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Rams to Face Florida in NCAA Tournament
Colorado State is 0-2 in the round of 16.
Dec. 9, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State advances to the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. The Rams are 0-2 in the round of 16 since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. The Rams will be facing Florida on Friday and are 1-1 all-time against the Gators. Ranked Win: In the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, 12th-ranked Colorado State swept 25th-ranked Maryland, 30-23, 30-28, 30-26 to advance to the Regional Semifinals. The Rams are now 30-4 on the season. Sophomore right side hitter Dre Downs led the Rams with 13 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Tess Rogers had 12 and junior middle blocker Bri Frech chipped in 10. Junior setter Melissa Courtney led the Rams with 11 digs and Frech led the team with four blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Casey Bauer was one of three players with two aces and served the final five points of the second game to lead the Rams to the comeback win. Moving On: In the First Round, Colorado State swept the George Mason Patriots, 30-22, 30-24, 30-25 to advance to the Second Round. Colorado State was led by junior outside hitter Becky Sarauer with 14 kills, while Tess Rogers chipped in 13 and Dre Downs added 11 and hit .474 for the match. Both Sarauer and Melissa Courtney had three aces and Courtney also added a match-high 10 digs. Downs led all players with three blocks. The Rams hit .352 for the match, holding the Patriots to a .140 hitting percentage. Every Night's A Record: The Rams have now won 23 straight matches, dating back to a loss at Minnesota on Sept. 19, which sets the new school and Mountain West Conference record for consecutive matches won. The old record was 20 matches held by the 2001 team. An Alarming Rate: Colorado State is now 30-4 this season which is a .882 winning percentage. That is the second best in school history, bettering the 2001 team's record of 29-4. The 1999 team holds the record at .909 after going 30-3. Looking Familiar: The Rams competed in the 2000 NCAA Regional Semifinal at USC. The three other teams in attendance were Florida, Penn State and USC. This season, three of the four teams will be the same at the regional, with USC being replaced by Kansas State. The Rams, Gators and Nittany Lions were also all at the NACWAA State Farm Classic together in Gainesville to start the 2000 season.
Post-Season Record: With the win over Maryland, Colorado State improved to 15-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament action since 1983. The Rams are 2-0 this season and since head coach Tom Hilbert's arrival in 1997, have posted a 10-6 record in the NCAA Tournament.
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