Furman 3, Samford 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Samford University volleyball team fell at Furman Sunday in a four sets. The Bulldogs fought hard but were not able to hand Furman its first conference loss of the season. The Bulldogs fall to 14-11 overall, 8-3 in the Southern Conference while Furman improves to 17-3 overall, 10-0 in the league play.
Rachel Gadberry led the Bulldogs with 11 kills while tallying three block assists and Sheriden Stangohr posted 10 kills and seven block assists along with three digs. Allie Bettinger and Elizabeth Neisler both posted nine kills while Neisler led the Bulldogs in hitting with a .400 attack percentage. Bettinger also posted two digs, one assists and one ace while Neisler added three digs and three block assists.
Hillary Fountain dished out 34 assists while grabbing seven digs, five kills, three block assists and three aces. Alexis Bauer led the Bulldogs in digs with 11 while posting four assists and Casey Garvey added nine digs with four assists and two kills. Shelby Brandon knocked down three kills while grabbing six block assists and four digs, and Sarah Gardner had four digs and one assist while Alicia Roth added one dig.
Samford will close its five-match road swing next weekend, Oct. 31 - Nov. 1, as it travels to North Carolina to take on UNC Greensboro and Elon.
Furman 3, Samford 1
Samford opened up the first set with a block by Brandon and Stangohr to get on the board first, but a Bulldog error evened up the score and an ace by Furman put the Paladins ahead by one. However, Samford answered back with two consecutive kills by Stangohr and Neisler to go ahead, 3-2, before Furman went on a 5-1 run to take a three-point lead. Back-to-back kills by Bettinger cut the lead to one, but the Paladins tacked on four straight points to go ahead by five and force Samford to take a timeout.
Out of the break, Furman added three more points to stretch its lead to eight, but Samford answered back with four straight on two Paladins errors, a block by Gadberry and Brandon and an ace by Fountain to but the lead in half. After Furman grabbed one more point, the Bulldogs scored three more times to get within two before the Paladins called a timeout. However, Furman put together a 6-1 run to push the lead back out to five and force Samford to burn its last timeout. Samford fought back to get within four, but Furman would go on to win set one, 25-19.
Stangohr knocked down a kill to get the Bulldogs on the board first in the second set but Furman answered back with a kill of its own to even the score. The score would be tied two more times before two Paladin errors gave Samford a two-point lead. Furman went on a 3-1 run to tie the score at six before Brandon took the lead back for the Bulldogs with a kill, but the Paladins would answer back with a kill to tie the score at seven. Samford would then go on a 6-2 run to go ahead by four, but Furman answered with a 4-1 run of its own to tie the score at 14.
Samford answered with two kills by Gadberry and two aces by Fountain to go up by four, but Furman knocked down four straight kills to tie the score at 18 and force Samford to take a timeout. The next stretch was a back-and-forth battle as Furman would take the lead and then Samford would tie it and vice versa. However, with the score tie at 20, Gadberry and Bettinger knocked down two kills which forced Furman to burn a timeout. Out of the break, Stangohr and Brandon came up with a big block to put the Bulldogs ahead by three, and despite Furman's fight, Samford would go on to win, 25-22.
Furman opened the third set with two kills before Stangohr and Neisler came up with a block to get the Bulldogs on the board. The Paladins then pushed their lead out to three before Samford fought back to tie the score at eight on a kill by Neisler and a block by Brandon and Gadberry. Furman then put together a 9-4 run to go ahead by four and force Samford to take a timeout. However, Furman continued to get the job done, going on an 8-3 run out of the break to win set three, 25-17.
The Paladins got on the board first on a Samford error but Stangohr responded with back-to-back kills and a block by Stangohr and Fountain put the Bulldogs up by two. Furman put together a 7-3 run to go ahead by two and force Samford to take a timeout. Samford rallied back out of the break to get within one on a 4-1 run and although Furman would go back ahead by as much as four, the Bulldogs would respond with some fire and get within one on a block by Neisler and Stangohr. However, Furman would go on to win the four and final set, 25-19.
Georgia Southern 3, Western Carolina 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - Sweeping the Western Carolina Catamounts inside Hanner Fieldhouse, the Georgia Southern volleyball team improved to 17-8 on the year and 7-3 in Southern Conference play. The Eagles, led by sophomore Lauren Claybaugh who contributed 11 kills and five digs in the win, held WCU to a .115 hitting efficiency, while striking .368 from the floor. Western Carolina dropped to 3-21 and 0-10 in conference play.
