Wofford 3, Bethune-Cookman 0
Wofford 3, Stetson 1
DeLAND, Fla. -- The Wofford women's volleyball team rebounded on day two of the Clarion Invitational hosted by Stetson University with two wins against Bethune-Cookman (25-9, 25-19, 25-17) and against host Stetson (20-25, 25-22, 25-9, 25-22) Saturday.
Catelyn Amende, who was named to the all-tournament team, had 27 kills and seven total blocks for the Terriers. The two wins gave head coach Corey Helle his 100th and 101st career coaching wins. Helle reached the milestone in his ninth season with the Terriers.
In match one against Bethune-Cookman, Wofford took an early 9-2 lead and never looked back as they went on to win the set 25-9. The Terriers hit .269 while holding the Wildcats to a -.219 hitting percentage.
With the score tied at five in the second set, Amanda Liguori started a four-point run for the Terriers with a kill. Two Wildcat attack errors and an ace by Tara Gough completed the run for the Terriers. Wofford never let the Bethune-Cookman closer than three points as Stacy Bryd and Liguori had three kills a piece help give the Terriers a 25-19.
Set three was much of the same story as a kill by Byrd tied the set at four followed by four Wildcat attack errors and kills by Arden Anderson and Byrd gave the Terriers an 8-4 lead. Wofford maintained the lead to seal the set, 25-22, and the match.
Liguori finished the match with eight kills and Byrd tallied six kills. Bekah Doresy recorded 13 assists and ten digs, while Reagan Styles led the Terriers with 13 digs. Wofford finished with ten total team blocks. Anderson and Wendy Burnett had six block assists a piece.
In match two against host Stetson, Wofford dropped the first set 20-25. The Terriers started off with a 4-1 lead, but saw it slip away as the Hatters battled back to tie the match at 13. Wofford again pushed the lead to 17-14, but couldn't seal the set as Stetson tied the match at 18. With the set tied at 19, Stetson ended the match on a 6-1 run to win 25-20.
Set two again saw the Terriers jump out to a 4-1 lead only to relinquish it as Stetson tied it at seven. Wofford would pull ahead only to see Stetson tie the match up a few points later. With the match tied at 20, the Terriers used a Hatter service error followed by a block by Amende and Liguori forced a time out. After the time out both teams made attack errors before two Burnett kills gave Wofford the 25-22 win.
In set three, Wofford took an early 10-2 lead and finished the match with a 25-9 win. Amende had five kills on seven attempts with no errors as the Terriers hit .545 in the third set win.
With a match win in sight, the Terriers clinched set four with a 25-22 win. Wofford led the entire set extending the lead to as many as nine points before winning the set by three.
Amende had 12 kills and a .375 hitting percentage for Wofford. She was responsible for 17 total points in the match with three aces, a solo block and two block assists to go along with her 12 kills. Dorsey handed out 22 assists and Tara Gough recorded 15 assists. Styles pulled up 20 digs as three other Terriers had double-digit digs--Byrd had 12 digs, Liguori had 11 digs and Doresy had 10 digs.
Wofford improves to 6-3 on the season and will return to action September 10th at 7 p.m. against Gardner-Webb in the Runnin' Bulldog Classic.
College of Charleston 3, South Carolina 2
ROCK HILL, S.C. -The College of Charleston volleyball team captured their second consecutive five-set victory, with a 3-2 win over South Carolina in game two of the Carolina Challenge at the Winthrop Coliseum Saturday afternoon (24-26, 25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 16-14).
CofC Head Coach Jason Kepner, who won his first match against South Carolina, said he was overall happy with the win.
"I'm proud of how we played," Kepner said. "I'm disappointed we were not able to put the balls away at the end of the game to win it, we had to rely on two hitting errors to close out the match. Anytime you beat an SEC team like South Carolina it's a good win."
The win for the Cougars is the first against the Gamecocks since a 3-1 victory in Columbia on Nov. 11 2006.
Senior Whitney Russell led the Cougars with a career-high 29 kills on 55 attempts. Russell's kill total is the second all-time mark in school history and most since Suzanne Lowry recorded 45 kills against Charleston Southern in the '92 season.
