Georgia Southern 3, East Tennessee State 1
Georgia Southern 3, Charleston Southern 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Volleyball team closed out the 2010 SpringHill Suites Invitational undefeated after topping East Tennessee State and Charleston Southern on Saturday (September 18). Kate Van Dyke was named the Tournament MVP and was joined by Bethany Sanford and Parker Small on the all-tournament team.
After going 4-0 in the tournament, Georgia Southern now stands at 8-6 on the season.
"We're really pleased with the progress we've made this season and even just this weekend," stated Head Coach Chad Callihan. "We felt like we got a little better each match and we were really pleased with the team's performance tonight. We thought the girls came out with a lot of energy and really executed well. It was a good way to wrap things up."
Despite dropping the first set to the Bucs, the Eagles regrouped and defeated East Tennessee State 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-20) in the opening match of the day. Sanford picked up her ninth double-double of the season, leading the team with 16 kills to go along with 16 digs. Enjoli Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.) posted her best showing of the season, logging 14 kills. Small rounded out the double-digit kill numbers with 13. Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) led the Eagles with a career-high 24 digs, while Van Dyke led the charge with 50 assists.
East Tennessee State opened with a 4-0 run to start the match and held the lead the remainder of the frame. Trailing 22-17, Georgia Southern responded with a 3-0 run to cut the score to 22-21. But ETSU closed out the opening set, 25-22.
Georgia Southern and ETSU tied the score eight times with one lead change in the second frame. Again, the Bucs gained the early lead, holding the advantage through a 17-17 tie. The Eagles took their first lead of the match at 18-17 and used a 6-2 run to cap the set with a 25-21 victory. Georgia Southern's .342 attack percentage in the set was highlighted by five Small kills.
The Eagles opened set three with a 5-1 run, but the Bucs charged back, knotting the score at 6-6. ETSU took a slight advantage thereafter, but Georgia Southern took its final lead at 11-10, capturing the set, 25-20.
In the fourth set, Georgia Southern once again opened with a 3-0 run, but ETSU quickly tied the score at 3-all. The teams kept the set close with neither team leading by more than two points until 21-20 when the Eagles sealed the match win with a 4-0 run. Sanford and Johnson both posted five kills in the set to lead the Eagles.
"ETSU played some great ball and definitely got our attention," noted Callihan. "It was nice to see us step up and meet the challenge."
Georgia Southern hit a season-best .431 en route to sweeping the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (25-15, 25-12, 25-17). Sanford notched 15 kills and just missed a double-double with nine digs. Small also picked up 15 kills, hitting at a .667 clip with only one error on 21 attempts. Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) and Van Dyke both posted match-highs with 14 digs and 41 assists, respectively.
CSU held the Eagles tight in the opening frame until a Georgia Southern 8-0 run sparked by a Small kill handed the Eagles a 10-point lead at 19-9. Sanford and Small each posted a pair of kills in the run as Georgia Southern took the first set, 25-15.
Committing no errors in the second set, Georgia Southern tallied 17 kills for a .567 clip. The Eagles opened with a 3-1 run and following a Small kill, put together a 6-0 run to grab a 9-1 lead. A trio of Eagle kills intermixed with a Buccaneer error and three Amanda Hall kills put the Eagles in front, 13-4. Georgia Southern climbed out to an 18-7 lead after four unanswered points and took set two, 25-12.
Small led the Eagles in set three with six kills as Charleston Southern tied the score twice early on. But Georgia Southern jumped out to an 11-5 advantage following three unanswered Eagle points and took an 18-10 lead after a Sanford kill. CSU closed to within five points at 20-15 following a 4-0 run, but could not hold off the Eagles as Georgia Southern sealed the win with a 25-17 third set win.
With the SpringHill Suites Tournament, Georgia Southern concluded fall tournament play and opens Southern Conference action next. The Eagles travel to Wofford on Sept. 24 and challenge Furman on Sept. 25. Match times are set for 7 p.m. both nights.
Wofford 3, Stetson 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Terriers closed their final match of the Wofford College Invitational with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-21) win over the Stetson University Hatters Saturday afternoon in Ben Johnson Arena.
The Terriers improved to 9-7 on the season and 2-0 over the Hatters as well.
Rachel Woodlee led the Terrier offense with a .600 hitting percentage. She reeled off nine kills on 15 attempts with no errors. Catelyn Amende followed with eight kills and four block assists for 11 total points. Amanda Ligouri and Stacy Byrd collected seven kills a piece. Reagan Styles had 13 digs and three service aces, while Tara Gough led the Terriers with 17 assists. Bekah Dorsey handed out 14 assists.