Committing only three errors on 18 attempts for a .444 clip, Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) led the Eagles' offense with a match-high 11 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) added 10 kills in the winning effort, while only committing two errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Pacing the hitters with a match-high 30 assists was freshman setter Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.). Senior libero Cristin Haines (Palos Heights, Ill.) kept the Georgia Southern defense on pace with 17 digs.
The Catamounts were held to single digits by the Eagles as Carrie Minogue led WCU with seven kills. Amanda Chaparro and Brittany Lysik led with five assists each as three Catamounts followed with four apiece. Katie Hennessey put up 16 assists for WCU, who hit .115 from the floor.
WCU challenged Georgia Southern in an opening stanza that witnessed 11 ties and six lead changes. Helped by four kills on behalf of Sanford, the Eagles took the final lead of the set following an 18-all tilt. Van Dyke put the Eagles on top with a kill as Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) gave Georgia Southern a two-point advantage, 20-18. WCU picked up a side out before Small retaliated with her third kill of the set. A Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) kill forced Western Carolina to take a timeout at 22-19. The Catamounts fought off one set point after Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) put the Eagles within striking distance as Claybaugh sealed the set at 25-21.
Four consecutive kills from Sanford opened the second set for Georgia Southern as the Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Putting together a 4-0 run, the Catamounts knotted the set at 4-apiece and again at 9-all before Georgia Southern took control for the final time. WCU pulled to within one at 14-13, but the Eagles stood fast and continued to pull away leading by as many as many as eight points at first set point, 24-16. The Catamounts delayed the end adding four points to the board before Danielle Graham (Cincinnati, Ohio) finalized the second set, 25-20.
Returning from intermission, WCU tested Georgia Southern to open the third stanza, eventually taking the lead at 11-10. Claybaugh quickly tied the set as Bellissimo put the Eagles in front, 12-11. The Catamounts tied the set for the final time at 12-all as Georgia Southern took control and never looked back. Holding a six-point lead at 20-14, WCU took a timeout before the Eagles sealed the win on a 5-3 run. A service error from Rebecca Stoltz concluded the match at 25-17.
"We got off to a slow start today, but once we made some substitutions, it was nice to see the kids step up, make some good plays and bring some energy to the court. I thought Lauren [Claybaugh] played well throughout the match. She kept her energy high and had some quality swings," said head coach Chad Callihan. "We need to get our consistency back before our weekend coming up as it was disappointing to see the way we started today."
Georgia Southern continues this homestand playing host to Furman on Parents' Night Out and Junior Eagle Club Day on October 30th and Wofford on Costume Night, Saturday, October 31st. Match times are set for 7 p.m. both nights.
Wofford 3, Chattanooga 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Terrier volleyball team rebounded after a tough five-set loss on Saturday to sweep the Chattanooga Mocs in three sets on Sunday. After a narrow win in the first set (25-23), Wofford claimed the next two sets by scores of 25-13.
The Terriers started out strong, taking a 13-7 lead in the first set before allowing Chattanooga to narrow their lead to one point at 18-17. The Mocs then used two straight kills to tie the score at 22, but strong serving from the Terriers took Chattanooga out of system and led to the 25-23 win for Wofford.
In the second set, Wofford came out strong again, leading by as many as seven points before claiming the 25-13 win. The Terriers were able to shut down the Mocs' offense in the second set, recording eight total blocks in the set.
Wofford maintained its momentum in the third set, using strong serving and capitalizing on Chattanooga's errors to take an early 6-3 lead. The Mocs tied the score at 10, but the Terriers rallied behind strong serving from Stacy Byrd to record an 8-1 run, resulting in an 18-11 lead. Chattanooga was unable to overcome the deficit, and the Terriers claimed the third and final set by a score of 25-13.
Chattanooga was led by sophomore Laura Brock, who tallied 13 kills and 10 digs in the match. Libero Paula Passmore led the team's defense with 22 digs, while freshman Meagan Ernd added 13 defensive saves.
Senior Shanna Hughes led the Terriers with 11 kills and added 17 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Junior Catelyn Amende recorded 10 kills and no errors on only 18 attempts for a .556 attack percentage, while also contributing four total blocks. Setter Joanna Suddath led the team with six total blocks, including two solo, and 27 assists. Libero Sarah Palmer recorded 21 digs to lead the team, while junior Stacy Byrd helped the defense with five total blocks and 12 defensive saves.
With the win, Wofford improves to 17-9 overall and 4-6 in the Southern Conference while Chattanooga falls to 11-12 on the season and 3-8 in league play. The Terriers will travel to Davidson on Friday, October 30 for a 7:00 p.m. match.