"Whit always has that capability of having big swings," said Kepner. She struggled yesterday, so it was great to see her respond against a team like South Carolina."
The Cougars will take the court next at 5:30p.m. as they battle Clemson.
Clemson 3, College of Charleston 2
ROCK HILL, S.C. -The College of Charleston volleyball team ran out of steam, as they played in their third consecutive five set match, dropping a 2-3 decision to Clemson to close out the Carolina Challenge at Winthrop Coliseum Saturday night (17-25, 26-24, 25-15, 19-25, 15-13).
"I was extremely proud of the way they played," said CofC Head Coach Jason Kepner. "We had to deal with a lot of adversity with some injuries. Playing 15 games in two days is a lot for anyone. I was proud of how hard they fought, especially after Cole hurt her hand. To win the fourth game and force a fifth game and then comeback from being down 8-4 and take the lead 10-9 and have a shot at winning."
It was a senior and a freshman who led the attack for the Cougars (5-2), as senior Whitney Russell connected on 17 kills and freshman Madelyn McGinnis added 17 kills of her own.
In the first set Clemson (6-0) built a 12-8 lead. Following a timeout by College of Charleston Head Coach Jason Kepner, the Cougars responded and went on a 12-4 run to take the lead at 20-16. CofC hit used a .333 hitting efficiency to carry them to a 25-17 victory for the set. The loss for Clemson was their first lost set of the season in five previous games.
In the second set the Cougars made 12 attack errors but still had a chance to go up 2-0. In the end though, it was the Tiger who evened the match 1-1 with a hard fought 26-24 win.
After dropping the third set 15-25, the Cougars elevated their play in the fourth set, hitting at a .341 percentage. McGinnis stepped up in the set with six kills and only one error and individually had a hitting efficiency of .625.
The Cougars entered the fifth set having already played a five set match on only about two hours of rest. Showing some signs of fatigue, Clemson took an early 8-4 lead. In the same way CofC battled back to win the fourth set, the Cougars used a 6-1 run to claim a 10-9 lead. In the end the Tigers were too much and close out the match with a 15-13 victory.
"Overall it was a great weekend," Kepner said. "I think our level of play was better than last weekend overall. We had some mental errors here and there that cost us, and when you play those five set matches a point here or there makes a big difference."
The Cougars finished the Carolina Challenge going 2-1. The team will resume play for their home opener on Tuesday at 7p.m. against Presbyterian.
Sacramento State 3, Elon 0
Elon 3, UTSA 2
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - After dropping its opening match of the day to the Sacramento State University Hornets, 3-0 (22-25, 15-25, 20-25), the Elon University volleyball team rebounded for a split on the final day of the SSU Tournament, as the Phoenix claimed a 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 15-11) win over the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners late Saturday night at Colberg Court.
After falling in its first match to the Hornets, the Phoenix came back to record the win in a five-set thriller versus the Roadrunners. With the set tied at nine, a back-and-forth battle ended in Elon's favor as the Phoenix used a 6-2 run late in the set to key the five-set victory.
Senior Sarah Schermerhorn led all players with 16 kills in the victory over UTSA, while senior Lauren Copenhagen recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 15 digs for the Phoenix. Sophomore Carly Ledbetter, junior Caroline Lemke and freshman Cali Estes all reached double figures in kills for Elon as well, recording 13, 12 and 10, respectively.
After dropping its opening set, 25-21, to UTSA in its second match of the day, the Phoenix battled to make it 1-1 after the second set, as a 5-0 run in the middle of the game gave Elon a 14-12 advantage and forced a Roadrunner timeout.
Late in the set, Elon found itself down a point as a 7-1 run by UTSA put the Phoenix behind, 20-19. But it was all Elon down the stretch, as the Phoenix used a 6-1 run to take the second set, 25-21, as three Roadrunner errors and an ace by Schermerhorn keyed the victory.
The Phoenix followed the win up with a 25-17 victory in the third set, but could not carry the momentum into the fourth set, as the Roadrunners came back to hand Elon another 25-21 setback to force a fifth and deciding set.
