Volleyball Southern Conference

Volleyball Wrap-up for October 19-21

October 19

Krouse Sets Aces Record in Win Over UNCG

CHATTANOOGA, TN - Sophomore Kari Krouse established a new Chattanooga single-season aces record and Cheryl Theis continued her torrid hitting pace to power the Lady Mocs to a 3-1 Southern Conference volleyball victory Friday night over UNC Greensboro at Maclellan Gym.

Chattanooga (13-8 overall, 5-7 SoCon) won the first two games 30-24 and 30-17 before UNCG came back to win game three 30-28. UTC's big early lead in the fourth game paved the way to a 30-16 win.

Krouse, from Fort Wayne, Ind., broke her own record of 66 aces set last season with four service aces against the Spartans. She has 69 aces in 2001 and ripped three of the serves in the fourth game as the Lady Mocs roared to an 8-0 lead and won going away.

Theis, who earlier in the week set career highs in three categories, hit a robust .400 Friday with 19 kills and just one error to go with 11 digs. She did not have any hitting errors until the fourth game. Theis was also in on a pair of blocks.

Senior Georgetta Bracy had a solid night with 12 kills, a .235 hitting average and 14 digs. Dominque Mayor added 15 digs, Julie Buck 18 digs and two aces, and Krouse 13 digs and eight kills. Tracie Grant was in on three blocks and had six kills.

UNCG (1-21, 0-11) was led by Dawn Bright's 21 kills. Five Spartans had double-digit digs, led by Kim Dayton with 20 and Kerry Stewart and Jamie Hedin with 17 each.

Chattanooga returns to the court Saturday afternoon when Davidson College visits Maclellan Gym at 2 p.m. UNCG plays at Western Carolina on Saturday at 2.


Furman Wins in Three over The Citadel

GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman volleyball team earned a victory in the Southern Conference Friday night at Timmons Arena, with a 30-14, 30-22, 30-27 victory over The Citadel.

The Lady Paladins relied heavily on juniors Abby Simon and Carrie Rowley, who recorded 15 and 10 kills, respectively. In addition, Rowley added a team-high three service aces in the effort. Sophomore setter Michelle Cauldwell saw action in two of the games, tallying 13 assists, while senior setter Laura Hooks led the team with 21.

The Bulldogs were topped by Tara Stephenson and Nicole Mantu, each of whom totaled nine kills. Mantu also recorded nine digs and she and Stephenson each recorded a block solo.

With the victory, Furman improves to 11-7 overall and 7-5 in the Southern Conference, while The Citadel falls to 7-13 overall and 0-10 in league action. The Lady Paladins will host conference leader Charleston Saturday at noon, while the Bulldogs face the Terriers of Wofford in a 2 pm match.


Georgia Southern Overcomes Appalachian State, 3-0
Eagles snap 10-match losing streak to Mountaineers

STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern used a strong offensive effort to defeat Appalachian State 3-0 in Southern Conference volleyball action at Hanner Fieldhouse Friday evening.

The Eagles (13-7, 9-2) were led by Martina Veiglova, who finished with 15 kills and a .379 hitting percentage on 29 attempts. Camila Schmitz-Rower tallied 13 kills while hitting .407 and Amanda Brooks contributed 19 assists and a team-high 11 digs. Georgia Southern hit .269 as a team as all 14 members of the Eagle roster played in the match.

The Mountaineers (2-18, 2-10) were led by Karen Neilson, who registered 16 kills, 11 digs and a .448 hitting percentage. Alexis Mosley added 12 digs for Appalachian State while Amber Mangrum finished with 24 assists.

Georgia Southern claimed a 1-0 lead in the match after claiming a 30-24 win in game one. The Eagle offense stepped up in game two, during which GSU hit .375, as the Eagles claimed a 30-22 victory for a 2-0 lead. Appalachian State jumped out to a 20-18 lead in the final game before Georgia Southern rallied for a 30-26 victory

The win marked just the second time Georgia Southern had defeated Appalachian State in 20 meetings between the two schools. The victory also snapped a 10-match winning streak for the Mountaineers in the series.

The two teams return to action Saturday, October 20 in Hanner Fieldhouse. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.


Cougars Get 3-1 Win Over Lady Terriers

SPARTANBURG, SC - Down by one game and tied at 28 apiece in game two, the College of Charleston came back to earn a 3-1 victory over Wofford in Southern Conference volleyball action tonight in Benjamin Johnson Arena. The Cougars won with scores of 24-30, 30-28, 30-23, 30-25. With the win, the Cougars improved to 20-2 and 10-1 in the conference. The Lady Terriers fell to 12-10, 4-7.

The Lady Terriers led by as many as seven early in game one. CofC came back to tie the score at 17 all. From there on out, Wofford dominated, building the lead back up to six at 25-19 and maintaining the margin.

The Cougars jumped out to lead by as many as four points midway through the second game. The Lady Terriers came back to tie it up at 23 apiece, and then again at 24 and 28. The last two points belonged to the College of Charleston, though, as Sara Davis made a brilliant kill to secure the game two victory.