College of Charleston 3, Elon 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Junior setter Cole Dawley (Charleston, S.C.) tied her career-high with 59 assists and added 17 digs for a double while sophomore middle blocker Sarah Havel (Carmel, Ind.) and junior outside hitter Whitney Russell (Decatur, Ga.) each drilled 18 kills as the College of Charleston (12-10, 8-2) rallied to defeat Elon (19-5, 6-4) in a Southern Conference volleyball match at the Carolina First Arena. CofC claimed the match by scores of 23-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-23 and 15-13.
Trailing 2-1 in the match, the Cougars rallied for a 25-23 victory in Game 4 to force a decisive fifth set against the Phoenix. In that final set, Elon powered out to commanding leads of 6-2 and 10-5 before three straight points, two on kills and one on an ace by freshman setter Liza Price (Fort Mill, S.C.), narrowed the gap to 10-8.
Following a kill by sophomore middle blocker Caroline Lemke that pushed the lead to 11-8, the College of Charleston responded with five consecutive points, keyed by three consecutive kills from Russell, to take their first lead of the set at 13-11. Another kill by Lemke brought Elon to within a point but was answered by kill from junior right side hitter Ginny Phillips (Raleigh, N.C.) that maintained the Cougars two-point lead at 14-12. One more kills was not enough for the Phoenix as Russell capped off the dramatic comeback with her sixth kill of the set for a 15-13 victory.
Earlier in the match, Elon battled through eight ties in Game 1 to secure a 25-23 victory before CofC jumped out to a 14-7 lead and went on to a 25-18 decision to tie the match at 1-1. Neither team would give ground in the third set as both notched 13 ties and eight lead changes as the Phoenix held on for a 27-25 win on consecutive Cougars errors.
Game 4 was another tight contest as the teams traded the lead four times and were separated by no more than three points in the second half of the set. Tied at 22-22, CofC scored three of the final four points to claim a 25-23 victory and send the match to a fifth set.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Copenhagen posted an impressive double-double with team-highs of 13 kills and 20 digs to lead Elon while sophomore right side hitter Traci Stewart finished with 13 kills, 10 digs and six blocks. Senior setter Emily Regan dished out 49 assists and added 15 digs for a double-double. Caroline Lemke contributed 11 kills and a match-high seven blocks, two solo, while freshman libero Ali Deatsch added 17 digs defensively.
For the College of Charleston, Cole Dawley tied her career-high of 59 assists, set previously against Western Carolina a year ago to the day on October 25, 2008. She also came away with 17 digs for a double-double while Sarah Havel had 18 kills, five digs and five blocks. Whitney Russell provided a clutch fifth-set performance as she finished the match with 18 kills and a .324 hitting percentage. Both led the team. Ginny Phillips notched a strong all-around performance as she flirted with a quadruple-double with 15 kills, nine digs, seven assists and six blocks.
The Cougars defensive performance was led by junior libero Paige Johnson (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.) who top her career-high for the second consecutive day as she finished with 30 digs, breaking her mark of 25 set against UNC Greensboro. Sophomore middle blocker Elyse Chubb (Peachtree City, Ga.) added eight kills and five blocks while senior outside hitter Emily Sawin (New Lenox, Ill.) chipped in with eight digs.
The College of Charleston returns to action when they travel to Appalachian State for Halloween match on October 31. First serve for that match is slated for 2 p.m.
NOTES
Cole Dawley's other career-high assist performance came against Western Carolina on October 25, 2008 when she dished out 59 assists ... that was the fourth time that season she surpassed 50 assists and her 59 vs. Elon represents the second time this season ... Paige Johnson passed her career-mark of 25 assists with her 30 against the Phoenix ... it was the fifth time this season she has accomplished the feat.
The Citadel 3, UNC Greensboro 1
CHARLESTON, S.C.-Led by the trio of juniors Jessica Maas, Tatum Jestila and Blaine McAllister, The Citadel dominated Southern Conference foe UNC Greensboro, 3-1, at McAlister Field House on Sunday. The Bulldogs, by scores of 26-24, 16-25, 25-11 and 25-19, won their first SoCon match of the season. Maas finished the match with 16 kills, 13 digs, two assisted blocks and one service ace. She pounded the Spartans for a hitting percentage of .382.
"What a great win for this team because it all came together for us," said head coach Carolyn Geiger. "We really stepped up in several key areas-tough serving, blocking and especially defensively. Everyone performed up to their potential today, which was instrumental in the win. Individually, Alyssa (Holum) really distributed the ball well. My juniors (Maas, Jestila and McAllister) really stepped up when it was crucial."