With the score tied at nine in the fifth set, the Phoenix used a 3-0 run to take a 12-9 advantage. Kills by Lemke and Schermerhorn as well as a UTSA attack error gave Elon the lead and forced the Roadrunners to regroup and use a timeout. Elon closed out the match following the timeout, as kills by Copenhagen and Ledbetter gave the Phoenix the victory.
The Phoenix nearly knocked off Sacramento State in the first set of its opening match, as a kill by Lemke knotted the game at 19-all. But the Hornets managed to rally down the stretch to secure the win, as back-to-back points proved to be too much to overcome for Elon.
An early 9-2 run by the Hornets made the difference in the second set, as Sacramento State claimed a 25-15 victory before topping Elon again in the third and final set, 25-20, to secure the sweep.
Lemke tallied a match-high 12 kills for Elon in the loss, hitting a team-best .474.
Elon will be back in action next weekend, Sept. 10-11, when it hosts the Elon Classic at Jordan Gymnasium. For additional information, including a complete schedule, click here.
East Tennessee State 3, Davidon 2
Davidson 3, Radford 0
RADFORD, Va. - The Davidson Wildcat volleyball team split decisions on its final day at the Radford University Tournament, dropping a five-set match (25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 24-26, 15-10) to the East Tennessee State Bucs this morning before sweeping the host Highlanders, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-22) in the team's final match at the Dedmon Center Saturday afternoon.
Senior outside hitter Sarabeth Peele led the way for Davidson (4-2), finishing with a team-best 10 kills against Radford and a season-high 17 against the Bucs (5-1). Junior outside hitter Christine Perzinski had another solid day for the 'Cats as well, finishing with 11 against the Bucs and 10 against the Highlanders (1-5).
Senior setter Hayley Lawson finished with 37 assists and a team-high five blocks, while classmate Jennifer Chamblee recorded a season-high 20 digs to lead the defense against the Bucs. Sophomore setter Ariel Ley finished with a team-best 19 assists against the Highlanders, while classmate Molly Crenshaw led the defense with 11 digs. Senior middle blocker Jorden Benedict had nine kills against ETSU, to go along with four blocks, while freshman outside hitter Caroline Brown posted eight kills against the Highlanders.
The Wildcats won the first seven points of the opening set against Radford and never trailed. Davidson extended the early lead, as back-to-back kills from Perzinski and Peele put the 'Cats up, 15-9, and forced the Highlanders into a timeout. Radford responded with a 4-2 run to get within four, but it was as close as the Highlanders would get, as Davidson closed out the set on a Peele kill for the 25-20 win.
The second game was close early before Radford used a Wildcat error and a pair of aces Ashley Acklin to open an 11-7 lead and force Davidson into a timeout. Davidson rallied with a 6-2 run to knot the score at 13, and Jorden Benedict put the 'Cats ahead in the next possession. A Davidson service error tied the score again before the 'Cats went ahead for good on a pair of Radford errors. The Highlanders survived four set points before Lawson's putaway delivered the 25-21 win to put Davidson ahead 2-0 in the match.
In the final game against Radford, the Wildcats took an early 4-2 lead on a kill from Lupfer and an error and held the margin until late in the game. The Highlanders chipped away at Davidson's 16-12 lead to knot the score at 17 on back-to-back Wildcat errors. The teams traded points from there, until with things knotted at 19, Davidson used a 4-1 run to take a 24-20 lead. Radford again survived a pair of match points before Lawson again put away the set-winner.
In the opening match of the day, the Bucs needed five sets to defeat the Wildcats. The first set was back and forth, until with the teams knotted at 15, ETSU won a pair of points on a kill from Long and a Wildcat error. Junior middle blocker Madison Benedict got two straight points to tie the score, but the Bucs rattled off four straight scores to take a 21-17 lead. Benedict's fourth kill of the set followed by a Buc attack error got the 'Cats two back, but ETSU won the next four points to take the first set, 25-19.
