UNCG 3, South Carolina State 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. UNCG received a match-high eight kills from Ariel Newman and Olivia Humphries to lead the Spartans to a sweep over South Carolina State, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-17), on Friday afternoon in the first match of the UNCW Courtyard by Marriott Tournament. It was the third sweep for the Spartans in their first six matches and their second in as many matches.
The Spartans improved their perfect record to 6-0 so far this season, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-4.
It is the first time that UNCG has started a season 6-0 since the 1984 team began the year 17-0 en route to winning the Dixie Conference Championship and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III National Championships.
Today was another great win for us as a team, said head coach Patrick Nicholas. The biggest thing today was being really focused and coming out strong. We wanted to get off to a good and fast start in each set and I think we accomplished that during the match.
In addition to Newman and Humphries, senior Kayren Finney helped lead the offense as she added six kills and freshman Karrian Chambers had five. Newman chipped in a team-high eight digs and Ari Lysacek had a team-high 15 assists. Finney, Humphries and Alissa Beaudway also tied for a match-high four blocks each.
The Spartans opened the first set by taking an early 8-4 lead on a kill by Newman. The Bulldogs fought back though to pull within 13-11, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the set. UNCG responded with a 12-4 run to close out the set and win 25-15 on a Billi Baker kill.
It was more of the same from UNCG in the second set as it led from wire-to-wire in the set. The Spartans used a pair of kills from Newman and a kill by Chambers to hop out to a 5-1 lead. UNCG led 15-10 later in the set before taking advantage of three Bulldog errors and a kill by Humphries to go ahead, 19-10. The Spartans would go on to win the set, 25-16, on a kill by Finney.
UNCG fell behind 5-4 in the third and final, but as they have numerous times this season they went on a run to put the set out of reach. The Spartans went on a 15-5 run to take a 19-10 lead as they went on to take the set, 25-17.
The Spartans will return to action on Saturday as they face UCF at 1 p.m. before ending the tournament against host UNC Wilmington at 7:30 p.m.
Appalachian State 3, Eastern Kentucky 0
BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University volleyball posted a quite impressive 2010 home-opening debut Friday evening, as the Black and Gold routed Eastern Kentucky to the tune of 3-0. With the win the Black and Gold improve to a spotless 5-0 on the season, matching its best start to a campaign since 2002, and winning its home opener for the first time in two seasons. The loss drops Eastern Kentucky to 1-3 overall.
The first set was a back and forth affair, as it was knotted seven different times before the ten point mark. Once the set was tied at 10 all, it was back-to-back kills by juniors Kelly Rhein and Anna Wagner and a block assist by Maggie Seeds and Allison Blasingame that gave Appalachian a 13-10 advantage.
Another Rhein kill earned the Mountaineers its fourth-straight point, but Eastern Kentucky would not let up easily, coming back to tie the match at 15 apiece.
Senior Caroline Sedon stepped up when it counted as she put the Apps on top for good, slamming home a kill to make the score 16-15 in Appalachian's favor.
The Black and Gold led by as many as five points, up 22-17, with Wagner registering another kill on the night.
Despite Eastern Kentucky pulling back within three points, a final Colonel service error and Allison Blasingame kill propelled the Black and Gold to the hard-fought 25-22 first set win.
Eeerily similar to first set play, the two teams traded the lead in the early goings of second set action, before Blasingame put the Mountaineers on top for good, going up 10-9.
Offensive production came from all over for ASU, with Blasingame, Rhein and Seeds contributing to Appalachian's strong performance, enabling the squad to jump out to a 20-14 advantage.
EKU tried to creep back into the set, cutting ASU's six point cushion down to two, but back-to-back kills by Rhein to close out the set, gave Appalachian the 25-21 second set win.
Rhein was stellar offensively yet again, totaling a match-high 16 kills on 32 attacks, along with posting 13 digs. The double-digit performance was the second of the season for the Virginia transfer.
It appeared Appalachian would cruise to the third set win, after jumping out to a 6-1 lead, as the Apps were able to capitalize on four early Eastern Kentucky attack errors.
However, the Colonels would not back down, as they were able to cut their deficit to just two points at 9-7.
An 8-2 ASU streak squashed any EKU hopes of mustering a comeback, with the Mountaineers making the set score 17-9 in their favor.
Sophomore Meghann Forshey carried ASU during the run, combining for a block assist with Sedon and earning a kill.
It was smooth sailing the rest of the set, as two late points by Rhein and Wagner pushed the Apps to the ten point third set win and 3-0 match victory.
The 2010 Appalachian Invitational continues tomorrow, as the Black and Gold take to the court twice at both 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. ASU first hosts USC Upstate and then battles Horizon League foe Valparaiso in the tournament finale.
College of Charleston 3, Winthrop 2
ROCK HILL, S.C. - In front of a hostile crowd the College of Charleston volleyball team spoiled the Winthrop home opener with a victory against host-school Eagles in their first game of the Carolina Challenge Friday night at the Winthrop Coliseum.
"It was a great win," said Head Coach Jason Kepner. "We played three good games and two really bad games. Winthrop is a good team, you can't give them anything. In the end we snuck out with a victory on their home court. It was a home opener for them so I knew they would be fired up and ready to go so I'm happy to get the win."
The match did not start the way the Cougars (4-1) expected, as Winthrop (1-3) jumped out to an early 7-3 lead and led by as much as eight at 11-3. Despite a .025 hitting efficiency the team did not give up, closing the gap but still dropping the first set 19-25.
In the second set the veteran Cougar squad took command early and built a 14-9 lead on a kill by senior Ginny Phillips off of one of fellow senior Cole Dawley's 53 assists.
The attack was much better in the second set for CofC as they collected 20 kills compared to the Winthrop Eagles 11 kills. An aggressive attack and .318 hitting percentage carried the Cougars to a 25-22 set victory.
The third set followed the beginning script as the Eagles stormed out to a 6-0 lead after two CofC attack errors. Senior Whitney Russell tried to bring her team back with two of her team-high 15 kills, but Winthrop pulled away to take a 20-10 advantage. Again CofC battled back to close the game to seven, before going down 16-25.
With the Cougars facing a must-win set in game four junior Sarah Havel came to the rescue with two kills and a block assist with Russell to build an early 9-5 lead.
When Winthrop narrowed the Cougar lead to two at 19-17 CofC clamped down and went on a 6-1 run led by back-to-back kills by Russell and freshman Madelyn McGinnis. Fellow freshman Kallie McKown towered over the competition with three straight service opportunities to secure the Cougars key points down the stretch.
Going into the fifth and deciding set the momentum was on the side of the Cougars. After trading points back and fourth the score stood at 3-3. Hitting at a .263 clip CofC went on a 6-0 run and pulled away to secure the set victory and the match with a 15-8 triumph.
"We were a little more consistent in the fifth game," Kepner said. "We passed much better than we did last weekend against Northern Illinois. I think that allowed our offensive to be a little more successful. We were a little out of sink last weekend, but tonight we were in control."
The Cougars balanced attack included four players with double-digit kills and four with double-digit digs, including a combined 41 digs from liberos Emily Shelton and Paige Johnson.
The Cougars resume action tomorrow with a 12p.m. match against South Carolina and a 5:30 contest with Clemson.
Davidson 3, Canisius 0
RADFORD, Va. -- The Davidson Wildcats used a balanced attack to defeat the Canisius Griffins, 3-0, (27-25, 25-18, 25-16) in the opening game of the Radford University Tournament Friday at the Dedmon Center.
Davidson (3-1) rallied from a 24-19 deficit to win the first game, 27-25, as sophomore defensive specialist Molly Crenshaw served six straight points, and rode the momentum to its third shutout of the young season.
In another balanced offensive effort, junior outside hitter Christine Perzinski and senior outside hitter Sarabeth Peele each had eight kills to lead the Wildcats. Junior right side Erin Lupfer, junior middle blocker Madison Benedict and freshman outside hitter Caroline Brown each had seven kills for the 'Cats, while senior middle blocker Jorden Benedict added six. As a team, Davidson out hit the Griffins .247 to .059.
Senior setter Hayley Lawson and sophomore Ariel Ley each had 19 assists, while Crenshaw paced the defense with 15 digs. Perzinski added 10 digs, and Madison Benedict led the team with four blocks.
For the Griffins, Samantha Goode finished with a team-high six kills and three blocks, while Sydney Palka had 10 assists. Allyson Severyn led the defense with nine digs.
In the opening set, the Wildcats saw an early 6-3 lead erode into an 11-11 tie. The Griffins won the next two points on back-to-back Davidson attacking errors and looked poised for victory with a set-point chance at 24-19. But Renee Lettow's service error gave possession to the Wildcats, who took advantage of strong serving by Crenshaw to survive four set points before Madison Benedict and Brown's block kept the game alive again at 24-23. Perzinski's put away evened the score, and Crenshaw aced her sixth serve of the possession for the 25-24 lead. Canisius got the score knotted on a Wildcat error in the next play, but Madison Benedict and Perzinski got back-to-back kills to close out the 27-25 comeback win for Davidson.
