tonight's matchup...
"Like Kierra (Jones) mentioned, we had all of yesterday and today to prepare for this match. We felt relaxed, and our coaching staff gave us ample material to be properly prepared. Tonight, was all about executing our game plan."
On what led to your personal hot start against Central Arkansas...
"As this season has gone on, my offense has fluctuated a bit. Going into tonight, I've been working on feeling more comfortable when swinging at the ball. In an environment like the NCAA Tournament, you have to go up and swing hard all game. It's nice when you start out well."
