College of Charleston 3, South Dakota 0
DEKALB, Ill. - The College of Charleston volleyball team kicked off the season in dominating fashion as they started the Northern Illinois Invitational with a 3-0 victory over the University of South Dakota Friday morning in their first of two matches on the day (25-20, 25-11, 25-14).
The Cougars fell behind 1-4 in the first set before storming back and running off 10 straight points to claim a 11-4 lead. Senior Cole Dawley recorded eight of her match-high 24 assists in the opening set.
"We were a little slow to begin with," said Head Coach Jason Kepner. "Starting the season I think everyone was a little nervous and anxious. We did some good things in the first game, we just were not very consistent. Games two and three we were relaxed and we played some great volleyball."
In the second set it was all CofC as the team had 13 kills and only two errors en route to hitting .550 compared to -.129 percentage for South Dakota. Senior Whitney Russell threw down six kills in the set and finished the match with a .500 hitting percentage and 12 total kills.
"In the second game we dug a lot more balls and blocked a lot better," Kepner said. "We turned in on a little bit at the end of the first game and controlled games two and three from the beginning."
The Cougars rode a wave of confidence from the second set into the third set and continued to pressure South Dakota, holding the Coyotes to a -.024 hitting percentage. Four different CofC athletes recorded blocks for the match and sophomore Kerstin Koehler collected her first collegiate kill.
College of Charleston 3, Northern Illinois 0
DEKALB, Ill. - In a battle of two Cougar squads the College of Charleston had the upper hand as they secured a convincing 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-6, 25-15) in their second game of the Northern Illinois Invitational Friday night.
The Cougars of CofC (2-0) used great balance to get the victory over the Cougars of Chicago State (0-2). Four different CofC players had six or more kills in the match, led by freshman Madelyn McGinnis with 11.
"The goal is to be very balanced," said Head Coach Jason Kepner. "People are going to have good games and bad games, but if we can keep that balance it is going to help us throughout the season."
Playing their second match of the day after a 3-0 victory against South Dakota the CofC squad was able to rest all their upperclassmen and play only freshman and sophomores.
Kepner said he thought the freshman did well and especially pointed out the explosiveness from McGinnis and efficiency of Emily Schultz.
"It was good for them to get their first college match out of the way," said Kepner.
Freshman Kallie McKown paced the Cougar attack with 31 assists for the match. Fellow newcomer Schultz also had a strong game hitting at .600 and recording seven kills. First-year player Emily Neideffer contributed with three kills on the evening.
The Cougars resume play tomorrow at 1p.m. ET with a match against Oakland.
Samford 3, Grambling 0
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ---- The Samford University volleyball team opened the 2010 season Friday with a 3-0 win over Grambling State in its first match of the Arkansas Invitational. The Bulldogs downed the Tigers 25-12 in the first set, 25-18 in the second set and 25-15 in the third set to stay undefeated against Grambling.
Newcomers Lauren Hutchinson and Katie Murphy led the Bulldogs on the attack while veterans Hillary Fountain and Casey Garvey effectively led the offense, dishing out 32 assists to Grambling's 15.
Hutchinson got her Samford career off to a strong start with 12 kills and three block assists while hitting an impressive .750 with no errors on the evening. She also added two digs. Murphy had 10 kills on 21 attempts to post a .333 hitting percentage while also adding two block assists.
Elizabeth Neisler knocked down eight kills and a team-high four block assists along with three digs while Lyndsey Holt posted six kills, one block assist, two aces and three digs. Allie Bettinger grabbed three kills and three digs while Fountain posted one kill.
Fountain also led the Bulldogs in assists with 22 on the evening while also leading in digs with seven. She and Garvey also led the team with three aces each. Garvey also dished out 10 assists while posting five digs. Alexis Bauer grabbed six digs and three assists while Samantha Bland posted five digs and one assist.
Samford out-blocked Grambling, 5-3, as the Bulldogs collected a total of 10 block assists.
April Johnson led the Tigers with four kills followed by Dorothy Brown and Shawonna Davis with three each. Davis also led the Tigers with nine digs followed closely behind by Chelsee Goins with eight.
The Bulldogs will be back in action Saturday morning at 10 a.m., when they take on UMKC in the second day of play at the Arkansas Invitational. The Bulldogs and Kangaroos met for the first time two years ago at the Kangaroo Klassic, and Samford walked away with the 3-0 win.
Appalachian State 3, North Carolina A&T 0
HIGH POINT, N.C.- Appalachian State University volleyball posted a quite impressive season-opening debut, as the Mountaineers drilled NC A&T to the tune of 3-0, Friday afternoon in the first match of the High Point Invitational. The contest improves the Apps to 1-0 on the season and drops the Aggies to 0-1, while giving the Black and Gold their first season-opening victory since 2007.
In first set play, the Apps jumped out to a commanding 10-2 advantage and never looked back. Appalachian was led by senior Caroline Sedon who came out on fire, registering three early kills. The Ohio native finished the match with a team-best 10 kills to go along with six block assists.
ASU's lead never dipped below an eight-point cushion, and back-to-back NC A&T errors coupled with final kills by Sedon and sophomore Meghann Forshey earned Appalachian the dominating 25-9 first set win.
Forshey compiled seven kills in the contest off of 16 total attacks.
Second set action picked up where first set play ended, with the Apps' intensity and strong performance not letting up.
The Mountaineers took an early 6-0 lead and after the Aggies fell behind, they were never able to muster a comeback.
Two attack errors by NC A&T pushed ASU to its largest advantage, going up 23-9. Offensive productivity, combined with the stifling Appalachian defense, that allowed just one more Aggie point in the set, enabled the Apps to cruise to a 25-10 second set victory.
After Appalachian took control early in the third set, leading 6-2, NC A&T capitalized on two ASU errors, and were able to tie the set at eight apiece.
That would be the last time it was that close however, with the Mountaineers kicking it into gear, posting a 14-1 run, to put the Black and Gold on top 21-9.
Having no problem putting the Aggies away, ASU allowed just four more NC A&T points and earned both a third-set and match victory.
With little time to rest, the team returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, August 28 to face UNC Wilmington and tournament-host High Point. The Apps' first match of the day is set for 11:30 a.m. against the Seahawks.
Davidson 3, UNC Asheville 0
HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Junior outside hitter Christine Perzinski tallied 10 kills to lead the Wildcats to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) win over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, as Davidson opened the 2010 season Friday evening at the JMU Coca-Cola Classic.
Perzinski, who also paced the Davidson (1-0) defense with nine digs, led a balanced Wildcat attack that included nine kills from senior middle blocker Jorden Benedict and eight from both senior outside hitter Sarabeth Peele and junior right side Erin Lupfer. Splitting setting duties, sophomore Ariel Ley and senior Hayley Lawson finished with 22 and 20 assists, respectively, while senior Jennifer Chamblee and sophomore Molly Crenshaw each finished with eight digs.
For Asheville (0-1), Kelsey Benorden finished with a match-high 13 kills on 31 attacks. Setter Hallie Morse finished with 18 assists, and Alex Stewart tallied 10 digs.
The Wildcats took an early 3-1 lead on kills from Lupfer and Perzinski in the first set, but saw that lead evaporate as the Bulldogs went ahead 5-4 on a Davidson attack error. The Wildcats, though, went on a 7-1 run punctuated by a pair of Crenshaw aces to open an 11-6 lead and controlled the set the rest of the way, forcing UNCA into a pair of timeouts, en route to the 25-18 win.
Davidson won the first two points of the second set on a kill from Benedict and an ace from Ley and never trailed. Benedict recorded six of her nine kills in the second set, as the Wildcats led by as many as 19-9 late in the frame. The Bulldogs closed with an 8-6 run, but Perzinski punched home the final point on an assist from Ley to lift Davidson to a 2-0 advantage with the 25-17 win.
The two teams traded points to start the final set before Davidson won three straight points to build a 10-6 lead. The Bulldogs got a pair back on back-to-back kills from Benorden, but a UNCA service error and three straight aces from Chamblee gave Davidson a 14-8 edge. A pair of Wildcat errors would put the Bulldogs within four, 20-16, but Davidson closed out the match by winning five of the last eight points to capture the set, 25-19.
Davidson will close out tournament play with Stetson tomorrow at 10 a.m. and take on the host JMU Dukes in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern 3, Tennessee-Martin 0
AUBURN, Ala. - The Georgia Southern Volleyball team opened the 2010 campaign with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 29-27) win over UT Martin in the opening match of the War Eagle Invitational. Played in the Student Activities Center on the campus of Auburn, junior outside hitter Bethany Sanford posted a double-double to open the season and lead the team.
"There were some great points to the match, but we pinpointed some areas that we need to improve upon as well," stated Head Coach Chad Callihan. "I was disappointed in letting our lead slip away in the third set, but I was pleased with the way we regained our composure and held off two set points for the win. Overall, we were good at the baseline and we blocked well in the first set, but we need to maintain that throughout the match."
As a team, the Eagles collected 40 kills on 96 attempts and just 12 errors, while forcing 24 Skyhawk errors.
Leading the way for the Eagles was junior Sanford, who finished with a team-high 10 kills and 10 digs. Committing only four errors, Sanford also served up two aces. Junior transfer Ashley Roe, competing in her first match as an Eagle, collected 10 digs to match the team-high. Sophomore setter Kate Van Dyke led with 29 assists.
For the Skyhawks, Jenna Miller recorded 25 assists, while Kasey Elswick tallied a match-best 13 digs. Britany Wilburn tied Sanford with a match-best 10 kills.
Georgia Southern opened set one on an 8-2 run on two kills from senior Sarah Gildersleeve and two Eagle block assists. UT Martin brought the match back to 9-6 and closed the gap to within three points again at 13-10, but the Eagles ran away putting together 10 consecutive points. The Skyhawks scored their final three points of the set with a kill, Eagle error and service ace before the Eagles closed out the set, 25-13.
UT Martin was limited to a -.045 attack percentage in the second set while GS stood steady. The two teams kept the set close in the beginning before Sanford's third kill of the set handed the Eagles a 14-9 lead, forcing the Skyhawks to take a timeout. The Eagles continued to pull away, limiting UT Martin to an additional six points to finish with a 25-15 victory.
Georgia Southern's most productive offensive attack came in the third set with a .333 attack percentage, as did UT Martin's with .200. The Skyhawks pulled the set to eight ties and led four times, while the Eagles fought off two set points to take the match with a 29-27 victory. At an 8-8 draw, the Eagles took a four-point lead following two Skyhawk errors. GS pushed out to a seven-point lead, 20-13, on a Gildersleeve kill, but UT Martin fought back, drawing the set to 22-all. After two ties, the Skyhawks took their first lead since 2-1, at 26-25. Parker Small and Sanford brought the Eagles even at 27-27 and Small sealed the match serving up two consecutive aces.
"The team was extremely excited to start the season. We just have to get back into match rhythm instead of practice rhythm," Callihan noted. "The match was a good learning experience for us and tomorrow we just need to go out and keep our focus for the entire match. If we can take care of our first contact, ball control and serve receive, it will open our offense up and get us into a better rhythm."
The Eagles return to action on Saturday, August 28, for two matches on day two of the War Eagle Invitational. GS first takes on Troy at 11 a.m. and closes out the tournament facing host Auburn at 8 p.m.
UNCG 3, Navy 0
UNCG 3, Kent State 1
NORFOLK, Va. - UNCG got a career-high 13 kills from Billi Baker in at 3-0 sweep over Navy and Caley Redden and Ariel Newman each posted double-doubles in a 3-1 win over Kent State in volleyball action on Friday afternoon at the Spartan Classic.
"I thought today was a great start to the season," said head coach Patrick Nicholas. "Caley (Redden), Billi (Baker) and the rest of the seniors have provided our team with such great leadership and it showed today. We have been talking about how it is a new era and we need to get off to a better start and finish matches. We did just that and we were able to get a pair of quality wins. Our fitness level was great and that reflects on all of the work the girls did throughout the offseason. I am really happy for the team and now we need to come out and play hard tomorrow just like we did today."
UNCG is now 2-0 on the early season, while Kent State is 1-1 and Navy is 0-1.
The Spartans defeated Navy by the score of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-16 before defeating Kent State 25-18, 25-17, 19-25 and 25-21 to complete the daily sweep.
Baker had just one error to go along with her 13 kills for a .571 hitting percentage against Navy. Olivia Humphries and Redden added eight kills as well for the Spartans. Redden also had a match-high 17 kills. Setter Ari Lysacek had a match-high 35 assists.
The Spartans started a little sluggish in the first set against Navy as they trailed 13-9, but then ran off six-straight points, highlighted by a pair of aces from Ariel Newman, to take a 15-13 lead. Navy battled back to take a 17-16 lead, but UNCG won nine of the final 13 points to take the set, 25-21.
UNCG came right back in the second set and the two teams battled in another tight set that saw six ties and three lead changes. The teams were neck-and-neck and the Spartans saw themselves trailing 21-20 late in the set. The Spartans took advantage of a pair of Navy attack errors and two kills from Baker to win four of the final five points and win the set, 25-22.
The Spartans took an early 6-5 lead in the third and final set and never looked back as they sealed the match by easily winning the set, 25-16.
In the second match, Redden picked up where she left off last season with a double-double. She tied a career-high with 19 kills and added 12 digs. Newman had a double-double of her own as she had 14 kills and 12 digs in just her second-career match for the Spartans. Lysacek had a match-high 43 assists and another match-high with 16 digs en route to her first double-double of the year.
The Spartans carried their momentum from the first match into the match against Kent State as Redden went for nine kills in the first set alone. UNCG led early in the first set before Kent State battled back to take a 12-11 lead, but the Spartans went on one of their trademark runs and rattled off six-straight points to take control of the set at 17-12. UNCG capped off the set with a kill by Baker to win the set, 25-18.
It was more of the same from UNCG in the second set as the Spartans led for nearly the entire set as they cruised to take the set, 25-17.
In the third set however, the tables turned as Kent State took an early 5-1 lead before later stretching it to 16-10. The Spartans continued to fight though as they were able to pull within 18-16 on an attack error by the Golden Flashes. Kent State then took a timeout to recover and went on to win the set, 25-19.
The two teams battled in a tight fourth set that saw nine ties and four lead changes. UNCG led just 21-20 later in the final set and were able to take four of the next five points to seal with match by winning the set, 25-21.
UNCG will wrap up its stay at the Spartan Classic on Saturday with a 12 p.m. match against Norfolk State before playing Providence later at 6 p.m.
Western Carolina 3, Coppin State 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Western Carolina volleyball team opened the 2010 season with a 3-0 victory over Coppin State on Friday, Aug. 27. The victory marks the first time since 2001 the Catamounts have opened the season with a victory.
The Catamounts (1-0) took the first set 25-15 before winning set two, 25-14. The Eagles (0-1) kept the third match close, but Western Carolina held on for the 25-21 victory.
The Catamounts opened the first set by scoring nine unanswered points before jumping out to their largest lead of the set (19-7) on a junior Rebecca Stoltz kill. After a timeout, Coppin State went on a 4-0 run to bring the score within eight (19-11), but back-to-back kills by freshman Leah Best and sophomore Amanda Chaparro pushed the Catamount lead to 21-11. The Eagles scored three straight points to make the score 21-14, but the Catamounts would score four of the next five points in the match to take the set 25-15.
Set two saw Western Carolina jump out to a 20-7 lead before Coppin State showed signs of life by bringing the match within nine (20-11), scoring four consecutive points. Back-to-back kills by Kelcie Randazzo made the score 22-11 before the Eagles' Alexandria Malesick and Vanity Massey returned the favor by collecting kills to bring the set back within nine (22-13). The Catamounts scored three of the final four points of the set on a Coppin State error and kills by Paloma Alvarez and Chaparro to win the set, 25-14.
In the third set, the two teams were tied at 14 before Western Carolina went on an 8-3 run to take a 22-17 lead. Western eventually pulled away to win the final frame, 25-21.
Defensively, freshman libero Morgan Cochran paced the squad with 19 digs. Puerto Rico natives Alvarez and Chaparro both added nine kills while freshman Kelcie Randazzo and junior Carrie Minogue added six kills.
Junior setter Emily Franklin posted a match-high 14 assists while Randazzo chipped in 10.
Western Carolina 3, Eastern Kentucky 2
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Catamount volleyball team overcame a two set deficit to defeat Eastern Kentucky, 3-2, on Friday night at the Ramsey Center.
After dropping the first two sets (14-25, 20-25), the Catamounts (2-0) rallied to win the third set, 25-23. Western Carolina carried the momentum into the fourth set, downing Eastern Kentucky, 25-14.
The fifth set saw the Catamounts and Colonels knotted in a tie nine times with the final tie at 13 all. Western Carolina capitalized on back-to-back attacking errors by Eastern Kentucky's Amanda Fago and Hannah Groudle to pull away with the 15-13 victory.
Western Carolina never led in the first set and kept the match within two points (11-9) before Eastern Kentucky pulled away on an 11-2 run to take a 23-11 lead. Kills by outside hitter Paloma Alvarez and middle blocker Carrie Minogue and a service ace by junior Sara Gannt made the score 23-14, but the Colonels took the set on an Ashley Edmond kill and service ace.
After trailing 17-5 in set two, the Catamounts rattled off five unanswered points to start an 11-1 run to bring the match within two (18-16). The comeback fell short as the team committed four errors down the stretch, losing the set 25-20. The Catamounts jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the third set before exchanging leads until the Colonels took their largest advantage of the set (14-11). Western Carolina kept the match within two points before pulling away at the end of the match by scoring four unanswered points to take the set, 25-23.
It was all Western Carolina in the fourth set as they returned the favor to Eastern Kentucky from the first set, taking the set by a score of 25-14. Alvarez and sophomore Amanada Chaparro helped the squad jump out to a 22-10 lead by recording four kills each. Eastern Kentucky got within nine points (23-14), but dropped the set on back-to-back attacking errors.
Freshman Kelcie Randazzo dished out 37 assists while adding 15 digs on the night. Alvarez and Chaparro led the Catamounts on the offensive attack, posting 15 and 16 kills, respectively.
"Kelcie played libero during her club career and only played a little at the setter position in high school," said Concepcion. "To see her playing this well so far is really encouraging. She ran the offense like a senior and I was proud of her today."
Freshman libero Morgan Cochran paced the team in digs with 23 while Alvarez and Chaparro both chipped in 16. "Morgan was very confident today," said Concepcion. "I am glad she is here and I know she is happy to be here. Morgan has really established ball control for us and we needed that."
Freshman Leah Best and Minogue posted six blocks throughout the match while junior Rebecca Stoltz added five.
The Catamounts return to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28 when compete in the final match of the VB Rags Western Carolina Invitational against N.C. State.
Bryant 3, Wofford 1
Wofford 3, Hampton 0
SPARTANBURG, SC - The Wofford volleyball team began the 2010 season on Friday at the Tiny Laster Memorial Tournament hosted by Hampton University. The Terriers dropped the first match 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 19-25, 22-25), but bounced back with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 27-25) win over the host school.
In the first set against Bryant, the Terriers were down early but tied it at seven points. Neither team was able to take much of a lead, as there were seven ties before Wofford was able to take a 20-17 lead on a service error by Bryant. After two set points, Amanda Ligouri had a kill to win the first set 25-22. In the second set, the Bulldogs opened up an early 7-1 lead on the way to a 25-18 set win.
The third set was tied at twelve each and then 17 each before Bryant went on an 8-2 run to end the set with a 25-19 win. In the fourth set, Wofford had the lead at 16-14. However the Bulldogs answered with a 5-0 run and eventually won the set with a 25-22 score.
Against Bryant, Tara Gough led the team with 21 assists. Stacy Byrd was the team leader with 12 kills and Melissa Kearse had three service aces. Regan Styles had 19 digs for the Terriers.
In the second game of the day against Hampton, the Terriers never trailed in the first set as they built an early 7-1 lead. Wofford continued to control the game as they eventually led 22-12 on the way to a 25-17 win.
During the second set, the score was tied at nine before the Lady Pirates took a 14-10 lead. Wofford battled back to tie the game at sixteen and again at twenty. A kill by Catelyn Amende gave the Terriers a 25-21 set victory. The third set was the closest of the night and was tied at 22. Hampton took a 24-22 lead before two kills by Stacy Byrd tied the set at 24. After trading points to make it 25 all, two attack errors on serves by Reagan Styles gave the Terriers a 27-25 win.
Against the Lady Pirates, Amanda Liguori had seven kills and Bekah Dorsey had 15 assists. Reagan Styles had 16 digs to lead the team. Wofford is now 1-1 on the season.
Wofford will play two games on Saturday beginning with Maryland-Eastern Shore at 9 am, followed by South Carolina State at 3:00 pm. The first home match will be September 17 against SIU Edwardsville.
Elon 3, Charleston Southern 1
Elon 3, UTEP 1
DURHAM, N.C. - The Elon University volleyball team opened the 2010 season on a high note on Friday, as the Phoenix captured a 3-1 (27-29, 25-18, 25-18, 25-12) victory over Charleston Southern University and a 3-1 (25-13, 24-26, 26-24, 26-24) win over the University of Texas at El Paso on the first day of the Hilton RTP/North Carolina Central University Tournament.
After dropping a hard-fought first set in its first match of the day, the Phoenix (2-0) stormed back in the final three sets to claim the win over the Buccaneers, with sophomore Allison Johnson and Lauren Copenhagen leading all players with 18 and 16 kills, respectively.
Down two points late in the first game, the Phoenix gained momentum, as a CSU attack error knotted the game at 21-all. But the Bucs managed to pull off the two-point victory late in the set.
Elon took control in the final three sets of the match, as the Phoenix downed CSU 25-18 in games two and three before taking a 25-12 decision in the final set, which included a 14-6 run to end the game.
Junior setter Megan McMahon had a stellar match for the Phoenix against CSU, tallying a match-high 48 assists. McMahon finished the day with 99 assists after tallying 51 against UTEP
Against UTEP in its final match of the day, Elon opened the game on a 5-0 run and never looked back, as a balanced attack and several errors by the Miners gave Elon an early 1-0 edge.
After the Miners took the next set, 26-24, the Phoenix claimed the final two games in dramatic fashion, as late blocks down the stretch and service errors by UTEP propelled Elon to victory and a 2-0 start to the season.
Senior Sarah Schermerhorn and juniors Caroline Lemke and Traci Stewart all tallied a team-high 14 kills in the final match of the day, while sophomore Ali Deatsch paved the way with a team-high 16 digs.
The Phoenix out-blocked opponents, 19-16, on the day, while hitting .392 as a team in the first match and .298 in the second.
Elon is back in action tomorrow with its final two games of the tournament. The Phoenix will take on host North Carolina Central at 11 a.m. before wrapping up action versus Gardner-Webb University at 3 p.m.
Virginia Tech 3, Chattanooga 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball competed in the first two sets against Virginia Tech at the Comcast Lady Vol Classic before dropping the match, 3-0 (26-28, 19-25, 10-25). One of the bright spots was the play of senior middle blocker Courtney Barnes, who tied a match-high with 10 kills and sophomore libero Paula Passmore, who paced the contest with 14 digs.
A trio of seniors Barnes, right side Jessica Scott and setter Bailee Chastain led the Lady Mocs to a 22-17 advantage in the first set. Chastain notched 23 assists, while Scott recorded six kills.
During that first set, Scott posted five kills, while Barnes had four and Chastain had three. The Lady Mocs were unable to put together a string of points as the Hokies battled back and tied it from 22 thru 26-all. UTC had match point leading 26-25, but could not convert as Virgnia Tech took the set, 28-26.
Freshman outside hitter Jennifer Kuroski earned the start during the preseason and did not disappoint for the Lady Mocs totaling seven kills and six digs on the night. One area that she is going to work on throughout the season is limiting mistakes and that comes with more experience as she led the team with nine, but most were in the final set.
Also receiving time on the court during the opening match was freshmen setter Tess Kosycarz and Andrea Johnson after the Lady Mocs fell behind in the third set.
Through the first two sets, the Lady Mocs matched the effort from Virginia Tech and did not fall behind by more than three points until the end of the second. Barnes was most effective in the second registering six kills, while hitting .500 and finished with the same percentage.