In the first set, the two teams traded points until Stetson pushed a 14-14 tie to 16-14, but Wofford would tie the match at 16 with kills from Amende and Whitney Burnett. With the score tied at 19 Wofford went on a 4-0 run to take a 23-19 lead. The Terriers took advantage of three Hatter errors and a Gough service ace. Wofford finished the set with a 25-21 lead. Amende tallied four kills in the opening stanza.
Set two saw the Hatters break a 14-14 tie with a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead, but Wofford would respond. The Terriers took on a 10-2 run to close the set with a 25-18 win. Styles served ten consecutive points and had three service aces. Woodlee had five kills in the set including back-to-back kills during the 10-2 run.
Wofford took control of the final set early in the match with an 8-5 lead. The Terriers never let the Hatters pull within three and held a lead as big as seven en route to a 25-21 set and match win.
The Terriers will return to action Tuesday on the road at North Carolina A&T in a nonconference match.
Furman 3, Binghamton 0
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sophomore Chandler Ambrester tallied seven kills to lead the Furman volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-13) victory over Binghamton Saturday morning in the Paladins' second match of the Georgetown Classic in Washington, D.C. The win extends Furman's winning streak to three matches.
Furman built a quick lead at the start of the match, taking control off 10 Paladin service aces and only 10 hitting errors for the match. Junior Kelly Kirby and sophomore Natalie Braun each recorded three service aces, while freshman Amanda Komisarow added two additional aces for the Paladins.
Kirby hit .625 with five kills, while Braun led the team with eight digs and added six kills for Furman. Freshman setter Sarah McCarthy paced the Paladins with 16 assists in the victory.
Furman (5-6) will face tournament host Georgetown Saturday at 7 p.m.
Furman 3, Georgetown 2
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Furman prevailed in the battle of the Dorismond sisters, as the Paladins came from behind for a 3-2 (21-25, 25-15, 29-31, 25-20, 15-13) win over the Hoyas to in the final match of the Georgetown Classic Saturday night in Washington, D.C. Furman freshman Christina Dorismond faced her sister, Hoya senior Vanessa Dorismond in the matchup. With the win, the Paladins extend their winning streak to four matches.
Junior Kelly Kirby hit .425 with 20 kills to lead the Paladins, while sophomore Caroline Adams added 12 kills for Furman. Junior Alexis Shaffer hit .391 with 11 kills, and sophomore Natalie Braun tallied 10 kills and a team-high 18 digs. Rookie Sarah McCarthy led Furman with 51 assists, while fellow rookie Elle Ross added 13 digs for the Paladins.
Furman (6-6) will return home to open the Southern Conference season against Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.
College of Charleston 3, Radford 1
CHARLESTON, S.C. - After dropping the first set the College of Charleston volleyball team came back to take the next three as they won 3-1 over Radford Saturday afternoon at Carolina First Arena (22-25, 25-14, 27-25, 25-15).
Junior Elyse Chubb led the way with 12 kills and five blocks and sophomore Kelly Kolich added 12 kills of her own to lift the Cougars to their second straight victory in the Holiday Inn Charleston Riverview Invitational. Senior Cole Dawley finished with a double-double of 31 assists and 10 digs.
The Cougars (9-4) got off to a slow start in the first set as they made nine errors which converted to a negative hitting percentage (-.086). In the next three sets CofC hit .455, .308 and .407.
With the contest tied at 1-1 the third set would prove to be pivotal in the match. The Cougars led 20-15 and seemed to be on their way to a 2-1 lead, but Radford (5-7) stormed back to tie the score at 23-23. The game would be tied at 24 and 25 before two kills by Chubb ended the set and gave the Cougars the momentum they needed going into the fourth set.
In the final game of the match the Cougars jumped out to a 10-1 lead on a kill by Dawley. The closest Radford could narrow the gap was eight at 20-12, but CofC came alive and put the match away on a kill by junior Sarah Havel and a service error by Radford.
The Cougars will have the chance to take the tournament title tonight at 7:30p.m. against Central Michigan.
College of Charleston 3, Central Michigan 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Cougars had their backs against the wall down 0-2, but came back to win the next three sets to beat Central Michigan 3-2 and win the Holiday Inn Charleston Riverview Invitational title Saturday night in Carolina First Arena (19-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-17, 15-12).