Jestila, with 14 kills and 14 digs, notched her 10th double-double performance of the season. Fellow junior, Blaine McAllister finished with 12 kills (.310) and six digs. Setter Alyssa Holum finished with 46 assists, marking the fourth time this season that she has reached the 40-assist plateau. The front row trio of Maas, Jestila and McAllister accounted for the 56-50 edge in kills. Defensively, the tandem of Kathryn Johnston and Rachael Farrell, who finished with 12 and 10 digs respectfully, accounted for a 75-57 differential between the two teams. The victory moves The Citadel to 5-20 overall, 1-8 in SoCon matches.
UNC Greensboro (13-11, 6-4), who has back-to-back losses in SoCon matches, was led by Catherine Hanners 12 kill, 12 dig performance. Teammates Kimiko Naito (23 assists) and Ari Lysacek (18 assists) also finished with double-digit showings. Kayleigh Knerr garnered a team-high 14 digs. The Spartans fell to The Citadel for the first time since a 3-1 defeat at McAlister Field House in 2004.
The Citadel returns to the road for a pair of contests at Savannah State and Western Carolina. The Bulldogs play at Savannah State on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, they face-off against Western Carolina in Cullowhee at 2 p.m.
Davidson 3, Appalachian State 2
DAVIDSON, N.C. - With four hitters in double figures, the Davidson Wildcats battled back from a 2-1 deficit to capture a second straight 3-2 Southern Conference win (25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 25-23, 15-12), this time over the Appalachian State Mountaineers Sunday afternoon at Belk Arena.
Junior Sarabeth Peele led all Davidson (6-20, 3-7) hitters with 24 kills, and sophomore Christine Perzinski tallied a career-high 14. Jorden and Madison Benedict added 13 and 12, respectively, while junior setter Anna Bradbury posted a double-double with a career-best 62 assists to go along with 11 digs. Freshman Molly Crenshaw led the Davidson defense with 23 digs, and freshman Ariel Ley contributed 10.
Appalachian State (9-15, 5-5) placed a pair of hitters in double figures, led by Meghann Forshey with 13 kills and seven blocks, along with Becca Norris' 10 kills. Setter Kasey Sauls finished with 39 assists, and libero Cassie Engelgau had a team-best 21 digs. As a team, the Mountaineers posted 17 blocks, led by nine from Caroline Sedon.
An early 5-2 Davidson lead turned into a one-point deficit, 9-10, behind a 6-3 Mountaineer run to open the match. Davidson, though, would win the next three points on a Madison Benedict kill and a pair of Appalachian errors and would control the set the rest of the way. The Mountaineers got within a score just once, 18-17, but the Wildcats would win the opening frame behind a 7-3 run to finish for the 25-20 win.
The Mountaineers took a 5-1 lead to begin the second set, but a 4-0 Wildcat run including a pair of Peele putaways and an ace from Bradbury knotted the game at five. Kelsey Kuehner and Kelly Rhein were part of a 5-2 Mountaineer swing that gave ASU a 10-7 cushion, and Appalachian would lead by as many as five points, 21-16. Davidson won six of the last 10 points, but ASU would even the match with the 25-22 win.
Despite an early 5-2 Davidson lead, the third set was controlled by Appalachian State, who took an 8-6 lead behind a 6-1 run and led the rest of the way. The Wildcats would get within four points late, 22-18, but the Mountaineers closed with a 5-2 spurt to take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-19 win.
Facing elimination, Davidson took a slight 6-4 lead to start the fourth set, but the Mountaineers jumped ahead with a 4-1 run, including kills from Becca Norris and Rhein. The teams traded points with the score knotted three times until the Mountaineers started to pull away with the set tied at 11. Five Wildcat errors and a pair of kills from sophomore Erin Lupfer and Perzinski put the 'Cats in a 16-13 hole, but the Wildcats answered with three straight scores to even the score. The teams would trade possessions with the score tied at every point until a Mountaineer error gave the 'Cats a 23-22 advantage. A second straight ASU error made it 24-22, but Norris helped ASU survive before Perzinski punched home the game-winner for the 25-23 victory to force the fifth set.
Davidson carried the momentum into the decisive set, winning the first four points on a pair of kills from Peele, a Jorden Benedict putaway and a Mountaineer error. Three straight Wildcat errors cut the lead to just 4-3, but Davidson rattled off four straight points to take control, 9-3. Appalachian State made things interesting late, though, rallying from 6-11 to trail by just two points, 13-11. An attack error by the Mountaineers Maja Jechorek gave the Wildcats a match-point try, but she won the next point. On the next play, Peele put away a pass from Bradbury to squelch the Mountaineer rally and secure the match victory with the 15-12 win.
Davidson will host a pair of Southern Conference foes for a second straight weekend, taking on Wofford (17-9, 4-6) at 7 p.m. Friday and Furman (18-3, 10-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday.