Samford 3, Southern Miss 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University volleyball team rallied back in the third set against Southern Miss Saturday morning to finish strong and defeat the Golden Eagles, 3-1, in the second match for both teams in the Drury Hotels Samford Invitational. Samford is now 2-0 while Southern Miss falls to 1-1.
After falling in the first set to the Golden Eagles, 25-19, Samford got it together and took set two by a score of 25-22. The Bulldogs fell behind early in the third set, trailed by as much as seven but rallied back to win it, 25-23, due to some great leadership on the Bulldogs behalf.
"I was very happy with the leadership out of Hillary Fountain in game three, leading to a really nice comeback," Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. "We have so many little aspects of execution to improve that a lot of early matches will be scrappy. Right now, we will be happy winning those ugly matches but will work every week to execute at a higher level."
Samford was led by senior Sheriden Stangohr who knocked down 11 kills and matched a career-high nine block assists. Sophomore Shelby Brandon and freshman Allie Bettinger added 10 kills each, for her second consecutive match with tallying double-digits in kills. Brandon also grabbed four digs and four block assists while Bettinger had eight digs.
Fountain dished out a match-high 38 assists while freshman Casey Garvey added 12 assists and three digs. Fountain also had six kills, two aces, four digs and one block assists on the day. Sophomore Rachel Gadberry and freshman Elizabeth Neisler knocked down nine kills each. Gadberry also added five digs and matched a career-high six block assists while Neisler had one assist, two digs and four block assists.
Freshman Alexis Bauer led the Bulldogs again Saturday with her second straight double-digit dig match. Bauer posted 16 digs while senior Sarah Gardner added eight and junior Samantha Bland had four.
Tennessee State defeated ULM in the second match of the day, 3-0. ULM will take on Southern Miss at 5 p.m. before Samford and Tennessee State close out tournament play at 7 p.m.
Samford got on the board first in set one as Brandon and Stangohr knocked down a block the first Bulldog point. After an error by USM's Hendrickson and a kill by Stangohr, the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead. However, two kills and a block by the Golden Eagles soon tied the game at three. Southern Miss then took over the lead before Samford tied the game against at seven, and the score would be tied four more times until Samford finally took the lead back.
With the score 13-11, USM went on an 8-3 run to take the lead back and force Samford to take a timeout. Out of the break, Samford gave up another point on an error and tried to fight its way back into the game, but the Southern Miss would go on to win, 25-19.
The Bulldogs opened the second set almost identical to the first, as Stangohr and Gadberry knocked down a block to get Samford on the board first. A kill by Stangohr gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead, and Samford went on a, 8-4 to take a four-point lead before USM rallied back to get within one and force Samford to take a timeout.
Two Samford errors out of the break tied the score at nine, but the Bulldogs put together a 4-1 lead to go ahead 14-10 before the Golden Eagles called a timeout. USM cut the lead down to three and then to one but Samford forged ahead and won the second set, 25-22.
Southern Miss took and early three-point lead and soon stretched it out to seven before Samford called its first timeout of the third set. With a kill by Brandon and an ace by Sears out of the break, Samford cut the lead to five but after a Golden Eagle timeout, Samford went on a 6-1 run to cut the lead to one accompanied by three kill by Bettinger.
After Southern Miss called another timeout, Samford scored three straight points on an ace by Fountain and kills by Brandon and Gadberry to take a 22-20 lead. Although the Golden Eagles tied the score two more times, Samford went on to win the third set, 25-23.
Samford grabbed the first point of the final set on an error by USM's Sears. Sears answered back with a block to get the Golden Eagles on the board and USM was soon up by two. Samford answered back to tie the score at five and six but Southern Miss would tie the score three more times to keep the Bulldogs from taking the lead. However, with the score tied at nine, Samford would go on a 5-1 run to take a four-point lead and force USM to call a timeout.
Although, Southern Miss would cut the lead to two and then to one, Samford fought hard to keep its lead and won the fourth and final match, 25-22.
Samford 3, Tennessee State 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University volleyball team took the Drury Hotels Samford Invitational title Saturday evening as the Bulldogs swept the Lady Tigers of Tennessee State in a hard-fought nail-biter. The Bulldogs (3-0) won in straight sets (25-22, 25-21, 28-26) to defeat Tennessee State (1-2) for the first time since 2004.
Samford also extended its home winning streak to 17 straight wins in the Pete Hanna Center. Friday night Samford dominated the University of Louisiana-Monroe in a 3-0 win before defeating Southern Miss, 3-1, Saturday morning and sweeping Tennessee State, 3-0, Saturday night.
"This was a really nice opening weekend for us," Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. "I am most encouraged with making comebacks in three sets this weekend, which shows a lot of heart and determination."
Junior Hillary Fountain was tabbed the tournament's most valuable player as she grabbed 78 assists over the weekend, 29 against the Lady Tigers for a season high. She also grabbed 14 kills, 14 digs and three block assists during the tournament, five kills and nine digs against Tennessee State.
Senior Sheriden Stangohr and freshman Allie Bettinger earned spots on the all-tournament team. Stangohr had 17 total blocks over the weekend, with four block assists against Tennessee State and matching a career high with nine against Southern Miss. She also 23 kills on the weekend, with five against Tennessee State.
Allie Bettinger put together three consecutive double-digit kills games. Setting her career-high at 11 against Southern Miss Saturday morning, she also grabbed 10 kills against ULM and Tennessee State. She led the Bulldogs over the weekend with a total of 31 kills while grabbing 13 digs.
Also joining the Samford trio on the all-tournament team are Mari O'Neal (ULM), Caitlin Clarke (USM), Lauren Sears (USM) and Terakka Walker (TSU).
"Hillary did a great job leading with her voice and her play," Schroeder said. "Defenses keyed on Sheriden all three matches and she still managed to get great numbers. Allie is being asked to swing on a lot of balls due to injury and she did a great job and was much deserving of all-tournament team honors."
Sophomore Shelby Brandon knocked down a career-high nine kills against the Lady Tigers while hitting .318 and grabbing two digs and two block assists. Sophomore Rachel Gadberry added eight kills and two digs with one ace and one block assists. Freshman Elizabeth Neisler had three kills and two block assists, while grabbing Samford's only block solo of the match.
Freshmen Casey Garvey and Alexis Bauer both grabbed one kill while Garvey added 10 assists, one ace and five digs and Bauer led the Bulldogs while 12 digs. Senior Sarah Gardner had six digs and two assists while sophomore Samantha Bland had six digs and two aces and freshman Alicia Roth had one ace and one dig.
The Bulldogs will head to Nashville, Tenn., next weekend to play in the Belmont Tournament. There they will take on Central Arkansas on Friday and Southeast Missouri and Belmont on Saturday.
In the first set, Samford took an early 2-0 lead after a kill by Stangohr and an error by Tennessee State's Terakka Walker. The Lady Tigers then evened the score and soon took a commanding 11-4 lead forcing the Bulldogs to take their first timeout of the set.
Out of the break, the Lady Tigers went on a 5-1 run to take nine point lead but the Bulldogs battled back to get within two with the help of back-to-back kills by Gadberry and Bettinger and several TSU errors. With the Bulldogs trailing 19-17, Tennessee State took a timeout but the Bulldogs used that to their advantage and tied the score at 20 on an attack error by the Lady Tigers and consecutive kills by Bettinger.
TSU went ahead again by one but Fountain answered back with a kill to tie the game at 21, and the Bulldogs would go on a 4-1 run to win the first set, 25-22.
Samford jumped out to a 3-0 lead in set two with a kill by Brandon, an error by TSU Shaquita Williams and an ace by Bland. The Bulldogs held the lead for the whole set, leading by as much as five at some points. Although the Lady Tigers climbed within one point at the 21-20 mark, Samford forged ahead and took set two, 25-21.
The third set was the most exciting of the three with ties and lead-changes at almost every point. Samford got on the board first due to a service error by TSU's Yamari Padill-Callazo, but Gadberry responded with a service error as well. The Lady Tigers pulled ahead by two but Samford eventually caught up and tied the score at nine. Samford took over the lead and went on a 5-2 run to go ahead 14-12 and force a TSU timeout.
Out of the break, the Lady Tigers committed an error to put the Bulldogs ahead by three, but soon tied the score at 17 and added three straight points to go ahead 20-17 while Samford called a timeout. Bettinger knocked down a kill out of the break which seemed to ignite the Samford offense as Brandon grabbed two kills to get the Bulldogs within one.
Tennessee State called a timeout to regroup and came out of the break with a kill by Williams. Stangohr answered back for Samford and a TSU error had the Bulldogs and Lady Tigers all tied up at 24. It would be tied at 25 and 26 again due to kills by Neisler and Bettinger, but TSU gave it away in the end with two straight errors to give Samford the win, 28-26.
Elon 3, UNC Asheville 1
DURHAM, N.C. - Sarah Schermerhorn, Lauren Copenhagen and Caroline Lemke had double-digit kill performances in Elon's 3-1 (27-25, 25-21, 25-27, 25-15) win over UNC Asheville in the first match of day two of the Hilton RTP/NCCU Tournament in Durham, N.C. Elon is now 3-0 on the season.
Schermerhorn led all Phoenix players with 14 kills, two shy of her career record, for a .462 attack percentage. Copenhagen and Lemke tallied 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Also recording kills for the Phoenix were Traci Stewart with nine and Jessica Barrow with eight. Setter Emily Regan earned a match-high 43 assists in the win.
Led by Schermerhorn with two solo blocks and one block assist, the Phoenix held UNC Asheville to a .099 team hitting percentage. Copenhagen and Lemke each had one solo block, with Lemke also tallying a block assist. Pacing the defense was Ali Deatsch with 11 digs.
Leading the Bulldogs offensively was Lauren Ficker with 15 kills, followed closely by Kelsey Benorden with 13. Cindi Miller notched nine kills in the effort. Rachel Guinane paced the offense with 31 assists.
Defensively, Miller led the team in blocks with two. Raquel Miotto finished with 17 digs.
Elon will face tournament-host North Carolina Central at 5 p.m. for the final match of the tournament.
Elon 3, North Carolina Central 0
DURHAM, N.C. - The Elon volleyball team defeated host-team N.C. Central 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-12) in the final match of the Hilton RTP/NCCU Tournament in Durham, N.C. Though no tournament champion was named, Elon was the only team to go undefeated during the two-day, eight-team event.
Sarah Schermerhorn continued her solid opening weekend with match-high nine kills and a hitting percentage of .500. Traci Stewart finished with seven kills, while Lauren Copenhagen and Caroline Lemke tallied six and five kills, respectively. As a team, Elon hit .303, including a blistering .476 attack percentage in the final set. Emily Regan led the team in assists with 16, while Megan McMahon finished with eight.
Leading the Phoenix defensive attack that held the Eagles to a -.031 hitting percentage was Lemke with three block assists. Stewart and freshman duo Celia Eddy and Allison Johnson each recorded two assisted blocks.
Belin Behncke-Biney led the Eagles with seven kills, followed by Avaniki Campbell and Shantel Moore with five and four kills, respectively. Sashalee Wallen tallied two kills. Setter Kiara Brown led the match with 17 assists.
Defensively, Campbell led N.C. Central with one solo block and four block assists. Moore finished with three block assists.
Elon opens its home slate Tuesday September 1 at 7 p.m. when it takes on Charlotte in Alumni Gym. Live stats will be available for the match at www.elonphoenix.com.
Georgia Southern 3, Stetson 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - Beginning final day of the Holiday Inn Invitational, the Georgia Southern Eagle volleyball team continued its dominating season-opening play, taking Stetson in three sets, 25-18, 25-15, 25-14, for its second win of the season. In the morning action, Troy swept Presbyterian College to go 2-0 on the season.
"I thought we followed last night's performance with a good effort this morning," said Eagle head coach Chad Callihan. "We maintained a level of consistency throughout the match despite the number of substitutions we made testing different line-ups. Last season, we would have struggled with that, but this morning I thought we did a good job with it."
The Eagles used 13 of their 15-man roster to put forth the sweep over the Hatters. Georgia Southern came out strong in the opening set, taking control of the match early on. Off 12 digs, the Eagles hit a match-high .452 from the floor to take the opening stanza, 25-18 from the Hatters. Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) and Lauren Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) each contributed four kills to the Eagle effort. Freshman Bellissimo recorded two of her three service aces in the first set.
With an early 8-5 lead in the second set, Georgia Southern went on a 6-0 run to widen its lead to 14-5 before Kaylee Ream nailed one of her four kills in the set. The Eagles' .321 hitting percentage was backed by Bethany Sanford's (Avondale, Ariz.) four kills and Kate Van Dyke's (Shawnee, Kan.) three digs. Georgia Southern closed out the second set, 25-15.
A quick 7-0 run early in the third and final set gave the Eagles an 11-4 advantage. Three service aces and Sanford's five kill effort allowed Georgia Southern to secure the match win with a 25-14 tilt.
Georgia Southern hit .346 for the match with 39 kills, 38 assists - 31 by Van Dyke - and 32 digs. Stetson hit .050 from the floor led by eight kills from Ream and 13 assists by Kelli Carneal.
In the early morning match, Troy handled Presbyterian College in three sets to push its season record to 2-0. For the match, the Trojans hit .337 to PC's .137, recorded 45 kills to 35 by the Blue Hose and made 41 assists to PC's 35.
Final competition of the Holiday Inn Invitational concludes tonight, August 29, with Presbyterian College taking on Stetson in a 5 p.m. match-up. Georgia Southern will close out the tournament facing Troy at 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern 3, Troy 1
STATESBORO, Ga. - Led by sophomore Bethany Sanford's 14 kills and freshman Kate Van Dyke's 38 assists, the Georgia Southern volleyball team captured the Holiday Inn Invitational title Saturday night (August 29) defeating Troy, 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 25-18). Sanford was named the Tournament MVP for registering 37 total kills in three matches leading the Eagles to a 3-0 start for the 2009 season.
Georgia Southern used 53 digs while hitting .258 for the match to capture the win. The Trojans kept the score close in the opening set as the Eagles held a 10-8 lead before running away with the margin. A kill/assist combination from Hayli Ketner (Spartanburg, S.C.) and Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kansas) sparked the Eagles who held a seven-point lead before closing out the set, 25-20. Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) contributed seven of her 14 kills in the opening stanza.
"It was great to see how we played this weekend. I didn't think it was our best volleyball we could play, but I was extremely happy with the good effort we put forth and the way we kept our composure," said Eagle volleyball head coach Chad Callihan. "Troy has a very talented team and they really forced us to earn the victory. They did not give up after the second set when they could have, but really made us earn the win."
Hitting a match-high.308, the Eagles held the Trojans to a .086 hitting percentage in the second set. Georgia Southern jumped off to a 4-1 start, but lost the lead when Troy's Meghan Gilroy hammered a kill to pull the Trojans ahead 10-9. The Trojans pushed their lead to three before the Eagles battled back twice to retake the lead and win. Van Dyke served out the final four points for the Eagles as sophomore Lauren Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) registered two of her 13 kills for the match down the stretch. That set closed, 25-18.
After the break, the Trojans sparked an early 8-0 run pushing the score to 13-2. Troy capitalized on Georgia Southern's .107 hitting attempt to take the third set, 25-17.
Georgia Southern regained its momentum in the fourth set, tying its first-set attack percentage of .303. Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) combined with Sanford and Van Dyke for 10 kills in the final set. With GSU on top, 11-6, the Eagles used two Trojan attack errors and three kills from three Eagles to force a timely Troy timeout at 16-8. The Trojans tried to capitalize on four attack errors by the Eagles, but could not cut the margin from the match-point, 24-18. The Eagles secured the match off Van Dyke's fourth kill of the match.
In earlier action, Presbyterian College took its first victory of the season with a 3-2 victory over Stetson.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, the All-Tournament Team was announced. Sanford, Claybaugh and Van Dyke were named to the team as well as Troy's Meghan Gilroy and Megan Henderson, Stetson's Kaylee Ream and Presbyterian College's Presley Mabrey.
"All three of our players named to the team did an outstanding job this weekend. We had a number of players that played well, but I thought these three really brought the team's energy up maintaining their poise," said Callihan.
For a complete recap of the Holiday Inn Invitational, check the tournament page by clicking here.
Furman 3, Charlotte 0
Furman 3, Wake Forest 2
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Furman volleyball team defeated Charlotte, 3-0, on Saturday morning, then beat Wake Forest, 3-2, Saturday night in the final day of competition at the Wake Forest Deacon Invitational. Sophomore Alexis Shaffer and freshman Natalie Braun were named to the all-tournament team.
On Saturday morning, Furman won a close first game 25-23, then took game two 25-17 and game three 25-20 for the victory over Charlotte. Three freshmen led the Paladins in the win over the 49ers. Braun recorded ten kills and 10 digs, while Caroline Adams added nine digs and three blocks. Rookie Chandler Ambrester tallied eight kills in the match. Senior setter Kelsey Salava had 33 assists in the victory.
In Saturday evening's action, the Paladins dropped the first game to the Demon Deacons 25-22, then rebounded for a 25-16 win in game two. Wake Forest took game three 25-23, before Furman won the fourth game 25-18 to force a decisive game five. The Paladins won the fifth game 15-11 to seal the win.
Shafer led the team versus Wake Forest, posting a career-high 19 kills and a .333 attack percentage. Junior Katherine Hall had 17 kills, four service aces and 11 digs, and Braun added 13 kills for the Paladins. Salava had 54 assists in the win, while senior Stephanie Smith recorded 21 digs.
"We are really happy with our turn around from the beginning of the tournament to the end," said Paladin head coach Michelle Young. "We picked up our intensity and executed at a much higher level today. Now we need to get in the gym and prepare for another tough weekend at Mercer."
The Paladins (2-1) will travel to Macon, Ga., next weekend for the Mercer Bear Brawl. On Friday, the Paladins will face Bethune-Cookman at 3 p.m., followed by a match against Mercer at 7 p.m. In Saturday's action, Furman will play Troy at 1 p.m.
Chattanooga 3, James Madison 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After taking the first two sets, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball team came back in the fifth set to record a 3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 19-25,15-13) victory over James Madison. After the Dukes jumped out to a 13-9 lead in the final frame, junior setter Bailee Chastain came to the service line helping the Lady Mocs record the last six points to complete the remarkable comeback.
"Bailee was just so calm and was a great competitor in that situation," said head coach Lisa Rhodes. "She could have very easily missed a serve there, but she didn't and she served very tough."
The fifth set began with an impressive James Madison attack that generated kill after kill providing them with a 10-3 lead. The young Lady Mocs squad never gave up during the match and earned the win in dramatic fashion.
"We changed our game plan towards the end," said Rhodes. "I said that we are going to pull our block in. If they hit it down the line and generate kills, then that is alright because we were getting beat with too many balls cross court that we were not digging out. I think that coaching move really helped because they were so excited with the line being open that they hit the ball out."
Freshman outside hitter Heather Parman notched a season-high 21 kills and 12 digs for her first career double-double. Many of Parman's kills came at crucial times when the Lady Mocs needed a point.
"Heather was very impressive for a freshman," said Rhodes. "I think Heather was a huge surprise today in coming up with big kills towards the end of the game. She is just going to get better and better."
Just as impressive was the consistent play of junior middle blocker Courtney Barnes who posted 16 kills and a .536 attacking percentage. The Franklin, Tenn. native also contributed with six total blocks.
In a combined setting effort, junior Bailee Chastain and senior Cassie Conner helped the Chattanooga offense with 50 total assists. Defensively, Freshman Paula Passmore led the squad with 15 digs.
In the opening set, the Lady Mocs jumped out to an 8-3 lead early recording a 25-20. Chattanooga hit the ball even bettering the second set posting a .382 attack percentage and 16 kills as a team.
During the third set, UTC recorded another 16 kills, but were unable to contain the Dukes who won the frame, 25-22. James Madison took the fourth set 25-20 sending the match to a decisive fifth game primarily due to the Lady Mocs committing eight costly errors.
Overall, Chattanooga posted a season best .313 attacking percentage and 67 kills.
Chattanooga has a chance to prepare itself for the remainder of the season with an off weekend before traveling to Tennessee State on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.
The first home contest for the Lady Mocs is the Country Inn & Suites Invitational on Sept. 11 against Austin Peay at 7:30 p.m. in Maclellan Gym. Loyola (Ill.) and SIU-Edwardsville are also apart of the two-day event.
The Citadel 3, North Carolina Central 1
UNC Asheville 3, The Citadel 2
Raleigh, N.C. - The Citadel Volleyball team split their matches in the final day of the RTP/North Carolina Central University Tournament. The Bulldogs won their opening match of the afternoon, downing host North Carolina Central 3-1. In the late afternoon contest, UNC Asheville defeated The Citadel in a hard-fought 3-2 match.
North Carolina Central opened with a 25-20 set win, but the Bulldogs would respond, winning the next three by scores of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-21 to take out the tournament host and earn their first win in school history over the Eagles. Junior Jessica Maas had a team-high 12 kills to go along with three block assists while freshman Rachael Farrell provided a spark for the Bulldogs, contributing four service aces, seven kills and five digs to help propel The Citadel to victory.
In the late afternoon match, the Citadel continued their strong performance by taking the first two sets 25-23 and 25-19, but could not hold off UNC Asheville as they would rally to take the final three sets 25-22, 25-21 and 15-7. Junior Tatum Jestila and freshman Rachael Farrell finished with double-double performances. Jestila has 12 kills to go along with 13 digs while Farrell continued her excellent play from the first game by adding a team-high 15 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Alyssa Holum had a career-high 36 assists to go along with 10 digs.
Tatum Jestila was named to the All-Tournament Team. The junior from Scottsdale, Ariz. finished the tournament with a team-high 44 kills and 34 digs and played in all 16 sets over the weekend.
"We definitely played much better overall today. I was proud of the win this morning," said Head Coach Carolyn Geiger. "The girls played more consistently overall today. Even thought we lost the UNC Asheville in five, we played a great match against them. We can build on that match for next weekend. We have plenty to work on this week, but I think we performed better with each match we played."
The inaugural "Meet the Bulldogs" for volleyball takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 2 in McAlister Field House. Beginning at 5 p.m. and lasting for approximately 15 minutes, complimentary food will be available as fans will have the opportunity to secure autographs from the volleyball players and coaches. At 5:15, Coach Carolyn Geiger will address those in attendance, give a brief outlook of the season and will then introduce the assistant coaches while the players introduce themselves. From 5:25 until around 6:15, a full three-set, 15-point intra-squad scrimmage will take place with promotions and giveaways being held during timeouts and in between games.
The Bulldogs are back in action on Friday, Sept.4 as they travel to the USC Upstate Volleyball Classic in Spartanburg, S.C. The Citadel will face NC State and host USC Upstate on Friday and then take on UNC Asheville on Saturday.
For more information on Bulldog Volleyball, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
Virginia Tech 3, UNC Greensboro 1
UNC Greensboro 3, Montana 2
BLACKSBURG, Va. - UNC Greensboro fell to Virginia Tech before recording a comeback win against Montana on Saturday afternoon as the Spartans wrapped up competition at the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational. The Spartans fell to the Hokies, 3-1, earlier in the day before coming back from a 2-1 game deficit to defeat the Grizzlies, 3-2.
The Spartans (1-2) took the first game from the Hokies (2-0), but Virginia Tech stormed back to take the final three games to claim the victory. UNCG and Montana (1-2) battled later in the day in a tight match that saw the Spartans hold off match-point to come back and win.
The Spartans fell to the Hokies by the score of 23-25, 25-22, 25-15 and 25-8 before defeating the Grizzlies 22-25, 30-28, 23-25, 26-24 and 15-9.
Senior Catherine Hanners delivered a career-high 21 kills and a team-high .328 hitting percentage against Montana. Freshman Arielle Lysacek had 53 assists in the match and Kayleigh Knerr chipped in a match-high 24 digs.
UNCG came out hot in the first game against the Grizzlies as it took an early 9-1 lead before Montana took a timeout. The Grizzlies came storming out of the timeout and kept chipping away at the Spartan lead before taking their first lead of the game at 20-19. The Grizzlies went on to win five of the final seven points to take the first game.
The Spartans refused to give up without a fight in the match as they battled back to take a thrilling second game, 30-28. This game it was Montana who hopped out to an early lead after leading 6-1 on a kill by Amy Roberts. UNCG fought back to take a 10-8 lead and both teams traded points the rest of the game without either team having more than a three point lead. The Spartans had two game-points, but Montana was able to hold them off before having a game-point of its own at 28-27. UNCG won the final three points on kills by Olivia Humphries and Hanners before the Grizzlies had an attack error to give the Spartans the game, 30-28.
The third game saw the two squads in another seesaw battle as the two sides traded points. With the Grizzlies leading, 11-9, the Spartans rattled off the next six points to take a four-point lead midway through the game. Montana fought back to tie the game at 19 apiece and later at 22, but UNCG couldn't hold on and dropped three of the last four points to lose the game.
The Spartans had to fend off match-point by the Grizzlies in the fourth game to stay alive. In another tight game, UNCG found itself down 24-23 and facing defeat before a Humphries kill tied the match. A block by Humphries and Caley Redden gave the Spartans game-point and Hanners delivered her fourth ace of the match to clinch the game and knot the team score at 2.
With UNCG holding the momentum heading into the fifth and final game, the Spartans found themselves in another tight game tied at 6. The Spartans won the next four points en route to taking nine of the final 12 points to give themselves their first win of the season.
Emily Lindborg paced the Spartans offensively against Virginia Tech as she had a team-high 11 kills and Alissa Beaudway added 10 kills and a team-high .269 hitting percentage. Lysacek continued her strong play at the tournament by recording 35 assists and 19 digs from her setter position.
Taylor Parrish led the Hokies on the offensive end with 16 kills and Erin Leaser added 40 assists in the match. Jill Gergen had a team-high 20 digs and Felicia Willoughby had nine blocks for the home squad.
In the first game against Virginia Tech, the two teams traded points and were knotted at six early on until the Spartans won six of the next seven points to jump out to a 12-7 lead. UNCG maintained their lead throughout the entire set and eventually went ahead 24-20, but the Hokies fought off game-point three times before the Spartans claimed the game, 25-23, on a kill by Lindborg.
Virginia Tech held a slight lead for most of the second game, although neither team was able to extend their lead by more than three points. The Spartans were able to knot the score at 19 later in the game on a kill by Humphries and again at 22 on a kill by Beaudway, but the Hokies won the final three points in the game to knot to win the game, 25-22, and tie the team score at 1.
The two teams started the third game quite similar to the first two games as the teams found themselves tied at six. The Hokies went on to claim eight of the next 10 points to jump ahead, 14-8, and the Spartans were never able to recover as they dropped the game, 25-15.
The Hokies continued on the offensive in the fourth and final game as they took the early 9-2 lead and never looked back as they sealed the match by the score of 25-8.
UNCG returns to the court on Tuesday as the Spartans make the short trip to face Winston-Salem State at 7 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton 3, Appalachian State 0
FULLERTON, Calif. - Appalachian State University volleyball could not keep pace with tournament host Cal State Fullerton Saturday afternoon, as the Titans defeated the Mountaineers in three sets, winning 25-19, 25-19 and 25-18. The Black and Gold fall to 0-2 on the season, while CSF improves to a perfect 2-0 mark.
Senior Maja Jechorek continued with her solid play, leading Appalachian's offense, as the outside hitter paced ASU in kills in two out of the three sets, good enough for a team-high total of 10.
The Mountaineers were out-matched in the first set of action, with the Titans taking a 16-9 lead en route to a six point win.
ASU picked up its play in the next set, leading the Titans for most of play. Appalachian held a 10-7 early advantage, with sophomore Kasey Sauls chipping in on the offensive front, tallying two kills.
The Apps appeared poised to win the set, until an 8-3 run by Cal State Fullerton put a damper on Appalachian's play. Led in part by Camil Croteau, scoring four of CSF's points, including the go-ahead score, the Titans went ahead 19-18, their first lead since being ahead 3-2 at the beginning of the set.
CSF's momentum would be enough to shut down the Mountaineers, taking a 2-0 set advantage
ASU could not hang with the Titans in the third set, who came out on fire, earning a 14-5 lead, with Erin Saddler scoring five of the Titans points.
Appalachiain pulled within eight off a Jechorek kill with an assist by freshman Courtney Rhein, and that coupled with two attack errors by CSF moved the Apps within six, but the late rally, fell short as the Titans went on to take the win.
Poor hitting percentages greatly hindered the Mountaineers posting a .135, .053 and .093 percentage compared to Cal State Fullerton's .316, .289 and .275 percentages.
With little time to rest, the squad wraps up the Four Points Titan Classic, with its final match against Lamar scheduled for 8 p.m.
Appalachian 3, Lamar 0
FULLERTON, Calif. - Appalachian State University volleyball capped off its trip to California on a good note, as ASU downed Lamar Saturday evening 3-0 in the final match of the Four Points Titan Classic. With the win, the Apps improve to 1-2 on the season, while Lamar falls to 0-3.
The Mountaineers started the first set on a roll, taking an early 8-2 advantage with sophomore Kasey Sauls recording one of her three services aces of the match and senior Maja Jechorek tallying a kill. Sauls finished the match tying a career-high three service aces, while Jechorek led Appalachian's offensive assault for the second consecutive match, totaling 14 kills against the Lady Cardinals.
Lamar would cut into the Black and Gold's lead, making it a four point match as Jamie Hope tried to get Lamar back into the contest.
LU pulled within as close as one point, making the score 23-22, as Kaci Brewer notched back-to-back kills. Despite the late rally, ASU was able to hold on for the 25-22 win.
The second set was closely contested as well, as it saw the scored tied on 12 different occasions and four different lead changes.
An early 12-10 lead by Lamar put ASU behind, but senior Becca Norris hammered a kill to knot the set at 12 all. The set would be tied one last time at 13 apiece, until Appalachian slowly began to run away from LU, getting offensive production from Maggie Seeds, freshman Kelsey Kuehner and Jechorek, to go up 2-0 on the Lady Cardinals.
Despite the two set advantage, Lamar would not go away quietly, as the third set was quite similiar to the second, with the score tied 11 times and four different lead changes.
The Apps grabbed an early 7-5 lead, but two errors by the Black and Gold and kills by Lauren Holdorff and Cynthia McCollum put ASU behind by three.
ASU would regain the lead as Lauren Swecker notched a kill to put the Mountaineers up 16-15. ASU would not relinquish its advantage, and Sauls would secure an Appalachian victory with the final kill of the match to give the Apps its first win of the 2009 campaign.
Appalachian makes it home debut Friday September 4, hosting the Appalachian Invitational. The Apps will take on William and Mary at 7 p.m. in the Holmes Center.
South Carolina 3, College of Charleston 2
CLEMSON, S.C. - Junior setter Cole Dawley (Charleston, S.C.) dished out 47 assists and added 19 digs and six kills as the College of Charleston (1-1, 0-0) dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to South Carolina (2-0, 0-0) at the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, S.C. The Cougars fell just short by scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 10-15.
In the deciding fifth game, the Cougars took a 1-0 lead on a service error before South Carolina took advantage of three CofC errors and posted back-to-back blocks to take a commanding 6-1 lead. The College of Charleston battled back to within 8-4 on a pair of kills from freshman outside hitter Kelly Kolich (Overland Park, Kan.) but would get no closer as the Gamecocks cruised to a 15-10 victory.
Coming off of an impressive comeback from down 0-2 against Winthrop the previous night, the Cougars continued their strong play in the first set against the Gamecocks. Trailing 8-5, the College of Charleston fought back to take the next five points for a 10-8 advantage before South Carolina knotted the score at 11-11.
The two teams would continue to stay within three points of each other, eventually tying the score at 17-17. At that point, a 3-0 run gave the Cougars a lead at 20-17 that they would not relinquish as they went on to a 25-22 opening set victory. Cole Dawley assisted on 14 of the College of Charleston's points while junior right side hitter Ginny Phillips (Raleigh, N.C.) registered seven kills in the set.
Undeterred by a 7-1 run by the Gamecocks to start the second set, the Cougars stayed within striking distance and eventually pulled to within 14-12. A 4-2 spurt pushed South Carolina's lead to 18-14 before a before a 4-0 run, keyed by a pair of blocks and a service ace from sophomore middle blocker Sarah Havel (Carmel, Ind.), tied the set at 18-18.
The clubs traded the next three points before back-to-back kills from Havel and Phillips staked the College of Charleston to a 21-20 advantage. That would be their last point of the set, however, as the Gamecocks scored the last four points to knot the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 win.
In the third set, South Carolina clawed its way out to a 14-8 lead before the Cougars narrowed the gap to 16-13 behind a pair of kills and a block from senior middle blocker Jennifer Darty (Orlando, Fla.). Consecutive kills by junior outside hitter Hannah Lawing pushed the lead to 18-13 before a pair of kills by senior outside hitter Emily Sawin (New Lenox, Ill.) and four Gamecock errors gave the College of Charleston a 20-18 advantage.