It was a balanced effort that led CofC (10-4) to victory. Senior Whitney Russell led the way with 17 kills, but had help from tournament MVP Elyse Chubb (16 kills and five blocks) and All-Tournament team selection, freshman Madelyn McGinnis (15 kills). Senior Cole Dawley had her second consecutive double-double with 48 assists and 11 digs.
After losing a heartbreaker in five-sets to Oregon State in last weekends CofC Classic, the Cougars were able to finish off Central Michigan (7-6) and win their first tournament since the 2008 season.
The Cougars will resume play on Tuesday in their first conference match at 6p.m. against The Citadel.
UNCG 3, Norfolk State 1
UNCG 3, Gardner-Webb 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG defeated Norfolk State, 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15), in its first match of the day before scoring a 3-1 (25-16, 25-13, 24-26, 25-18) win over Gardner-Webb to win the Spartan Spiketacular title on Saturday afternoon in Fleming Gymnasium.
The Spartans improved to 12-3 on the year, while Norfolk State fell to 5-9 and Gardner-Webb dropped to 4-9.
Junior Ariel Newman was crowned tournament MVP, while sophomore Olivia Humphries and senior Caley Redden were named to the all-tournament team. Freshman Kellie Orewiler took home Libero of the Tournament honors for her play over the weekend.
Redden and ANewman led UNCG in the first match as they both posted double-doubles. Newman had 13 kills and tied for a team-high 12 digs, while Redden had 13 kills and 11 digs. Kimiko Naito had a team-high 20 assists and Orewiler tied Newman with 12 digs.
Ellica Morris had a match-high 15 kills for Norfolk State and Charlotte Armstead added 11 kills of her own. Nicole Kessner had a match-high 28 assists as well.
Earlier this season, the two teams played a close five-set match and it appeared this game was going to be more of the same in the first set. There were 10 ties and seven lead changes throughout the set.
UNCG led in the early going before Norfolk State ran off five-straight points to take a 10-7 lead. UNCG battled back to take a 14-12 advantage on a block by Redden and Humphries. Norfolk State held a 23-19 lead late, but UNCG scored five straight points to have set point at 24-23. Norfolk State called a timeout though and won the final three points to win the first set, 26-24.
The second set was more of the same between the two sides as neither team as they traded points. It appeared that Norfolk State was on its way to taking a 2-0 lead as it led 21-18 late. UNCG rallied however and won seven of the final eight points to win the set, 25-22, and tie the match at one.
After the intermission, the two teams once again found themselves in a close battle. UNCG led only 10-9 before winning the next five points to take control of the set. Norfolk State battled back to pull within three at 17-14 on a kill by Jasmine Frazier. That was as close as Norfolk State would get though as UNCG closed out the set on an 8-1 run to win the set, 25-15.
UNCG carried its momentum into the fourth set and led Norfolk State 12-10 midway through the set. UNCG then went on a 10-2 run en route to winning the set, 25-15.
In the second match, Newman and Billi Baker each had 13 kills and Humphries added 11 kills to lead the Spartans on the offensive end. Orewiler led the Spartans with a match-high 16 digs and Redden and Ari Lysacek had 12 digs each.
The Spartans came storming out of the gate against Gardner-Webb in the opening set as they built an 8-1 lead to start the match. UNCG went on to extend its lead to 19-9 on a service ace by Orewiler before winning the set, 25-15.
In the second set, the two teams played close in the early going as UNCG held a narrow 7-6 lead. The Spartan then went on a 14-3 run to blow open the set and take a 21-9 lead en route to taking the set, 25-13.
After the break, Gardner-Webb came out with more energy and won the third set, 26-24. UNCG had an early 9-5 lead, but the Bulldogs ran off six-straight points to take an 11-9 lead. The two teams battled back-and-forth throughout the set before Gardner-Webb had set point at 24-23. A kill by Karrian Chambers tied things at 24, but the Bulldogs won the next two points to win the set.
In the fourth and final set, UNCG took control early at 10-5, but Gardner-Webb fought back to tie the set at 15. The Spartans rebounded though and closed the set on a 10-3 run to win the set, 25-18.
The Spartans return to action on Friday as they open Southern Conference play by hosting Samford for a 5 p.m. contest in Fleming Gymnasium.
Western Carolina 3, N.C. A&T 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Senior Paloma Alvarez led a Catamount squad that posted a .300 attacking percentage to defeat North Carolina A&T, 3-0, on Saturday, Sept. 18.
The Catamounts (4-8) jumped out to an early 20-8 lead in the first set and never looked back as they routed the Aggies (1-10) in three sets (25-11, 25-13, 25-11). Tatiana Cooper picked up a kill late in the first set to bring the score to 22-11, but WCU used an Abbey Scroggins kill and two N.C. A&T attacking errors to score the final three points of the set.
Amanda Chaparro picked up two of her match-high six service aces in the opening minutes of set two, leading the Catamounts to an early 5-0 lead. The Aggies brought the match back within two points (7-5), but WCU went on a 13-4 run to take a 20-9 advantage. N.C. A&T scored four of the next six points to cut their deficit to nine (22-13). Kelcie Randazzo gave WCU the set-two victory by finishing the set with a kill and two service aces.
The Aggies kept the third set within three (10-7), but WCU went on a 10-1 run to take N.C. A&T out of the match (20-8). Three consecutive Aggie points made the score 20-11 before WCU rattled off the final five points for the victory.
Alvarez paced the Catamounts with eight kills, posting a .545 attacking percentage. Chaparro and Rebecca Stoltz both added six kills in the victory and Carrie Minogue chipped in four kills. Emily Franklin recorded a match-high 26 assists to go along with six digs.
Defensively, Morgan Cochran registered a match-high 12 digs. Minogue had two blocks while Randazzo posted six digs.
UNC Asheville 3, Western Carolina 1
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Senior Paloma Alvarez posted a career-high 19 kills, but it wasn't enough to defeat UNC Asheville as WCU fell in four sets on Saturday night at the Ramsey Center.
"Our attitude and effort were much higher than normal this weekend," said Western Carolina head coach Manuel Concepcion. "We are playing with more confidence even when we might be down and that's what we need to see."
The Catamounts (4-9) dropped the first set, 25-17, before battling back to win set two by a score of 25-22. UNCA won set three, 25-17, and set four, 25-19.
Set one saw the Catamounts and Bulldogs tied at 10 before UNCA used a 10-3 run to take a 20-13 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Paloma Alvarez and Carrie Minogue got the Catamounts back within five (20-15), but the Bulldogs went on a 5-2 run capped by a Cindi Miller kill to take the set, 25-17.
WCU jumped out to a 12-8 lead in set two before UNCA bounced back and tied the set at 15. The Catamounts went on a 6-2 run to take a 21-17 advantage. The Bulldogs gave the Catamounts a scare as they brought the match within two (24-22), but UNCA's Rachel Guinane committed a service error on the final point to give the Catamounts the set.
The Catamounts trailed by as much as 11 (18-7) in the third set before WCU capitalized on three consecutive UNCA errors to make the set (18-10). WCU got the match within seven (23-16), but the Bulldogs took the final two points of the set on a WCU attacking error and a Cindi Miller kill.
WCU again trailed by as much as eight (18-10) in set four, but the Catamounts fought back by going on a 5-1 run to get within four (19-15). After a Jenna Dover kill made the score 21-16 in favor of the Bulldogs, WCU used two kills by Kelcie Randazzo and a kill by Abbey Scroggins to get within three (22-19). UNCA scored the final three points of the set on two Miller kills and a WCU attacking error to win the match.
Alvarez paced the Catamounts with 19 kills while Minogue and Randazzo contributed 13 kills each. Amanda Chaparro added nine kills on the night.
"We looked better offensively because we were doing our service receive better," said Concepcion. "The more we improve in our serve receive the more we are going to improve on offense."
For the second time in as many matches, setter Emily Franklin recorded a career-high performance. The Lexington, Ky., native posted a match-high 46 assists, eclipsing her previous career mark of 33 assists set in the team's last match against Presbyterian last Wednesday (Sept. 15).
"She is a very smart player," said Concepcion. "When she gets to the ball her decision making is outstanding. She has a great view of the floor and has control of the offense because the players trust her. Having Emily playing as well as she has been lately also allows Kelcie Randazzo to become one of our main passers."
Defensively, freshman Morgan Cochran led a group of three Catamounts who recorded 10 or more digs with a match-high 29 digs. Chaparro chipped in 22 digs and Randazzo added 15.
"Morgan Cochran brought a different perspective of the game today that we haven't seen from her so far this season," said Concepcion. "She was confident and allowed other players to free up so she could become more of an offense threat."
The Catamounts will be back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 22 against USC Upstate at 7 p.m. in Cullowhee.
Chattanooga 3, Central Florida 2
James Madison 3, Chattanooga 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball team came together as a team pulling out a come-from-behind victory against UCF, 3-2 (8-25, 22-25, 25-22, 28-26, 15-8), but would split the day after dropping a match to James Madison, 3-0 (25-15, 15-18, 15-14), in the second day of the Country Inns & Suites Invitational at Maclellan Gym.
"It was an amazing comeback after dropping the first set," said head coach Lisa Rhodes. "It showed that we still had some fight in us to come back against UCF. Maybe, there was just too quick of a turnaround after that kind of emotional win in facing a very talented Jams Madison team."
The Lady Mocs came back from four match points against the Knights in the fourth set thanks to two blocks late by sophomore Ellie Kuhn to force a fifth set. Then, they went on a tear to start the frame rolling out to an 8-2 lead enroute to a 15-8 win.
"Her blocking was phenomenal," said Rhodes. "We would not have even been in a fifth set with UCF if she had not gotten those blocks towards the end of the fourth. Her blocking and confidence level in hitting has come around, which makes her want the ball. We need people that want the ball, step up and make the plays when called upon."
In the UCF match, Kuhn tied a season-high with eight blocks and lead the team with 14 during the tournament. She was named to the all-tournament team along with Kristen Fisher from UCF, Natalie Abel and Tara Blood from Belmont and Lindsay Callahan and Natalie Abel from James Madison. The Dukes Danielle Erb was named the MVP of the Country Inns & Suites Invitational.
The Lady Mocs return to the Maclellan Gym floor on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against East Tennessee State. It is the final tune up for Chattanooga before heading to Elon and UNC Greensboro this weekend to open Southern Conference play.
The Citadel 3, South Carolina State 0
N.C. Central 3, The Citadel 2
Orangeburg, S.C. - The Citadel Volleyball split a pair of Saturday matches at the South Carolina State Invitational. After opening the morning session with a sweep of host S.C. State, the Cadets fell in a grueling five-set match to N.C. Central 20-25, 25-18, 25-13, 23-25, 10-15 in the afternoon. The duo of Kaona Mercer, who finished a team-high 12 kills, and Jessica Maas (10 kills, 9 digs) led the way for The Citadel offense.
Also instrumental for the Bulldogs against NCCU was Kathryn Johnston (16 digs), Emily Dalton (11 digs) and Erin Bucherl (10 digs). The front row got assistance from Blaine McAllister (9 kills), Tatum Jestila (8 kills) and Cassie Uribe (7 kills). Sharing setter duties, The Citadel's Alexa Dahlstrom had a team-best 21 digs while Bucherl chipped in with 18 dishes. The Dogs improve to 5-10 overall after winning two matches over the weekend.
N.C. Central (2-11) relinquished a seven-point advantage in the fourth set. Tied at 22-22 a block by Amanda Beal and Alexa Dahlstrom gave The Citadel its first lead of the game. Two points later, with the score again tied, an attack error allowed the Eagles Martisann Sinclair to serve for game point that was driven home by Belind Behncre-Biney, 25-23.
After a back-and-forth game over the opening six points in the decisive fifth set, the Eagles grabbed a 10-5 lead on a service ace by Behncre-Biney. Dalton kept the Bulldogs close after three consecutive attack errors, drawing the score to 13-9, but NCCU would emerge with the 15-10 score.
Three kills apiece from Jestila, Maas and McAllister made for the difference on the Dogs front row. Using momentum from the second game win, Leading 14-9, Amanda Beal took advantage of two service aces, an Eagle attack error and a McAllister kill to stretch it to 17-9. The Bulldogs allowed only three more NCCU points en route to the 25-12 set win.
The Citadel responded with a win in the second game, and broke an early 6-6 tie with a Jestila kill. With Dalton serving the Cadets scored three straight points and would eventually jump out to a 16-9 lead. Taking advantage of five Eagle errors, along with three kills by Maas the Bulldogs knotted the match 1-1 with a 25-18 victory.
A close set throughout, the Eagles broke a 15-15 in the latter stages to pull away with the victory. A kill by Sashalee Wallen followed by attack errors on The Citadel opened the door for the three-point lead. With the 18-15 advantage, N.C. Central went onto score seven of final 12 points for the 25-20 win.
High Point 3, Davidson 2
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The Davidson Wildcat volleyball team fought off a match point to force a fifth set, but the High Point Panthers placed four hitters in double figures for the 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 24-26, 15-8) win in the second match of the day at the Nfinity Wildcat Classic at Belk Arena.
Boise State swept Eastern Michigan, 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-16) in the opening match of the day.
Davidson (6-6) was led by senior Sarabeth Peele's 14 kills and three blocks, to go along with 12 kills and seven blocks from classmate Jorden Benedict. Junior Madison Benedict was the third Wildcat in double figures, finishing with 10 kills and four blocks. Setter Hayley Lawson finished with 40 assists, while sophomore Molly Crenshaw and junior Christine Perzinski tallied 13 and 12 digs, respectively.
High Point (4-9) got double-doubles from both Audie Gonzalez, with 13 kills and 12 digs, and Megan Smith, with 13 and 13. Stephanie Wallin and Courtney Johnk finished with 11 kills apiece, while Julie Hershkowitz and Molly Barlow totaled 15 and 13 kills, respectively.
Davidson saw an early 8-4 lead vanish in the opening set, but battled back from a 19-16 deficit to knot the score at 20 on a kill from junior Erin Lupfer. The Wildcats won the next pair to open a 22-20 lead and two straight putaways from Madison and Jorden Benedict lifted Davidson to a 25-22 win.
High Point, though, would open a 19-13 lead in the second set, which would prove enough for the 25-20 win to even the match. Despite a late-set charge by Davidson, the Panthers would use a 21-13 lead to hold off the Wildcats, who pulled within a pair at 23-21.
But Davidson would complete the late-set comeback in the fourth frame, fighting off a match point, 24-23, on a Panther service error and winning the next three straight. A block by Jorden and Madison Benedict gave the Wildcats a set point, 25-24, and a High Point error evened the match at two sets apiece. But in the fifth set, High Point jumped out to an 11-5 lead and won the match with a 15-8 victory.
Boise State 3, Davidson 0
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Nfinity Wildcat Classic Tournament MVP Sadie Maughan finished with 13 kills on 15 attacks to go along with six blocks to lead the Boise State Broncos to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-14) win over the Davidson Wildcat volleyball team in the tournament finale Saturday evening at Belk Arena.
Maughan represented tournament champion Boise State (11-3), who finished with a perfect 3-0 record, on the All-Tournament team along with setter Breann Nesselhuf, who finished with 31 assists and six blocks.
Senior Jorden Benedict represented Davidson (6-7) on the All-Tournament team, while senior Sarabeth Peele led the Wildcats against the Broncos with 10 kills. Freshman Tindall Sewell tallied five kills and four blocks in her first career start, and senior Hayley Lawson finished with 21 assists and a team-leading seven digs.
With the conclusion of regular-season tournament play, Davidson will hit the road for four straight matches, starting at N.C. A&T Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. After a pair of non-conference matches in Norfolk, Va., against Norfolk State and Delaware State, the Wildcats open Southern Conference play at Wofford on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.
Arkansas State 3, Samford 2
HOUSTON ---- The Samford volleyball team dropped its final match of the Rice Invitational II Saturday in five sets to Arkansas State. The Bulldogs (6-8) won the first two sets, 25-21 and 25-23, but the Red Wolves (6-6) mounted a comeback and won three straight (25-19, 25-14, 15-9) to capture the match win.
Lyndsey Holt led the Bulldogs and posted her second double-double of the season with 15 kills and 12 digs while hitting .414. Elizabeth Neisler followed with 12 kills and two digs while Lauren Hutchinson added 11 kills, two digs and four block assists. Allie Bettinger and Katie Murphy each posted 10 kills. Bettinger also added three digs, three block assists and a solo block while Murphy added two solo blocks and a block assist.
Hillary Fountain posted a double-double with 47 assists and 14 digs while also adding one kill, one ace and two block assists. Alexis Bauer, who was named to the All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the match, led the back row with 21 digs while also grabbing four assists. Samantha Bland had nine digs, an assist and an ace. Casey Garvey had five digs, two assists and two aces.
The Red Wolves were led by Cayla Fielder, who had 16 kills and hit .536. Jasmine Terry followed with 14 kills and six blocks while Sadie Clark added 10 kills and 10 digs. Allison Kearney posted 45 assists and nine digs while Megan Baska led her team with 14 digs.
The Bulldogs kick off Southern Conference play next weekend as they travel to UNC Greensboro and Elon.
North Carolina 3, Appalachian State 0
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Appalachian State University volleyball posted a strong effort, but could not muster enough offensive production, and fell short to tournament-host North Carolina Saturday afternoon, dropping a 3-0 decision. The loss is just the Apps third of the season, who are now 9-3 overall, while the win improves UNC to 8-4.
Appalachian got off to a solid start, but after the first set was tied at 10 all, UNC jumped on top, outscoring the Black and Gold 8-2, with Courtney Johnston pacing the Tar Heel attack.
Johnston registered a match-high 15 kills.
