May 13, 2016
LOS ANGELES -
2016 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center ââ'¬" Game #3
No. 1 USC 12, No. 8 San Diego State 3
SDSU Quotes
Head Coach Carin Crawford opening statement:
"We knew we were playing the number one team in the nation. They are undefeated and we got to see a lot of why they are a great team. I was extremely proud of how tough we played them. I think giving up 12 goals to that team, once we figured out the first quarter where we had 5-1, we slowed them down quite a bit and we were pretty tenacious after that. We also stopped giving up center shots, which made a big difference. I definitely think the backbone of our defense is Rachel Mitchell, sitting to my left. To hold the team like that, very potent offense, to 12 goals is a great effort. I felt like we had every reason to feel discouraged after 5-1 first quarter. I think they scored the first 3 goals in the game within 2 minutes. So, I was really proud of our resilience to come back from that and keep fighting and keep competing."
On Rachel Mitchell's double-digit saves effort:
"Well we are pretty used to seeing those double digits from Rachel. That is a great thing we are used to. That team has some great shooters, and they push tempo every time. They give outnumbered attacks and they really have you on your heels defensively. I feel like Rachel saves us on a few situations where we are beat, defensive isn't where it is supposed to be. I can say her consistency and reliability help our defense be where it is supposed to be and it is just outstanding. She is absolutely our most consistent player this season and we really rely on her. She is the backbone of our defense."
Rachel Mitchell on what specific things she saw after the first quarter:
"Well we definitely saw a lot of center shots and I communicated with my team where I want a crash coming from and where I want a drop coming from. I think after those center shots in the first quarter, we got back together and regrouped and talked about what we want to do defensively. We didn't let any more center shots be that big of a threat and our defense really picked up and that is what helped us a lot."
USC Quotes
Head Coach Jovan Vavic opening statement:
"We played up and down. We had some good moments and some moments that were not so good. We played many players and we played both goalies and all of the players. We have five freshmen and they did a great job getting some NCAA experience. Hayley (McKelvey) had a very good game. Avery Peterson and Stephania (Haralabidis) played really well and Brigitta (Games) played well as well. It is good to have a game like this to start a tournament because the nerves on both sides were present. It was good to get the game behind us."
On his team's slow down after the first quarter:
"We have to look at the video to figure out what happened. I told them that in the beginning we played with more energy. Sometimes when you get a big lead you relax, and when you relax, you stop trying and you think that you have it under control and I think that was part of the reason. But San Diego State also called a timeout and reorganized and played us tougher. They are a good team and they didn't allow us to be overly physical and they did a good job, too."
Hayley McKelvey on her role on the team and the team's balance:
"The team as a whole, this year, is very balanced. Everyone has their part and comes to the table with different experience and skills and I think the one thing that we do really well is come together and create a great team."