Wednesday, September 24, 2008

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Tijana Knezevic (Indija, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) nearly still had her back turned by the time the Presbyterian player mishandled the chance for a free ball and the ball careened to the floor, giving Knezevic one of the most unlikely kills of the night and leaving the USC Upstate volleyball team just one point away from clinching a win against the Blue Hose, which it did four points later, giving Upstate head coach Jennifer Calloway historic win No. 250 in thrilling 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 17-25, 17-25, 15-10) fashion in non-conference action at the Hodge Center on Tuesday night.

Calloway, 35, who joins current assistant coach Joe Bowman, as the only coaches in Upstate history to reach 250 career wins, is currently the youngest coach in the NCAA (all levels) with 250 career wins. In her 13th year at Upstate, Calloway has compiled a 250-159 career record, but still has a way to go to catch Bowman, who finished his 11-year career at Upstate as head coach with 350 wins. Calloway is also the youngest coach in the NCAA Division I with 250 wins and is one month and four days younger than the next youngest coach with 250 wins, Bryan Snyder of Washington & Lee, who has 285 career wins.

"I'm very grateful to all the student-athletes, assistant coaches, support staff and the University personnel that have all factored into my 250 wins," Calloway said. "I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach some great athletes during my time here, first and foremost, but also I am thankful for the opportunity that I was given to coach this program. Also, to do it in the manner that we did, against a team that beat us twice last year in Presbyterian, in a five-set match, was great."

With the Spartans (4-9 overall) on a 5-0 run and up 13-7 in the fifth set, Knezevic made a great hustle play to clinch the match, as senior Jovan Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia, New Mexico Military Institute) fielded an attack from Lisa Shelley, but the ball scooted high and wide to the left. Knezevic on a dead sprint, bumped the ball over the net, where the Blue Hose frontline bumped it into the net, giving the Spartans a 14-7 lead. After three Blue Hose points helped close the gap to 14-10, a Presbyterian attack error ended the match.