The Citadel 3, Appalachian State 1
BOONE, N.C. - Heather Kale posted 15 digs and three players recorded double-figure kills but Appalachian State University volleyball fell in four sets to The Citadel at the Holmes Center on Friday night, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23 and 25-22. Appalachian raised more than $2,000 in the match for Dig for the Cure.
An early five-point run helped the Mountaineers (5-19, 1-9 SoCon) to a 5-2 advantage in the first set before Maja Jechorek found a rhythm and connected on six kills. With the help of four kills from Maggie Seeds, ASU cruised to a 25-17 win.
Jechorek finished the night with 14 kills, eight digs and five blocks. Seeds led all players in the match with 15 kills. She hit .321 with a pair of blocks as well.
Cassie Engelgau served Appalachian to a 3-0 lead in the second set but a 7-2 Citadel run put the Bulldogs ahead with a lead that extended to as many as six points several tie before ASU stormed back to tie the math at 23 all before two quick points for the Bulldogs evened the match at one set apiece.
Engelgau finished with 10 digs, an ace and an assist for the night.
After the intermission, The Citadel (7-16, 1-9) held onto the momentum to open a 6-1 lead before the Mountaineers caught their breath. ASU was held at bay until a late 6-0 run behind solid serving from Jechorek caught the Apps up at 21-21. Ten errors proved to be too costly for ASU in the set, however, and The Citadel capitalized to take a two sets to one lead.
The fourth set never saw either team stretch a lead to more than four points as the teams fought to eight ties. ASU held one lead in the set at 15-13, but a Bulldog timeout stopped the Mountaineer run as The Citadel piled up four of the next five points. The teams tied a final time at 20-20 before a three-point run by the Cadets put ASU in danger. The Apps fought back to 24-22 but Jestila put away the match with her team-high twelfth kill.
Carla Durham had six kills and six blocks in her return to the court after missing a pair of matches last week due to illness. Lauren Swecker added 10 kills, a pair of blocks and a .318 hitting percentage.
The loss is the first for Appalachian in 18 meetings with The Citadel, which matched its 2007 league win total. The Mountaineers raised $2,028.22 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure by totaling 49 digs at $25.78 apiece, along with $765 in donations for breast cancer research.
The Apps return to the court on Saturday evening for a 7:30 p.m. tilt with College of Charleston.
College of Charleston 3, Western Carolina 1
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Sophomore Kara Lynzee Brooks had a season-high 12 kills but it wasn’t enough to stop the attack of the College of Charleston Cougars (16-6, 9-1 SoCon), as Western Carolina volleyball (4-19, 2-8 SoCon) fell 3-1 (12-25, 29-27, 20-25, 11-25) Friday in the Ramsey Center.
The Catamounts bounced back from game one, hitting -.034, to take game two from the Cougars. Tied at 20, the two teams would bounce back forth with the lead until the game was knotted at 27 all. A pair of College of Charleston attack errors sealed game two for Western Carolina.
Western Carolina also battled in game three. Down the stretch, Western Carolina tied the game at 17 off an attack error by the Cougars. College of Charleston proceeded to go on an 8-3 run to secure the game.
College of Charleston hit a scorching .310 in the match in contrast to Western Carolina’s .101. College of Charleston also logged in 70 kills to the Catamount’s 37.
Junior Liz Rondone racked up 21 digs in the match and junior setter Katie Hennessey had 30 of the team’s 32 assists.
Western Carolina returns to action Saturday hosting The Citadel at 7 p.m. in the Ramsey Center.