The Wildcats rode the momentum into the next set, hitting a staggering .429 to just .033 for the Griffins. Davidson opened a 9-5 lead on a pair of kills from Brown and one each from Peele and Madison Benedict and pulled ahead 16-10 on block by Perzinski and Jorden Benedict. The Griffins put together a 5-1 run to get within a pair at 17-15, but Davidson answered, closing out the set with an 8-3 run as Perzinski punched home the set-winner for the 25-18 win to go ahead 2-0 in the match.
Davidson controlled the third game from the start, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. The Griffins, though, knotted the score at eight behind a 7-3 run, but Ley served four straight points as Davidson rallied on kills from Perzinski and Jorden Benedict to reclaim the lead, 13-8 and force Canisius into a timeout. Canisius would not challenge the rest of the set, as Davidson closed out the match by winning 12 of the final 19 points en route to a 25-16 victory.
The Wildcats will return to action tomorrow, taking on East Tennessee State at 10 a.m. and the host Highlanders at 3 p.m. as they close out play at the Radford tournament.
Furman 3, UAB 1
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Junior Kelly Kirby tallied 16 kills to lead the Furman volleyball team to a 3-1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-16, 26-24) victory over UAB in the first round of the Bama Bash Friday morning in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Blazers jumped out to an early lead in set one, building a 24-15 advantage before the Paladins reeled off five straight points to pull within four. UAB then scored the deciding point for the first set win. Furman roared back, winning set two 25-21 and set three 25-16. In the fourth set the two teams battled to a 24-24 tie before the Paladins put together two straight points for the 26-24 victory to take the match win.
Freshman Sarah McCarthy paced the team with 36 assists, and rookie Elle Ross recorded a team-high 21digs. Sophomore Natalie Braun had 13 kills and 17 digs in the effort, while fellow sophomore Chandler Ambrester added 11 kills and three service aces.
"We were definitely stayed mentally tough in the last game to pull through for the win," said Kelly, who also recorded 14 digs, 14 assists, and six blocks in the match. "There are some areas of our game that we need to work on before we face Alabama tonight, but we are fully capable of winning tonight's match."
Furman (2-2) will face Alabama tonight at 8 p.m. in the second round of the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alabama 3, Furman 0
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Senior Katherine Hall and junior Kelly Kirby each recorded nine kills to lead the Furman volleyball team in the Paladins' 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-23) loss at Alabama in the second round of the Bama Bash Friday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Crimson Tide won set one 25-20 and set two 25-14, before the Paladins came back to build an early 10-7 lead in the third set. The two teams battled to a 22-22 tie but Furman was unable to hold off a late surge by Alabama, as the Crimson Tide took the last set 25-23 for the match victory.
Freshman Sarah McCarthy led the Paladins with 15 assists, and sophomore Natalie Braun recorded a team-high 10 digs. Braun and sophomore Caroline Adams each posted five blocks in the match.
Furman (2-3) will face Toledo Saturday at 11 a.m. in the final round of the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Samford 3, Northwestern State 0
North Texas 3, Samford 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday in the first day of play in the Bulldog Invitational sponsored by McDonald's. The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern State, 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-14), in the first match of the day before falling to North Texas, 3-1 (25-15, 16-25, 23-25, 18-25), in the final match.
Against Northwestern State, Samford's freshmen continued to shine bright for the Bulldogs. After a tight first set with the Lady Demons, Samford sailed through sets No. 2 and No. 3 to win the match.
"Our freshmen picked us up early today," Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. "Taylor Palmer had some key transition kills and came up with five big blocks for us this afternoon. Katie Murphy showed some of the things we worked on yesterday which led to 11 kills and four blocks for her."
Also leading for the Bulldogs against Northwestern State was Elizabeth Neisler. She posted a team-high 12 kills and hit .333 while adding one dig. Murphy hit a team-high .667, committing only one error on 15 attempts while Allie Bettinger posted a hitting average of .467 with eight kills on 15 attempts. She also led the team in digs with 12 while grabbing one block assist and an ace.
