Nov. 6, 2009

By Manie Robinson, The Greenville News

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman University volleyball team is on the best run in the program's history, but the Paladins are concerned only about where they will be when the run is over.

The Paladins (20-3) have won 13 consecutive games, the longest win streak in Furman history. The last time the Paladins lost a match was on Sept. 19 against Clemson. Furman swept through October, while raising its Southern Conference record to 12-0.

While pleased with the streak, the Paladins assert that it is only a by-product in the pursuit of their primary goal: to host this year's SoCon tournament.

"This year they've changed the format of the tournament from eight teams to four," Furman coach Michelle Young said. "They decided that whoever won overall got to host. It dropped the parameters of what you need to host, which we wouldn't meet if there was a bid process.

"We said, `This may be the one time we'll get to host in our gym.' We were really excited about that opportunity, so it became our goal: `We have to win to host.' "

And win they have, including all seven home matches this season.

With four SoCon matches remaining, including tonight's visit to UNC-Greensboro, Furman holds a three-game lead over the College of Charleston and needs only two wins to net its goal.

"We all feel like everybody has it out for us now, just to be the one who ends Furman's streak," said sophomore Kelly Kirby, a former Hillcrest High star who leads the team with 238 kills and was selected the SoCon's player of the month for October.

"It doesn't add any pressure though," Kirby said, "because we still have our No. 1 goal in mind, which is hosting the tournament. We don't have to go undefeated to do that."

"Our goal was not to break records," Young said. "It is still just to host. We just need to finish with more wins than everybody else."

Such a finish would be the exact opposite of how the Paladins entered the last SoCon tournament. Furman finished last season 11-7 in the SoCon, earning the second seed in the South Division. Facing three teams to which they had previously lost, the Paladins battled to victories in three straight five-game matches and claimed Furman's first SoCon championship since 1990 - and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

"That was the hardest weekend I've ever been involved in," Young said. "If you go in undefeated or as the fourth seed, it's going to be hard no matter what. We just need to realize that and try to focus on getting better every day."

"An undefeated season is not what we are going for," Kirby said. "After last year, we learned that being undefeated would not give us an edge. Having the tournament at home would."