Wofford took a four point lead to begin game four, but the Cougars battled back. Down 6-9, they outscored the Lady Terriers 8-1 to gain control of the match. From there, CofC held its lead to go up, 2-1.

The Cougars again jumped out ahead in the fourth game, leading by 24-15 with the game and match seemingly in hand. Wofford made a strong comeback run, cutting the lead to just four points, 25-29, before a final kill by Alyson Van Cleave gave the College of Charleston the victory. VanCleave and Davis led the College of Charleston squad with 18 and 17 kills, respectively.

VanCleave added 16 digs and three blocks, while Davis contributed 17 digs, four blocks and two aces. Setter Mary Sabatino chipped in 47 assists, eight kills and 13 digs, while Stephanie Ballard had 14 kills and 20 digs. Anna Rawl had a strong 27 digs for the Cougars.

Wofford was led by Andrea Duke, who gathered 23 kills and 61 total attacks, both Lady Terrier season highs, as well as 18 digs. Janna Webb had 14 kills for Wofford, while Cristy Carter added 13 kills and 20 digs. Setter Molly Bushong had a season-high 51 assists.

Wofford will continue its short home stretch with a 2 pm Saturday match against SoCon rival The Citadel. The College of Charleston travels to Furman for a noon match on Saturday.


October 20

Davidson Too Much for Lady Mocs Volleyball

CHATTANOOGA, TN -- The Lady Mocs tried for their first back-to-back Southern Conference volleyball victories of the season, but Chattanooga fell short hosting Davidson Saturday afternoon at Maclellan Gym. The Wildcats took a 3-1 victory 30-20, 16-30, 30-24, 30-23.

Chattanooga (13-9 overall, 5-8 SoCon) got another solid outing from senior Cheryl Theis, who had 16 kills and 20 digs, but no other UTC player had double-digit kills. Georgetta Bracy had 11 digs and nine kills, while Jody Steinberger had nine kills.

Davidson took command of the first game 10-3 and slowly increased its lead throughout. UTC bounced back in the second game with a .367 hitting average behind Theis' four kills and Julie Buck's three kills. That was the best game for the Lady Mocs, who finished with a .146 average.

Davidson was led by four players with double-doubles (kills-digs) -- Jacqueline Ortega (16-11), Meredith Lorenz (13-12), Roberta Quis (11-13) and Robecca Teichgraeber (11-13). Jennifer Ortega and Quis were both in on five blocks.

The Lady Mocs continue their five-game home stand by hosting Austin Peay Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Maclellan Gym.


College of Charleston Pulls Out Four-game Win Over Furman

GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman volleyball team lost 30-24, 27-30, 30-24, 30-26 to the Cougars of College of Charleston Saturday in Timmons Arena before a homecoming crowd of 173.

The Lady Paladins dogged the conference-leading Cougars, hanging close in every game, but were only able to win the second by a thin three-point margin. After jumping out to an early 12-6 lead in the fourth game, the Furman passing game stalled and the Cougars came back to win the game and match.

The Cougars were paced offensively by freshman Sara Davis, who totaled 17 kills and senior Alyson VanCleave, who tallied 16. Senior Tara Greene was also impressive, earning a .308 attack percentage on 11 kills and digging a team-high 28 balls on defense.

The Lady Paladins were paced by junior Laura Bush, who rolled-up 21 kills on the day, while Abby Simon added 19 and Carrie Rowley totaled 15. Setter Laura Hooks led the team defensively, with 24 digs, while Simon added 23, Rowley claimed 21, and Julia Fredrickson totaled 17. The Lady Paladins' 108 digs were a season-high, surpassing the 106 tallied in the Sept. 26 five-game match against Wofford.

Win the win, the league-leading Cougars improve to 21-2 overall and 11-1 in Southern Conference play, while Furman falls to 11-8 overall and 7-6 in the conference. Furman will host the Terriers of Wofford on Tuesday, at 7 pm, while College of Charleston hosts UNC Greensboro Friday night at 7 pm.


Georgia Southern Overwhelms Appalachian State, 3-0
Defense leads Eagles to victory

STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern held Appalachian State to a -.055 hitting percentage to sweep the Mountaineers 3-0 in Southern Conference volleyball action at Hanner Fieldhouse Saturday evening.

The Eagles (14-7, 10-2) were led by Camila Schmitz-Rower, who tallied 10 kills and a game-high 11 digs on the evening for her ninth double-double of the season. Martina Veiglova added six aces and 11 digs for Georgia Southern while Amanda Brooks finishe with 18 assists.

Appalachian State (2-19, 2-11) was led by Karen Neilson with eight kills and a .136 hitting percentage. Amber Mangrum finished with 14 assists and five digs in the match.

Georgia Southern claimed jumped out on top as they claimed a 30-14 victory in game one, during which it held the Mountaineers to a -.148 hitting percentage. The Eagle defense proved to be tighter in the second game as App. State recorded just two kills in 19 attempts.

Ten Georgia Southern service errors allowed Appalachian State to stay close early in the game before GSU claimed a 30-14 victory for a 2-0 lead. The Eagles sealed the victory in game three by a 30-20 score.