Lauren Hutchinson added nine kills, two blocks and one dig while Palmer added one dig to her four kills and five block assists. Hillary Fountain dished out 27 assists and eight digs while Casey Garvey added 15 assists and four digs against the Demons. Alexis Bauer had nine digs while Samantha Bland had seven. Lyndsey Holt also added four kills, four digs and one ace.
Northwestern State was led by Laranda Spann who tallied 11 kills and three blocks. Lauren Peltier posted 24 assists and Kourtney Adams led the Lady Demons with seven digs.
Against North Texas, the Bulldogs easily won the first set but seemed to lose steam through the remainder of the match.
"We won set one easy and started to feel pretty good about ourselves," Schroeder said. "We lost focus and determination. Once you lose that, a very well-coached and hardworking North Texas team is hard to beat."
Murphy led her team with 14 kills and a .393 hitting percentage followed by Neisler with 13 kills and a .216 hitting percentage. Hutchinson tallied 12 kills on 15 attempts with zero errors for a team-high .750 attack percentage, tying her career high. She also added three digs and two block assists. Bettinger posted four kills and 11 digs along with one assist and two aces.
Palmer recorded three kills, one assist and one dig while Fountain added one kill and four digs as well. Fountain and Garvey combined for 46 assists for Samford. Fountain dished out 21 while Garvey had 22. Bauer posted 10 digs while Bland had three.
North Texas was led by Amy Huddleston who posted 20 kills for a .441 hitting percentage. Shelley Morton and Rachelle Wilson followed with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Kayla Saey posted 52 assists while Sarah Willey posted 17 digs.
"I have to give Ken Murczek and his staff all the credit," Schroeder said. "They were effectively commit-blocking and were one step ahead of our offense in sets two, three and four."
In other Bulldog Invitational action on Friday, Syracuse beat Tennessee Tech, 3-1, Tennessee Tech defeated Northwestern State, 3-0, and Syracuse beat North Texas, 3-1.
The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday at 3 p.m. as they take on Tennessee Tech in the Pete Hanna Center. They will then close out tournament play with a 7 p.m. meeting with Syracuse. Ronald McDonald will be present for the 7 p.m. match so come out and support Samford volleyball and meet Ronald McDonald.
Cal State Northridge 3, Elon 2
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Elon University volleyball team dropped its first match of the 2010 season Friday night, as the Phoenix fell, 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12), in a five-set heartbreaker to the Cal State University Northridge Matadors.
Down by as many as eight in the fifth set, the Phoenix (5-1) clawed back with a five-point rally to make it a three-point game and force a Matador timeout. But after a kill by junior Megan McMahon made it a two-point game at 14-12, the Matadors managed to take the set, 15-12, following an Elon service error to win the match.
Senior Lauren Copenhagen registered a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs, while junior Caroline Lemke finished with15 kills, hitting a team-best .464. Junior Traci Stewart and sophomore Carly Ledbetter both tallied 12 kills for Elon.
In the opening set, the Phoenix saw its six-point advantage evaporate, as a late five-point run in the game by the Matadors put Elon behind, 23-22. But following a timeout by head coach Mary Tendler, the Phoenix regrouped to take the set and a 1-0 lead, as a kill by senior Sarah Schermerhorn and a Cal State Northridge error paved the way for a 25-23 win.
However, the Matadors would counter in the second set to knot the match at 1-1, as costly errors down the stretch by the Phoenix allowed CSUN to claim a 25-22 victory.
Elon responded with a 25-20 victory in the third set to take a 2-1 lead despite a late four-point run by the Matadors, as key blocks on the Phoenix front line and kills by Lemke and Stewart earlier in the game helped Elon take the win.
Despite a late four-point edge for CSUN in the fourth set, Elon came back to tie the game at 23-all after a kill from Lemke from McMahon. However, the Matadors would close out the Phoenix down the stretch to win the set, 25-23, and force a decisive fifth set, which they would go on to win, 15-12.
Elon concludes action at the Sacramento State Invitational tomorrow with a pair of matches versus the Sacramento State Hornets at 3:30 p.m. (EST) and UT San Antonio at 8 p.m. (EST).
Florida Atlantic 3, Wofford 0
Wyoming 3, Wofford 1
DELAND, FLA. -- Wendy Burnett had 18 kills in two matches, but the Wofford women's volleyball team fell in two matches to Florida Atlantic in three sets (18-25, 21-25, 8-25) and in four sets to Wyoming (16-25, 25-20, 20-25, 19-25) on the first day of the Clarion Invitational at Stetson University.
Burnett's 18 kills came on 34 swings with five errors for a .382 hitting percentage in seven sets for a 2.57 kills per sets for the Terriers.
In match one against Florida Atlantic, Wofford dropped the first set 25-18. The Owls took a a quick 3-0 lead, but two attack errors, a block by Catelyn Amenda and Burnett and a kill by Burnett gave the Terriers a 4-3 lead. The two teams trade points until an Owls kill broke a 7-7 tie. Florida Atlantic went on a 10-3 run to take a 17-10 lead and go on to win the set by seven points.
In set two, Stacy Bryd had four kills and Burnett had three kills on four attempts for the Terriers, but the Owls took the set 25-21. The teams traded points until Florida Atlantic broke a 4-4 tie and took a 7-4 lead. Down 10-6 Wofford rallied and cut the lead to 12-11, but couldn't take the lead as they slipped in the second set.
Florida Atlantic took control of set three early by taking an early 7-1 lead. Wofford never recovered and fell, 25-8.
Burnett had ten kills on seventeen swings for a .529 hitting percentage against Florida Atlantic. Amanda Liguori had seven kills, and Bekah Dorsey passed out 16 assists. Regan Styles had a team-high seven digs.
Florida Atlantic won the battle at the net with seven and a half team blocks compared to three blocks for Wofford. The Owls also hit .390, while the Terriers hit .162 in the match.
In the Terriers second match of the day against Wyoming, Wofford started off with a 9-3 lead. The Cowgirls cut the lead to 12-10, but kills by Arden Anderson and Bryd propelled the Terriers to a 25-16 win.
However, in the second set the Terriers let a 10-6 lead slip away. The Cowgirls rallied to take an 18-15 lead before a Terrier timeout. Wyoming went on to take the set 25-20 and tie the match at one set a piece.
The second set started with the teams going back and forth before Wyoming broke a 9-9 tie to take a 14-11 lead. The Terriers tied the match at 14 with kills by Amende and Burnett and two unforced errors by the Cowgirls. With the score tied at 16, the Cowgirls ended the set on a 9-4 run to win 25-20.
Wyoming would go on to close the match with a 25-19 set four win. Wyoming broke a 6-6 tie with a three-point stretch that Wofford couldn't recover from.
Liguori had 12 kills and Amende followed with 11 kills and three block assists in the loss. Dorsey handed out 25 assists, while Styles collected 18 digs.
The Terriers ended their four-match win streak with back-to-back loses and slipped to 4-3 on the season. Head coach Corey Helle needs one more win to reach the 100-career win plateau.
Wofford will be back in action Saturday at 11 a.m. against Bethune-Cookman and 3 p.m. against Stetson on day two of the Clarion Invitational.
Tennessee-Martin 3, The Citadel 0
Presbyterian 3, The Citadel 1
SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Citadel Volleyball opened their second tournament in as many weekends with a pair of losses on Friday to Tennessee-Martin and Presbyterian College. The Bulldogs opened with a 25-17, 25-15, 25-13 loss to UT-Martin in the early session. In the second match, the Blue Hose overcame an early 1-0 deficit to hold off The Citadel by scores of 19-25, 25-13, 25-20 and 26-24.
Tatum Jestila combined for 18 kills and 20 digs to lead the Bulldogs solid front row. She was joined by teammates Kaona Mercer (14 kills, three assisted blocks) and Jessica Maas (13 kills). Junior libero Kathryn Johnston totaled 26 kills, while setters Erin Bucherl (32 assists) and Alexa Dahlstrom (23 assists) piloted The Citadel offense.
In the opener against the University of Tennessee at Martin, Jestila led the way with seven kills while Jessica Maas chipped in five. The Bulldogs posted seven total blocks, including six of the solo variety. Jessica Maxwell led the way with three assisted blocks to go along with one each from Mercer, Rachael Farrell and Blaine McAllister. The duo of Ashley Doherty (12 kills) and Lauren Montague (16 digs) led the Skyhawks to a .281 attack percentage and three-game sweep.
The Citadel opened strong against Presbyterian and established a 12-2 lead behind a series of service aces by Erin Bucherl. The Cadets maintained the double-digit advantage until the service game of PC's Lisa Shelley helped cut the lead to 23-15. A pair kills by Bucherl and Jestila gave the Dogs their first opening set victory in a match this season, 25-19.
After a pair of Blue Hose wins in each of the next two sets, The Citadel responded to the challenge in the fourth game. A back-and-forth contest, that witnessed 12 ties, reached a climatic 24-24 tie on a service ace by Johnston. PC took advantage of a service error to gain match point and followed with an Amanda Kettles serve that caught the Dogs defense off guard to close out the set 26-24. Shelley recorded a match-high 17 kills, while Kettles managed 14 kills and six of the team's 18 total blocks.
The Bulldogs wrap up the Bear Brawl against host Mercer University on Saturday afternoon, scheduled for a 3 p.m. start time.
Game statistics and a game recap will be available immediately following the match. For more information on Bulldog Volleyball or The Citadel Athletics, visit the website.
Arkansas 3, Chattanooga 2
LAWRENCE, Kan. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball team came together as a team and gave Arkansas (4-0) all it could handle before falling in five-sets, 3-2 (21-25, 25-15, 25-20, 19-25, 11-15) to open the Jayhawk Classic at Horejsi Center on Friday. Senior Bailee Chastain registered her second double-double of the season with 50 assists and 15 digs as the Lady Mocs played their most complete match so far this season.
Chattanooga (0-4) saw four players - senior middle blocker Courtney Barnes, junior middle blocker Ellie Kuhn, sophomore outside hitter Heather Parman and freshman outside hitter Jennifer Kuroski - hit double-figures in kills during the match. Parman and Kuhn paced the team with 14 each and Barnes and Kuroski totaled 13 and 11, respectively. Kuhn's 14 is a career high, while Kuroski's 11 is her high in just her fourth match at UTC.
For the fourth time in a row, sophomore libero Paula Passmor led the match with 26 digs. Senior right side Jessica Scott dug up 11 attacks, while Chastain added two solo blocks as the Lady Mocs recorded six total.
Chastain effectively ran the offense and distributed the ball to the outside hitters allowing the Lady Mocs to total a season-high 58 kills. She hit the 50-assist mark for the first time, since closing out the 2007 season with 68 against College of Charleston in the SoCon Tournament at Maclellan Gym.
In the first set, Chattanooga opened with three-straight kills from Scott, Barnes and Parman on its way to an early 4-0 lead. The Lady Mocs controlled the set until Arkansas took its first lead, 15-14, but Chattanooga tied it up at 18-all on a block from Scott and Kuhn.
The Razorbacks scored the next four points en route to a 25-21 set win. Parman led an efficient Chattanooga attack with four kills as the squad recorded a .132 attacking percentage and capitalized on seven Arkansas errors.
After falling behind 2-0 early in the second, the Lady Mocs scored the next six points ending on back-to-back service aces from Parman. Barnes and Chastain combined for kills to extend the lead to 13-8 as Arkansas took a timeout. The Lady Mocs pushed their lead to 19-11 after a kill by Kuhn and went on to tie up the match with a 25-15 win.
During Chattanooga's first set win of the season, the Lady Mocs recorded 12 kills on 16 attacks and did not commit a mistake compiling a .750 percentage. The defense stepped up forcing eight mistakes from Arkansas and held them to a .088 attacking percentage
As Chattanooga opened the third set with three points, Arkansas kept it close, but the squad scored five-straight to take a 9-4 lead following kills from Chastain, Kuroski and Scott. Arkansas cut into the lead, but two kills by Kuhn kept the advantage at 12-9.
Chattanooga took a commanding 23-19 lead after kills from Kuhn and Parman and went on to post a set victory at 25-20, which was closed out by a solo block from Chastain. In taking its first match lead of the season at 2-1, the Lady Mocs were able to effectively frustrate the hitters from Arkansas forcing 22 errors during the first three sets.
In the fourth set, the Razorbacks used their size recording five blocks out of the gate to take a 10-5 lead. Chattanooga scored three-straight points cutting the deficit to three at 17-14, but that was as close as the Lady Mocs came with Arkansas taking the set 25-19 to send the match to a decisive fifth set. With Arkansas on set point, the squad did show some resiliency by winning three rallies in a row.
After Kuhn tied the fifth set at two, Chattanooga took a timeout after Arkansas took a 5-2 lead. The Razorbacks forced another Chattanooga timeout at 10-6. A kill by Parman put the Lady Mocs down 9-11 as they scored three-of-four points before the Razorbacks called time. Arkansas went on to take the set and match by a 15-11 score.
The Lady Mocs are back in action later tonight at the Jayhawk Classic at 6 p.m. against Akron. The two-day event concludes for Chattanooga on Saturday with a 2 p.m. matchup against Kansas. Live stats can be found on the volleyball schedule page of GoMocs.com.
Chattanooga opens its home schedule on Sept. 17 against Belmont at 7:30 p.m. at the Country Inns & Suites Invitational. The Lady Mocs also battle UCF and James Madison the following day in a doubleheader beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Akron 3, Chattanooga 0
LAWRENCE, Kan. - After sending Arkansas to five sets earlier on Friday, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball team was back in action later in the day and fell in straight sets to Akron, 3-0 (13-25, 21-25, 22-25). Sophomore libero Paula Passmore paced the match for the fifth time this season with 16 digs.
For the first time during the campaign, freshman setter Tess Kosycarz saw a majority of the action on the court recording 15 assists, while senior Bailee Chastain added 10.
Leading the Chattanooga (0-5) offensive attack was senior middle blocker Courtney Barnes (Franklin, Tenn.) with eight kills, while junior middle blocker Ellie Kuhn and sophomore Meagan Ernd each had five.
The Lady Mocs played more consistently as the match progressed, but were unable to take a set from Akron (3-2). The Zips were tough from the service line and recorded 13 aces during the match.
In the first set, Akron rolled out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back in taking the set, 25-13. The Lady Mocs were their own enemy committing nine errors and surrendering five aces to the Zips. Ernd and Barnes each recorded four kills.
After the Lady Mocs had a 7-6 advantage in the second set on a kill by Ernd, Akron scored on the next six rallies. Chattanooga fell behind as far as 17-10 before scoring four-straight times to cut the deficit to three on a kill by Barnes. The Lady Mocs cut the score to two, 23-21, late in the set following a block from sophomore Christina Teter and Kuhn, but the effort was not enough as the Zips took a 2-0 advantage in the match, 25-21.
With its back against the wall, Chattanooga came out fighting in the third set scoring on the first three points and took a 5-1 lead. A rally from the Zips pulled them to within one at 9-8 after scoring on four-of-five rallies. The teams traded points as Akron knotted the score at 11, but Chattanooga responded with two kills from Barnes and another by Chastain before the Zips called time, 14-11.
Following a kill by Kuhn, Chattanooga was the first to 20 and held a three point lead. The Zips took the lead for the first time in the set at 21-20 following a trio of aces. Chattanooga responded with a kill from Parman, but the Zips remained in control at 22-21. The Lady Mocs only recorded a kill by Barnes before Akron closed out the match with a 25-22 win.
Akron's Morgan Kuhn registered eight service aces and 28 assists during the match, while Courtney Jarvis led the team with 10 kills.
Chattanooga returns to the court at the Jayhawk Classic on Saturday at 2 p.m. facing Kansas. Then, the squad plays its first mid-week game at Belmont on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
After a tournament at North Florida, the Lady Mocs open the home portion of the schedule on Sept. 17 against Belmont at 7 p.m. The match is a part of the two-day Country Inns & Suites Invitational that concludes the following day with a doubleheader against UCF and James Madison beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Southern Miss 3, Georgia Southern 2
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Bethany Sanford collected a team-high 19 kills, but could not push Georgia Southern past Southern Mississippi in the opening match of the MT Blue Raider Bash (Sept. 3). Trailing 2-1, the Golden Eagles battled back to take the win in five sets, 3-2. Georgia Southern moved to 2-2 on the season, while USM improved to 4-0.
Sanford led the Eagles with 19 kills, posting her second double-double of the season with 12 digs. The junior added three block assists and a service ace, while sophomore Moriah Bellissimo added 13 kills and 10 digs. Junior transfer Ashley Roe tied Sanford for the team-high with 12 digs as sophomore setter Kate Van Dyke posted a match-high 51 assists. Freshman Enjoli Johnson, making her first appearance as an Eagle, posted six block assists and a solo block.
For the Golden Eagles, Ashley Mell led with a match-high 24 kills, while Lisa Knecht recorded 20 digs. Kelsea Seymour posted 48 assists.
After dropping the first set, 25-13, the Eagles evened the match grabbing the second, 25-22. Southern Mississippi took a 3-0 lead out of the gate, but Georgia Southern brought the match back to within one point twice before the Golden Eagles took a three-point advantage at 6-3. The teams traded the lead through a 12-12 tie before USM pulled away with a 17-13 advantage using a quartet of kills. The Eagles reciprocated with a 6-2 run of their own to knot the score at 19-19. Two service aces and a kill from the Golden Eagles put USM back in front, 22-19, before the Eagles surged ahead and closed out the set win on a 6-1 run. Sanford posted three kills in the run which was ignited by a Parker Small kill.