ETSU opened a 7-2 lead to start the second set, before Davidson fought back to knot the score at nine with a 7-2 run. The rest of the set was back and forth, featuring 10 ties and four lead changes. A putaway from junior right side Erin Lupfer lifted the 'Cats ahead, 21-20, but two straight Wildcat errors gave the lead back to the Bucs, 23-22. Perzinski won the next point to knot the score at 23, but Lauren Baufield and Erin Ryan delivered the 25-23 win to ETSU for a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Wildcats opened up a 9-4 lead to start the third set and fought off a late charge from the Bucs, who used a 4-0 run get within one point, 19-18. Davidson answered with its own 4-0 run behind Perzinski and blocks from Lawson and Jorden Benedict to extend the lead to 23-19 and traded points before Peele lifted the 'Cats to a 25-20 win.
The Bucs took a 7-3 lead to start the fourth set, but Davidson answered with a 8-4 run to tie the game at 11. The teams traded scores until ETSU pulled ahead 17-14 on a kill from Devine and a Wildcat error to force Davidson into a timeout. The Wildcats rallied out of the break to win the next three points on a kill from Lupfer and a pair from Jorden Benedict, evening the score at 17. Neither team could pull ahead, until Davidson put together three straight points to take a 23-20 lead. After a kill from Long for the Bucs, Peele gave the 'Cats a set-point try, but ETSU won the next three to even the score at 24. Peele and Lupfer, though, went back to back to deliver the 26-24 win and force the decisive set.
In abbreviated play, ETSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead, though Davidson won the next three on errors by the Bucs to knot the score. But after ETSU put together a 4-1 run to open a 7-4 lead the Bucs would control the rest of the set. Davidson would get within two late in the game, 12-10, behind an attack error and a kill from Perzinski, but the Bucs won the final three points to take the match with a 15-10 win.
Davidson will return to action next weekend when it travels to the University of Texas at San Antonio to take on UTEP, UT-Pan American and the host Roadrunners before opening play at home the following weekend at the Wildcat Classic Sept. 17 and 18.
Central Florida 3, UNCG 2
UNCG 3, UNC Wilmington 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. - UNCG fell to UCF, 3-2, in the battle of two unbeaten teams earlier in the afternoon, but rebounded to sweep host UNC Wilmington, 3-0, as the Spartans split at the UNCW Courtyard by Marriott Tournament on Saturday.
The Spartans are now 7-1 on the season, while UCF remains perfect at 6-0 and UNCW falls to 2-4.
Seniors Caley Redden and Kayren Finney were named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the tournament.
I was pleased with the way we recovered from our first match, said head coach Patrick Nicholas. We missed an opportunity earlier in the day, but again we picked ourselves up and came back to fight against UNCW. When we take care of the ball and limit our errors we can be really great, but we just made too many errors in the first match. Also, I thought Kayren Finney had a heck of a tournament and was glad to see her recognized as an all-tournament performer.
Against UCF, Caley Redden led the Spartans with 13 kills and 19 digs for a double-double. Junior Ariel Newman also had a double-double as she posted 10 kills and 12 digs. Ari Lysacek added a team-high 35 assists and senior Kayren Finney chipped in eight blocks.
The Spartans opened up the match on fire as they took the opening set, 25-10. The two teams were tied at four early in the set before UNCG rattled off 21 of the final 27 points to easily win the set.
The second set was much closer between the two sides. The teams were tied at eight in the set, but the Spartans went on an 8-3 run to take a 16-11 advantage. The Knights fought back to pull within 20-17, although they were never to pull closer as UNCG took the set, 25-20.
It appeared as if the Spartans were on their way to their third sweep in as many matches as they led 17-14 in the third set. UCF continued to fight though and rallied to go win seven of the next eight points to take a 21-18. UNCG was never able to recover as the Knights took the set, 25-22.
The Knights carried their momentum into the fourth set as they took the first eight points of the set. UNCG clawed back to make it a 14-11 game, but the Spartans could never get closer than three points and UCF took the set, 25-19.
The fifth and final set was close in the early going as the two sides were tied at six. UCF took the next five points though to go ahead 11-6 on a kill by Nichole Riedel. UNCG came back to make it a one-point set at 13-12, but the Knights got a kill and a block to take the set, 15-12, and win the match.
In the second match, Finney led the Spartans offensively with 10 kills. Lysacek was the only Spartan with a double-double as she turned in 16 assists and 14 digs. Olivia Humphries also added nine kills for UNCG and Billi Baker chipped in eight kills.