With North Carolina up 18-12, ASU struggled to put together any offensive cohesiveness, until a Maggie Seeds kill, Caroline Sedon block and a UNC attack error pulled the Apps back within striking distance, down 19-16.
Blocking continued to be Appalachian's strong point as it got the team back into the set. That coupled with Seeds offensive productivity and two more North Carolina errors knotted action at 21 all for the first time since early on.
UNC however, was able to prevail, posting a late 4-1 streak to hand the Mountaineers a 25-22 first set loss.
Second set play was tied at five apiece and Appalachian was able to grab the early 8-6 lead, as consistent play by Seeds and Sedon propelled the Apps.
Not going away quietly though, UNC evened action at eight all and then proceeded to go on a set-changing 6-0 run to take a 14-8 advantage.
Johnston continued to lead the way for the highly-productive Tar Heel offense, but Seeds tried to answer as Appalachian was able to cut its deficit to just three points, making the score 19-16.
Unfortunately, three points would be the closest ASU could make it, with the North Carolina offense giving the Tar Heels' the edge, handing ASU an eight-point second set defeat.
Relentlessly trying to muster a comeback, a resilient Appalachian squad continued to battle with UNC despite falling behind 5-3 early.
The two teams knotted play four more times, with the last time being at 10 all.
ASU was able to capitalize on sloppy UNC play and earn a 12-10 advantage, and hotly-contest play ensued, with both Meghann Forshey and Kelly Rhein stepping up.
A Lauren Brown ace and Rhein kill made it a one-point set, down just 18-17, but the Apps could never get over the one point hump.
Despite back-to-back Rhein kills, North Carolina was able to stave off the chippy Appalachian team and the Mountaineers suffered their first 3-0 loss of the season to their in-state Atlantic Coast Conference foe.
The Black and Gold resume action this afternoon, as they take on their final non-conference foe of the season, Ball State. Action between the Mountaineers and Cardinals is set to start at 5:30 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.
Ball State 3, Appalachian State 2
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- Looking to end its non-conference portion of the 2010 schedule on a high-note, Appalachian State University volleyball fell short, as the Apps squandered a 2-0 match lead and suffered a 3-2 loss to Ball State, Saturday afternoon. The defeat marks the first time ASU lost back-to-back contests this season and drops the Black and Gold to 9-4 overall and improves Ball State to 10-2.
After the Apps won the first two sets, Ball State mustered a comeback and evened the match at two apiece.
An evenly played fifth set saw two lead changes before Ball State took control and Appalachian was unable to hang with a tough Cardinal squad.
Maggie Seeds and Meghann Forshey helped to tie the set at eight apiece, but the Cardinals went on a 7-1 run with errors plaguing Appalachian, to hand ASU a 15-9 fifth and 3-2 match defeat.
The Black and Gold started out the contest on fire, grabbing a 4-1 lead as Kelly Rhein and Meghann Forshey paced Appalachian's deadly offensive assault.
Rhein was stellar against Ball State, pouring in a match and season-best 17 kills, in addition to 12 digs and four block assists.
Pushing their advantage to five points, making the score 10-5 off of two Maggie Seeds kills, Appalachian never relinquished its cushion.
Despite the Cardinals coming back to tie play at 16 all, with Mindy Marx being quite active for BSU on both the offensive and defensive fronts, Forshey's stout performance enabled ASU to cling to a one point lead.
A one-point lead was all the Mountaineers needed, as final kills by Caroline Sedon and Seeds gave Appalachian the three-point first set win.
Carrying its momentum into second set action, ASU drilled Ball State, winning the set by 13 points.
Appalachian was dominant from the get-go, taking a 9-1 lead over its Mid-American conference competitor, thanks in part to Rhein and Forshey on the offensive front, and Alison Blasingame contributing at the net, recording five blocks.
Forshey was also impressive offensively, recording 11 kills on 34 total attacks.
Back-to-back kills by senior Lauren Swecker propelled ASU to a 10-point lead up 16-6, and with that Appalachian never looked back, as the squad cruised to the 25-12 second set victory.
Ball State was able to respond in third set action, grabbing an early 10-5 advantage over a sluggish Mountaineer team.
Three straight Appalachian points off of Swecker and Rhein kills and Rhein and Blasingame combining for a block, put Appalachian down just 15-11. However, Ball State then went on a streak that ASU could not recover from.
The Cardinals went on a 4-0 run, and despite strong efforts by Rhein and Seeds to get ASU back in the set, the Cardinals fended off the Mountaineers and earned the 25-17 third set win.
