ST. LOUIS, Mo. — " Π?με”
They wear it on their backs — they live it on the court.
It's a simple, four-letter Greek word, but to the Saint Mary's University volleyball team, it's been their rallying cry all season long.
And that cry has been heard loud and clear, as the Cardinals compiled a 22-9 overall record and — thanks to Thursday's 3-1 win over Thomas More — earned a berth in the NCAA Central Regional semifinal Friday evening against top-seeded and host Washington University in St. Louis.
“ Π?με (pronounced "Pom-A") means 'Let's Go,' in Greek,” explained SMU coach Mike Lester, who, along with all the returning SMU players, spent more than a week in Greece last May. “When we were in Greece, all the teams would yell out, 'Pom-A, Pom-A.'
“Our players thought that was pretty cool, so we put it on the backs of all of our workout shirts and adopted it as our mantra this year,” Lester added. “Even the first-year players, who weren't able to make the trip with us have bought into it.
“It's been a great reminder of our where this team has been, and what we've accomplished.”
BIG ASSIST: Senior setter Brittany Cherwinka (Faribault, Minn.) had enjoyed a banner career at Saint Mary's, including back-to-back 1,000-assist seasons.
Natural ability certainly played a part in the senior setter's stellar SMU career, but part of the credit also goes to assistant coach Tessa Stranik, a three-year letterwinner who holds the programs single-season assist record (1,433) and is second in career assists (2,783).
Not a bad mentor to have.
“Tessa's done a great job with all of our setters,” said Lester, who has had Stranik — a 2005 graduate of SMU with degrees in biology and biophysics — on his staff each of the last years. “She and I are on the same page in terms of what we want to get across (to the setters), but she is able to relate it so well because she's been there and really understands the position and how to play it.”
And play it well.
Stranik, a two-sport athlete during her days at Saint Mary's, dished out those single season 1,433 assists during her junior season, then followed that up with 1,324 assists in her senior season, when the Cardinals recorded a 21-10 overall record.
LINING UP THE OPPOSITION: The Bears own an NCAA Division III-record nine national championships and 19 University Athletic Association championships — including 16 straight titles from 1989-2004. … The Bears are making their 23rd straight NCAA appearance. … The Bears are the top seed in the NCAA Regional, boasting 29-4 overall record this year — including a 3-1 win over Webster (Mo.) in Thursday's regional opener. … In 11 years as head coach, Rich Luenneman has led the Bearcats to two national titles (2003 and 2007). Luenemann has compiled a 375-52 overall record in 11 seasons at the helm. During that span, the Bears have won eight UAA Championships, while placing in the top-5 of the NCAA Tournament eight times, including runner-up finishes in 2002, 2004 and 2006. … WU enters tonight's semifinal match vs. Saint Mary's owning an all-time record of 80-14 in NCAA Tournament play. The Bears' 80 wins rank as the second most in Division III Tournament history. WU is also 34-2 at home in postseason play.