The Spartans rebounded in their final match of the tournament against host UNC Wilmington as they jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the opening set. UNCG extended its lead to 23-15 on a UNCW error before claiming the set, 25-18, on another Seahawk error.
The second set was the closest as there were five ties and three lead changes between the two squads. The Spartans found themselves trailing 14-10 midway through the set, but they rallied to take a 17-16 lead on a kill by Humphries. UNCG continued to pour on its offense as a kill from Redden gave the Spartans the set, 25-21.
In the final set, the two sides once again found themselves in a battle as the Seahawks held a narrow 17-16 lead. UNCG though, called a timeout to regroup and went on to win the next seven points and go ahead, 23-17. The Spartans won the set, 25-19, on a service error by UNCW.
The Spartans return to action next weekend as they travel to Johnson City, Tenn. for the Buccaneer Classic. UNCG will kick off the tournament on Friday against UNC Asheville at 4:30 p.m.
Samford 3, Tennessee Tech 0
Syracuse 3, Samford 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team split a pair of matches in the final day of the Bulldog Invitational presented by McDonald's. The Bulldogs swept Tennessee Tech (25-10, 25-18, 25-20) in the 3 p.m. match but fell to Syracuse, 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-19), in the feature match Saturday night.
Lauren Hutchinson and Hillary Fountain were named to the Bulldog Invitational All-Tournament Team. Hutchinson averaged 3.15 kills per set and hit .485 over four matches while tallying eight blocks. Fountain averaged 8.77 assists per set and 2.31 digs per set.
Also on the All-Tournament Team were Leah Meffert of Tennessee Tech, Taylor Deering of Northwestern State, Kayla Saey and Rachelle Wilson of North Texas and Mindy Stanislovaitis and Noemie Lefebvre of Syracuse. Syracuse's Hayley Todd was named the Most Valuable Player.
Hutchinson and Elizabeth Neisler led the Bulldogs in their match against the Golden Eagles as each posted 11 kills. Hutchinson hit a team-high .625 while also knocking down two block assists and one block solo along with one ace and two digs. Katie Murphy posted nine kills and hit .500 while also posting three block assists, and Taylor Palmer added seven kills and two block assists.
Fountain posted her first double-double of the season as she dished out 33 assists and 15 digs. She also added two kills, three aces and two block assists. Samantha Bland also landed in double digits in digs with 13 while also adding two assists. Alexis Bauer had eight digs and two aces while Casey Garvey added three assists, three digs and one ace. Allie Bettinger also had four kills, five digs, two aces and one block assist.
Tennessee Tech was led by Kelsey Gray who posted seven kills and three blocks followed by Marie Peddicord and Elise Robertson with five kills each. Melanie Culp recorded a team-high 21 assists and added eight digs while Allison May led in digs with nine.
Against Syracuse, Bettinger led the Bulldogs with 11 kills and four digs followed by Neisler and Hutchinson with nine kills each. The duo also hit .353 and recorded one dig each while Neisler added one solo block and Hutchinson had a block assist. Fountain led the team in assists with 33 while also tallying three kills, three digs and an ace. Bland dished out 10 digs along with two assists while Murphy added five kills, two digs and one block assist. Palmer posted three kills and two block assists while Bauer had five digs and one assist. Garvey added an ace and a dig.
Syracuse was led by Lefebvre who tallied 13 kills and hit .435 while grabbing two digs and two block assists. Lindsey McCabe posted nine kills and a team-high .462 hitting percentage along with five block assists. Laura Homann added a team-high 37 assists while Todd posted 10 digs.
In other Bulldog Invitational action on Saturday, Syracuse swept Northwestern State while Samford swept Tennessee Tech. North Texas also swept Tennessee Tech while Northwestern State grabbed its only win of the tournament over North Texas in five sets.
Samford will be back in action next weekend as the Bulldogs head to Oxford, Miss., to play in the Magnolia Invitational. There Samford will meet up with the University of Louisiana, Southern Miss and host team Ole Miss.
Appalachian State 3, USC Upstate 0
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University volleyball continued with its strong performances Saturday, as the Mountaineers drilled USC Upstate in three sets. The Apps dominated the Spartans, earning 25-20, 25-19 and 25-21 set wins.