South Carolina tied it at 20-20 with a block and a kill but back-to-back blocks by the Cougar's Cole Dawley and Sarah Havel keyed a 5-0 set-ending run that gave the College of Charleston a 25-21 victory and a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Facing their first loss in the young season, the Gamecocks wasted no time at the start of the fourth set as they scored the first four points and raced out to a 5-1 lead. Following the initial blitz, the Cougars regrouped to post a 7-3 run of their own and knot the score at 8-8. From that point the teams would be separated by no more than a point until the College of Charleston took a 20-18 lead on a Phillips kill and a service ace from freshman setter Liza Price (Fort Mill, S.C.).
A kill and a block by South Carolina then tied the set at 20-20 and forced a Cougars timeout. A pair of attack errors out of the break then gave the lead to the Gamecocks at 22-20 and forced another College of Charleston timeout. Cole Dawley then notched a kill to close to 22-21 but it would not be enough as South Carolina scored three of the next four points to take the set 25-22 and send the match to a decisive fifth set.
Senior outside hitter Ivana Kujundzic posted an outstanding performance to lead South Carolina as she drilled 21 kills and came up with 15 digs while senior setter Bridget Denson-Dorman produced a match-high 49 assists and added 16 digs. Senior libero Sarah Cline led the defense with 17 digs and junior outside hitter Hannah Lawing was effective on both sides of the ball as she came away with 12 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Teresa Stenlund finished with nine kills, a match-high .643 hitting percentage and five blocks while junior middle blocker Megan Laughlin added seven kills and five blocks.
Cole Dawley led the College of Charleston with a tremendous all-around performance as she finished with 47 assists, a match-high tying 19 digs and six kills while four Cougars posted double-figures in kills. Emily Sawin came away with her first double-double of the year with 12 kills and 14 digs while sophomore middle blocker Sarah Havel (Carmel, Ind.) and Ginny Phillips each added 11 kills and a match-high tying five blocks. Havel notched a pair of solo blocks and also hit an impressive .435. Kelly Kolich drilled 10 kills and chipped in on defense with six digs.
Junior defensive specialist Paige Johnson (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.) anchored the defense with a match-high tying 19 digs while Jennifer Darty contributed four blocks, one solo, to go along with five kills.
The Cougars wrap up play at the Big Orange Bash this evening at 6:00 p.m. when they take on the host Clemson Tigers (0-1, 0-0).
Clemson 3, College of Charleston 1
CLEMSON, S.C. - Junior setter Cole Dawley (Charleston, S.C.) dished out 36 assists and senior outside hitter Emily Sawin (New Lenox, Ill.) posted her second straight double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs as the College of Charleston (1-2, 0-0) dropped a 3-1 decision to Clemson (2-1, 0-0) in the finale of the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, S.C. The Cougars fell by scores of 26-24, 19-25, 17-25 and 20-25.
Trailing 7-5 early in the first set, the Cougars responded with three straight kills to tie the score at 8-8 before an exchange of the next several points left the teams in a 10-10 deadlock. From there, the College of Charleston scored the next four points as part of a larger 9-3 run that left them with a 19-13 advantage. The Tigers were quick to rally, mounting a 7-2 run of their own to draw to within 21-20.
Junior libero Paige Johnson (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.) then notched a pair of key kills from the back row around a Clemson error to give the Cougars a 24-21 lead. They then withstood a late rally to hold on for the 26-24 victory and pull ahead 1-0 in the match.
The College of Charleston opened the second frame with three straight points as they took advantage of back-to-back attack errors before the Tigers responded with a 3-1 run to make it 4-3. After several exchanges left CofC with a one point lead at 6-5, Clemson took firm control of the set with an overpowering 13-5 run and gave them a 19-11 lead. It would then be the Tigers turn to stave off a rally as the Cougars narrowed the margin to 22-19 with an 8-3 stretch. It would not be enough, however, as they would surrender the final three points for a 25-22 score.
After fighting their way out to a 6-5 lead at the start of the third set, Clemson put together a 6-2 run to extend to a 12-7 advantage. The Cougars stayed within striking distance and eventually closed to within 17-14 before a 6-1 rally gave the Tigers a 23-15 lead. Four plays later they would close out the set, 25-17, and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Clemson once again took the early lead, 10-6, in the fourth set before a brief rally by the Cougars made the score 13-11. CofC would eventually get as close as 17-16 but three straight kills, two in a row from senior outside hitter Lia Proctor, would stretch the Tigers lead to 20-17 and spark a match-ending 8-4 run. They claimed the final set by a score of 25-20.
Proctor led the way for Clemson as she pounded out 22 kills and produced 10 digs for a double-double while senior setter Kelsey Murphy paced the offense with a match-high 46 assists. Sophomore middle hitter Brittany Fennell delivered 10 kills and a match-best .474 hitting percentage and seven blocks while senior libero Didem Ege led the defense with 16 digs.
Freshman middle hitter Alexa Rand also made an impact defensively as she tied for the match lead with seven blocks and added eight kills on the night. Freshman outside hitter Natalie Patzin chipped in with nine kills and nine digs and junior outside hitter Cansu Ozdemir had a solid all around match with seven kills, six digs and five blocks.
Sawin posted top numbers for the College of Charleston as both her 11 kills and 13 digs were team highs while Cole Dawley dished out 36 assists and posted six kills and six digs. Defensively, Paige Johnson notched 10 digs and chipped in with a career-high two kills on offense and sophomore middle blocker Sarah Havel (Carmel, Ind.) added three blocks for 15 on the weekend. Junior right side hitter Ginny Phillips (Raleigh, N.C.) chipped in with nine kills on offense.
