June 9, 2011

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Rising sophomore Alexis Mathews and rising senior Carli Weiler of the Michigan State volleyball team brought home the silver and bronze medal, respectively, from the USA Volleyball Open National Championships in Dallas, Texas. The Spartan duo became the second and third individuals to compete for the U.S. National A2 Team under MSU head coach Cathy George and all-time in program history.

Mathews and her USA Red team placed second while Weiler played on the third-place USA White squad.

USA Red opened pool play by winning its first three matches of the weekend, all by the score of 3-0. USA Red suffered a tough 3-2 (22-25, 12-25, 25-23, 25-14, 15-11) in the final match of pool play, falling to USA Blue and ending pool play with a 3-1 record to earn the No. 2 seed for the playoffs.

Mathews and her USA Red squad rebounded in the opening two rounds of the double-elimination playoffs. After dropping USA White for the second time on the weekend, 3-1 (17-25, 30-28, 25-16, 25-11), USA Red found itself in a rematch against USA Blue in the semifinals. USA Red got the better of USA Blue, dropping it by a score of 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-18) to advance to the playoff finals.

USA Blue battled back through the losers bracket to face USA Red in the finals, topping the Red, 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23), to force a Golden Set for the gold medal. USA Blue used its momentum to narrowly edge USA Red, 26-24.

For Weiler and USA White, after topping former Spartan Dana Cooke's Toronto ICE in the first round, 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-11), it suffered its first loss of the weekend to USA Red, 3-0. After falling to USA Blue, 3-1, USA Red rebounded with a 3-1 win in its final pool play match against The Exterminators to end the first four matches with a 2-2 record.

USA White was immediately relegated to the loser's bracket after dropping its first round playoff match to USA Red, 3-1. USA White rattled off two wins over Toronto ICE and The Exterminators to once again face USA Blue for a chance to play USA Red in the finals. USA White couldn't rally back after dropping to first two sets before finally falling, 3-1, to earn the bronze medal.