Georgia Southern returns to action Sunday, October 21 when it hosts East Tennessee State in Hanner Fieldhouse. The match, which features two teams tied for second in the Southern Conference standings, is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.

Appalachian State next returns to action Friday, October 26 when it hosts Wofford in a Southern Conference match-up at 7:00 p.m.


WCU Volleyball Blanks UNC Greensboro

CULLOWHEE, NC - The Western Carolina women's volleyball team shutout Southern Conference opponent UNC Greensboro, 3-0, Saturday afternoon in the Ramsey Center.

Western hit .514 as a team in game one to mark a 30-11 victory, recording 19 kills with only one error on 35 attempts. The Cats took the Lady Spartans 30-14 in game two with a .429 hitting percentage (16-4-28). UNC Greensboro fought back in game three keeping the score within three (12-9). Western then took control of the game winning 30-20.

Senior Christy Attebery recorded the matches only double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs. She also recorded a hitting percentage of .577 (15-0-26). Attebery put down one service ace to give her a career total of 147, good for second in WCU record books.

Sophomore Shari Harder ran the Catamount offense in games two and three as she tallied 26 assists for the match. Stefanie Peters and Michelle Gorton put down two block assists each. Peters added five kills and seven digs while Gorton put down four kills and notched two service aces.

UNCG's Dawn Bright led the Lady Spartans with five kills and tallied four digs. Juliet Pack and Lori Brooks led the defense with six digs each. UNC Greensboro falls to 1-21 overall and 1-11 in Southern Conference play.

Western improves to a 14-8 overall record and 9-3 in league play. The Cats will next host Davidson, Sunday, October 21 at 2:00 pm. UNC Greensboro will travel to College of Charleston, Friday, October 26 for a 7:00 pm start.


Lady Terriers Sweep The Citadel

SPARTANBURG, SC - Wofford defeated The Citadel, 3-0, in Southern Conference volleyball action Saturday afternoon. In front of a crowd of 519, the Lady Terriers won with scores of 30-18, 30-18, and 30-21.

With the win, the Lady Terriers improved to 13-10, and 5-7 in SoCon play. The Bulldogs fell to 7-13, 0-10.

Andrea Duke led Wofford with 12 kills, three aces and 10 digs. Currie Gossett added 11 kills, while Molly Bushong had nine kills with a .667 kill percentage, while adding 22 assists and four aces in the winning effort.

For The Citadel, Nicole Mantu tallied seven kills and 11 digs.

Next on the slate for Wofford, the Lady Terriers will begin a five-game conference road swing with a Tuesday evening match at Furman.


October 21

Georgia Southern Defeats ETSU, 3-0
Eagles move into sole-possession of second place in SoCon

STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern pushed its winning streak to five as it defeated East Tennessee State 3-0 in Southern Conference volleyball action at Hanner Fieldhouse Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles (15-7, 11-2) were led by Martina Veiglova, who tallied her 13th double-double of the season with 14 kills and 11 assists. Camila Schmitz-Rower finished with 11 kills and nine assists while Kim Foytich recorded 21 assists. Georgia Southern hit .304 as a team to move into sole possession of second place in the Southern Conference standings.

East Tennessee State (14-3, 10-3) was led by Amber Ciskowski with eight kills and a .263 hitting percentage. Natalie Atzinger also added eight kills for the Bucs while Carey Cavanaugh recorded 28 assists and 10 digs.

Georgia Southern jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a 30-16 victory in game one, during which they hit .323 while holding ETSU to a .056 hitting percentage. The Eagle offensive stepped it up a notch in the second game, hitting . 406 to claim a 30-27 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match. Georgia Southern finished off the match with a 30-25 win in game three.

Georgia Southern returns to action Tuesday, October 23 when it travels to Charleston, S.C. to face The Citadel at 7:00 p.m. East Tennessee State returns to Johnson City to face Gardner Webb at 6:00 p.m. on the same night.


Catamounts Sweep Wildcats
Hansen Marks 100th Win

CULLOWHEE, NC - Western Carolina women's volleyball Head Coach Michelle Hansen notched her 100th win as a head coach in a 3-0 victory over Southern Conference opponent Davidson Sunday afternoon.

The two teams battled in games one and two, however, Western prevailed with scores of 30-23 and 30-22. The Wildcats etched their way back into the match in game three when they tied the score at nine. Western earned a sideout to go ahead 10-9 only to lose possession and allow Davidson to tie the game again (10-10). The Catamounts never allowed Davidson to have an advantage as Western took control of game three to win 30-18.

Sophomore Michelle Gorton recorded the matches only double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Leading the Cats in kills was sophomore Sara Komosinski and senior Christy Attebery, each with 12. Komosinski also led in hitting percentage with .550 (12-1-20). WCU totaled 50 kills and 52 digs to Davidson's 33 kills and 40 digs.

Davidson's Jacqueline Ortega led the Wildcats in kills with 12, while Meredith Lorenz led in digs with 11. Davidson falls to 10-11 overall and 7-5 in Southern Conference play.

Western remains undefeated at home, 11-0, and improves their overall record to 15-8 and SoCon record to 10-3. The two team will meet again, Wednesday, October 24 in Davidson, NC. Game time is set for 7:00 pm.