After falling behind 7-2 at the beginning of the fourth, offensive contributions by Seeds and Rhein, along with impressive Mountaineer blocking and errors by Ball State knotted action at 9 apiece.
The set was tied again at 11 all, and it seemed as though Ball State was primed to run away with it, as the Cardinals grabbed a 15-11 advantage off a Kelsey Brandl kill.
Not ready to give in quite yet, Rhein registered yet another kill and Meghann Forshey slammed home two as well to even action up once again at 16 all.
A continued back and forth affair, an ASU attack error and kills by Whitney Heeres and a final Cardinal service ace tied the match at two sets apiece as BSU took the 25-22 fourth set decision.
Heeres was one of two Cardinals to end the evening with double-digit kills, tallying 15.
Unfortunately for the Apps, the fifth set ended in Ball State's favor as ASU was dealt a 15-9 loss and its fourth loss of the 2010 season.
Along with Rhein and Forshey, Kasey Sauls was solid on the offensive front, totaling 30 assists and 13 digs, while Seeds poured in 14 kills.
With a week-break, Appalachian now turns its sights to conference action, as the Mountaineers take on Southern Conference South Division foe The Citadel, Saturday, September 25. Action is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in the Holmes Center.
UNC Wilmington 3, Elon 2
NC State 3, Elon 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. - The Elon University volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon on the final day of the UNC Wilmington Hilton Garden Inn Beach Bash, as the Phoenix fell 3-2 to UNCW (25-22, 26-24, 11-25, 15-25, 11-15) and 3-0 to NC State (24-26, 16-25, 27-29).
"We learned a valuable lesson offensively this weekend," said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. "We started to show moments of great execution, but we struggled sustaining it consistently.
Elon drops to 7-8 on the year with the losses, while UNCW improves to 4-8 and NC State moves to 10-2 with the wins.
Sophomore Ali Deatsch earned all-tournament honors after a solid weekend. Deatsch finished the three-game tournament with a team-best 47 digs, tallying just under four digs per-set.
"Deatsch's serve receive and defense was very impressive this weekend," Tendler said. "She is looking very confident and everyone else is following her lead."
After winning the first set, 25-22, to take a 1-0 lead over the Seahawks in its first match, the Phoenix erased a four-point deficit to knot the game at 24-all after a kill from junior Traci Stewart. Stewart would strike again on the next play to give Elon a 25-24 advantage. The Phoenix would go on to win the set on the next play after an error by the Seahawks helped Elon take a 2-0 lead in the match.
But Elon's 2-0 advantage would be short-lived, as UNCW would come back to win the third and fourth set to tie the match.
With the Phoenix trailing by two points, 10-8, in the fifth set, the Seahawks would go on a 4-0 run to take a 14-8 lead. Elon rallied to pull within three points, 14-11, but the Seahawks managed to record the match-point on a Samantha Seifert kill to top the Phoenix, 3-2.
Junior Caroline Lemke finished with a team-best 12 kills against the Seahawks, while Stewart registered 10 kills.
The Phoenix again battled close in its final match of the day against NC State, taking the Wolfpack to a 23-all tie late in the opening set. But after an attack error gave Elon a one-point edge, 24-23, the Wolfpack capitalized on a Phoenix error and a pair of kills to top Elon, 26-24. Senior Lauren Copenhagen led the Phoenix in the first set, tallying a team-best four kills and finishing the match with nine.
Despite leading by four points, 9-5, in the second set, Elon found itself climbing an uphill battle against NC State late, as the Wolfpack went on a 16-4 run to claim a 21-13 advantage and force a Phoenix timeout. A late kill from sophomore Carly Ledbetter gave Elon momentum, but the Wolfpack would go on to win, 25-16, and take a 2-0 lead.
Following intermission, Elon came out and traded point-for-point with NC State, eventually going ahead, 20-19, after a 3-0 run late in the third set to force a Wolfpack timeout. But despite a hard-fought battle by the Phoenix, the Wolfpack rallied to win the set, 29-27, and win the match.
Senior Sarah Schermerhorn paced the Elon offense, tallying a team-best 10 kills and four blocks.
Deatsch led all players with a match-high 16 digs, while junior setter Megan McMahon registered 30 assists for the Phoenix.
"It will be nice to have five days of practice prior to our first Southern Conference home weekend," Tendler added. "I look forward to a great atmosphere in Jordan Gym."
Elon begins Southern Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 25, when it hosts Samford at 7 p.m. inside Jordan Gym.