Georgia Southern took its final lead in the third set following a 2-2 tie. USM kept the match close, trailing by one at 14-13 moments before the Eagles pulled away, leading 17-14. A service error from the Golden Eagles jumpstarted a 7-1 Eagle run as Georgia Southern took a 23-15 lead. USM posted three unanswered, but Johnson and Hannah Nelson closed out the set for the Eagles, 25-19.
The Eagles took a 3-1 lead to open set four, but the Golden Eagles tied the set six times before taking a two-point lead, 12-10. Georgia Southern knotted the score three times, regaining the lead at 18-15. Tied at 19-apiece, a Mell kill returned the advantage to the Golden Eagles who finished out the set, 25-22, to force a deciding fifth set.
Small started the fifth set with a kill, but USM responded with four unanswered for a 4-1 lead. Sanford drew the set back to a one-point contest, 5-4, and a ball handling error by Lauren Sears tied the set at 6-all. The Eagles held strong after a 3-2 USM run set the score at 9-8, pulling the match back to one point at 11-10. But the Golden Eagles sealed the match win, 15-11.
Georgia Southern continues tournament action on Saturday facing two Atlantic Coast Conference foes for the first time. The Eagles face off against Duke at 4 p.m. and wrap up the tournament with an 8 p.m. matchup against Miami.
Montana State 3, Western Carolina 2
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -The Western Carolina volleyball team lost a five-set match with Montana State on Friday afternoon in the first match of the Drury Inn ISU Classic.
"It was a game defined by good rallies and unforced errors to counterpart that," said Western Carolina head coach Manuel Concepcion. "Montana State expected to breeze by us and got their hands full with us this afternoon."
The Catamounts (2-2) won the first set, 25-12, before the Bobcats (4-1) took set two, 25-21. Set three went to Western Carolina, 25-20, before Montana State picked up the fourth set, 25-17.
In the final set, the Catamounts were defeated, 15-11. WCU led 4-3 early in the first set before Montana State bounced back to take its largest lead of the match, 15-10. The Catamounts responded by rattling off eight consecutive points to make the score 18-15. Meghan Albiston got the Bobcats within one (21-20), but an Amanda Chaparro kill capped a Catamount 4-2 run to win the set.
Set two saw the Catamounts trail by as much as six (8-2) before getting the score within one (13-12) on a Paloma Alvarez service ace. Montana State pushed its lead to five (18-13) before WCU scored five straight points to get within one again (18-17) and causing the Bobcats to use a timeout. Montana State responded by going on a 4-1 run, taking a 22-18 advantage. A Morgan Cochran service ace got the Catamounts back within one (22-21), but two kills by the Bobcats and a WCU attacking error gave Montana State the set.
The Catamounts responded by jumping out to a 14-8 lead in set three. Montana State could only get within two (17-15) before WCU took advantage of seven Bobcat miscues plus a Cochran service ace to finish the set on an 8-5 run to win the set.
After taking a 12-11 advantage on an Alvarez kill in set four, Montana State retaliated to take a 16-14 lead. WCU called a timeout to regroup, but could only muster three more points in the set as the Bobcats took advantage of seven Catamount errors en route to a 25-17 win.
Set five saw the Catamounts rally back from an early 6-1 deficit, getting within two points (12-10) due to kills by Alvarez and Abbey Scroggins and a Bobcat attacking error. Montana State took a 14-10 lead on an attacking error by Scroggins and a bad set by Kelcie Randazzo before an Alvarez kill brought the set to 14-11. A Brittany Lysik service error on the final play of the match proved costly as the Catamounts dropped the final set, 15-11.
Alvarez posted a team-high 12 kills and 23 digs in the match while Chaparro added 11 kills, 10 digs and three aces. Randazzo had a match-high 30 assists in addition to 10 digs while her freshman teammate Cochran chipped in 19 digs. Carrie Minogue recorded five kills and Rebecca Stoltz registered four kills in the loss.
"I'm pleased with the job our bench is doing for us," said Concepcion. "We just need to improve our consistency in serve receive in order to be able to side out more often.
"The top quality competition we face this weekend and next will help us grow mentally, especially the freshmen who are getting a lot of playing time," said Concepcion.
The Catamounts return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4 against tournament host Indiana State before facing SIU-Edwardsville at 4:30 p.m.