Every time that Chattanooga seemed to be ready to pull away a Virginia Tech time out ended the rally. It was the most effective in that first set as the Lady Mocs were able to overcome the first at 21-17, but a second at 22-20 led to a 3-0 rally by the Hokies. Chattanooga completed the first set with 14 kills and only four errors, while Virginia Tech was even more efficient with 19 and 3, respectively.
In the second set, Chattanooga tied the match at 17-all with a kill from Barnes, but the Hokies countered with a 8-2 run to take a commanding 2-0 lead. In that frame, Virginia Tech converted 17 kills on only three errors and the Lady Mocs totaled 13 kills compared to five errors.
After the Hokies jumped out to a 9-1 lead following the intermission, head coach Lisa Rhodes had a feeling that it was not going to be her team's set, so she brought in some younger players to gain experience. With inexperience on the court, Virgnia Tech rolled to a 25-10 victory thanks to stout defense and converting on 10-of-11 sideouts.
The Comcast Lady Vol Classic continues on Saturday for Chattanooga as they face another difficult test in No. 19 Tennessee at noon. A match with Xavier closes out the two-day event for the Lady Mocs at 5 p.m.
Ball State 3, The Citadel 0
Edwardsville, Ill. - Citadel sophomore Kaona Mercer was the bright spot for The Citadel Volleyball team, finishing with a team-high six kills, in a 25-15, 25-16, 25-17 loss to Ball State. The game marked the season opener for both teams, who are participating in the SIU-Edwardsville Tournament.
The Bulldogs senior tandem of Tatum Jestila (seven digs, five kills) and Jessica Maas (four kills, two assisted blocks) rounded out front row performers. Outside hitter Kathryn Johnston highlighted The Citadel's defensive efforts with eight digs, while Blaine McAllister added six digs.
Underclassmen Alexa Dahlstrom and Erin Buscherl shared setting duties for The Citadel, dishing out nine assists apiece.
Meanwhile, Ball State's Kylee Baker ended with a match-high 15 kills, due in large part to a .609 attack percentage. Teammate Kelsey Brandl added 13 kills, along with five digs, to give the Cardinals 48 match kills. Kaylee Schembra reached double-digits in digs, 11, while Brittany McGinnis dished out 39 assists.
With the score tied 6-6, Ball State overcame its third tie behind the Baker's service game to assume a lead that it would not relinquish. The Cardinals would outscore The Citadel 8-3 and assume a 15-9 lead before cruising to a 25-17 win.
Trailing 1-0 in the match, and Illinois native Shannon Frain serving, The Citadel built a 4-1 lead in the second game. The Cardinals rallied to knot the game on two different occasions before building a 10-6 advantage. A series of kills by Maas, Dahlstrom and Mercer, along with a kill by Baker, brought the game to an 11-11 tie. Ball State responded with three consecutive points and would go on to capture the second frame 25-16.
The Citadel will return to the court to face host SIU-Edwardsville at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a match against Indiana State at 5:00 p.m. to conclude the tournament.
Colorado 3, Furman 0
BOULDER, Colo. - Simpsonville native Kelly Kirby posted 11 kills and a .526 attack percentage Friday night to lead the Furman volleyball team in the Paladins' season opening 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-19) loss at Colorado.
Furman jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in the first set before Colorado stormed back to tie the score at ten points apiece. The two teams traded points back and forth before the Buffaloes pulled away for the 25-22 victory. Colorado led throughout the second set, but the Paladins kept the game close before the Buffaloes rallied for another 25-22 win. In a reverse of set one, Colorado posted an early 9-4 lead in the final set. Furman was able to come within three points of Colorado, but the Buffaloes held off the Paladins for a 25-19 victory in set three.
Freshman Sarah McCarthy led the Paladins with 26 assists, while junior Carolyn Nicoletti paced the team with 14 digs. Sophomore Chandler Ambrester recorded eight kills, and sophomore Natalie Braun tallied seven kills and seven digs in the match.
Furman (0-1) will play at #17 Colorado State Saturday at 9 p.m. EST in the second round of the Coors Rocky Mountain Challenge.