The College of Charleston resumes its schedule September 4-5 when they take part in the Cincinnati Bearcat Tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cougars will face Evansville, Youngstown State and Cincinnati.
Morgan State 3, Davidson 1
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Davidson Wildcat volleyball team dropped its third match at the NC State Classic, losing 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 17-25, 25-23) to Morgan State Saturday afternoon in Reynold's Coliseum on the campus of NC State University.
Davidson (0-3) was led by junior Sarabeth Peele and sophomore Ally Miller, both with 14 kills. Anna Bradbury totaled 31 assists, while freshman Ariel Ley added 18. Classmate Molly Crenshaw led the defense with 17 digs.
Morgan State (1-3) also placed a pair of hitters in double figures in Erin Cox (13) and Ivanti Bush (10). Christa Rogers had 31 assists, and Dina Beamon tallied 12 digs.
Despite trailing 10-5 in the opening set, the Wildcats took a one-point lead, 11-10, after winning six straight points, including three kills by Miller. The Bears regrouped after a timeout and reclaimed the lead with an 8-3 run and scored the last three points to win the set, 25-17.
The 'Cats took a slight 10-8 edge behind a pair of hitting errors and held the margin to 18-16 with a couple of back-to-back kills from Peele. But the second set was decided after a Wildcat service error led to a five-point serve for Cox and a 22-18 edge for the Bears. Peele and Miller each added a pair of kills, but the Wildcats would drop the second set, 25-22.
Davidson took control of the third set, opening up a 15-7 margin behind an 11-1 swing. A couple of Wildcat hitting errors paired with kills from Cox and Kierra Riley put Morgan State in striking distance, 17-15, but Davidson closed out the match with an 8-2 run for the 25-17 win.
The fourth set was back and forth early. The 'Cats were unable to hold a 13-11 lead, as a 7-1 run by the Bears turned into a 18-14 lead. A kill by Jorden Benedict knotted the set at 22, but the Bears won the next point. Peele evened the set again at 23, before a service error and Wildcat hitting error ended the match with the 25-23 defeat.
The Wildcats will finish their tournament appearance tonight, taking on host NC State at 7 p.m.
N.C. State 3, Davidson 1
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Davidson Wildcat volleyball team concluded its appearance at the NC State Tournament Classic with a 3-1 (26-24, 11-25, 25-12, 25-18) loss to the host Wolfpack Saturday evening in the finale at Reynold's Coliseum.
Junior Sarabeth Peele was the lone Wildcat hitter in double figures, tallying a match-high 10 kills. She was named to the NC State Hilton RTP Classic All-Tournament Team for her efforts. Sophomore Christine Perzinski added eight kills for Davidson (0-4) on just 16 attacks, hitting a team-best .438. Freshman Molly Crenshaw had a match-best 12 digs, while Anna Bradbury dished out 21 assists.
NC State's Jana Angel paced the Wolfpack (3-1) with 10 kills. Alex Smith had 34 assists to lead the Wolfpack, and Lindsay Benac paced the defense with 11 digs.
The Wolfpack opened up an 8-3 lead to open the match and held the margin, until a kill by Erin Lupfer and three consecutive NC State hitting errors put the 'Cats within one, 19-18. The Wolfpack answered the rally and pulled ahead 23-20, but Davidson won the next three points with a kill from Ally Miller and two service aces from Jorden Benedict to even the score. Miller tallied another kill to give the Wildcats a set-point try, but NC State's Keri DeMar tied the set at 24, and a pair of Wildcat hitting errors lifted the Wolfpack to the 26-24 win.
The Wildcats dominated the second set, jumping ahead to a commanding 13-0 lead before Anna Bradbury finally faltered on her serve. After a hitting error from NC State's Kelly Wood, Davidson extended its lead to 17-1 on kills from Jorden Benedict and Perzinski and an ace from Peele. Leading 21-11, the Wildcats closed out the game with a 4-0 run to capture the set, 25-11.
The third set played out in reverse, with the Wolfpack rattling off five straight scores. A couple of kills from Perzinski helped the 'Cats get back in the game, but NC State used an 8-0 run to open a 15-7 lead. With a 25-12 win, the Wolfpack took a 2-1 lead in the match.
NC State took a 5-2 lead in the fourth set, but Madison Benedict and Perzinski both added two kills to put the 'Cats up one, 6-5. Davidson would hold and even push its lead to 12-9 behind three straight Wolfpack errors before NC State's 4-0 run turned it over. Miller tied the score at 14, but a service error and a kill from Alex Smith gave the Wolfpack a two-point cushion that proved enough, and NC State secured the match with four straight scores to conclude the 25-18.
The Wildcats return to action next weekend at the High Point University Tournament, where they will face Marshall, Winston-Salem State and the host Panthers.
Kentucky 3, Western Carolina 0
Northwestern 3, Western Carolina 0
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Western Carolina volleyball dropped its two matches Saturday at the Kentucky Invitational. The Catamounts (0-3) dropped a 3-0 (14-25, 17-25, 11-25) match to host Kentucky (3-0) and a 3-0 (7-25, 11-25, 11-25) final match to Northwestern (1-2).
In the match against Kentucky, freshman Abbey Scroggins led the Catamounts with eight kills. Senior libero Liz Rondone had 11 digs.
Against Northwestern, Western Carolina only had 14 team kills in the match. Northwestern had a scorching .326 hitting percentage while the Catamounts were held to a negative .092.
Western Carolina returns to action Tuesday traveling to Asheville to take on rival UNC Asheville. Match time is set for 7 p.m.