Appalachian is a now a perfect 6-0 on the season while the Spartans fall to 1-4 . The 6-0 mark is the Black and Gold's best start to a campaign dating back to 1981, as no other Mountaineer squad in program history has begun with six straight wins. The victory also increases Appalachian's home winning streak to six matches.
A balanced Mountaineer attack helped Appalachian earn the five point first set win, as Alison Blasingame, Meghann Forshey and Caroline Sedon all paced the Black and Gold.
USC Upstate jumped on top early with Cori Harris recording two kills, but after the set was knotted at seven apiece it was all ASU.
Forshey got Appalachian clicking offensively and the Black and Gold proceeded to go on a 4-0 run, one that was never answered by the Spartans.
A strong net presence enabled ASU to pick up the first set victory, as Blasingame recorded a solo block and Kelly Rhein and Sedon combined for a block assist.
Final points down the stretch by junior Anna Wagner and Blasingame earned the Apps the 1-0 match lead.
The Spartans picked up their pace to open second set action as they rattled the Mountaineers who found themselves behind by four points early on.
Forshey and Wagner kills kept ASU alive, enabling the Black and Gold to go on a 6-1 streak to regain the set advantage up 10-9.
A heated battle, the set was tied three more times, but back-to-back block assists by the duo of Blasingame and Rhein and Blasingame and Seeds allowed Appalachian to narrowly stay on top.
Three ASU errors down the stretch made it interesting, but Blasingame came through once again, tallying her second set winning point of the match to earn the Apps the commanding 2-0 match lead.
Blasingame finished the match with six block assists to go along with three kills and solo block.
Sloppy play and struggling to gather any rhythm down the stretch hindered the Mountaineers, who saw a 23-14 lead dwindle to just three points late in the third set.
The Spartan's 6-0 streak was not enough, as Wagner put an end to their run and a final Forshey kill earned the Apps the win.
Putting its undefeated record and home winning streak on the line, ASU returns to action tonight for the tournament finale of the Appalachian Invitational, as the Apps battle Valparaiso. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in the Holmes Center. The Crusaders were victorious in their other two matches of the tournament.
Valparaiso 3, Appalachian State 1
BOONE, N.C. - With the Appalachian Invitational tournament title on the line, Appalachian State University volleyball was unable to comeback after falling behind 2-1, as the Apps were handed their first loss of the 2010 season by Valparaiso Saturday evening at the Holmes Center. The defeat snaps a six match home-winning streak for the Black and Gold and drops ASU to 6-1 on the season, while the Crusaders improve to 6-1 overall.
After winning the first set convincingly, Appalachian was not able to repeat its performance, with the Crusaders picking up victories in three-straight sets.
In second set play, the Black and Gold started out sluggish and could never recover from what proved to be a dooming deficit.
Finding themselves down 12-4, Kelly Rhein helped switch the momentum in Appalachian's favor.
Rhein posted two service aces and while serving enabled ASU to go on a 5-0 run to pull within four points, down 13-9.
Rhein had yet another double-digit kill and dig outing, totaling a team-best 12 kills to go along with 11 digs.
The strong effort however wasn't enough, as the Black and Gold found themselves within a point reach down just 21-20.
Stellar blocking by Meghann Forshey and Jessica Eley along with a Crusader attack error made it a one-point set, but that proved not to be enough, as Valparaiso hung on for the narrow two point set win to even match play at one all.
Forshey ended the night with 10 kills and three block assists.
The third set was tightly contested as well, even though ASU jumped out to an early 5-1 lead.
Action was knotted at the 10 and 11-point marks before a Tara Diebler kill earned the Crusader's the advantage for good.
After falling behind by four, blocking kept ASU in the set, as two straight block assists by Caroline Sedon and Maggie Seeds and Seeds and Alison Blasingame and a solo block by Seeds made the score 22-21, with the Black and Gold down but not quite out.
One point however would be the narrowest of margins, as Valparaiso dominated down the stretch to hand Appalachian a four point three-set defeat, falling 25-21.
Valparaiso continued to click on all cylinders in the fourth and what would be final set, and ASU had no answer for a stout Crusader offense.
Down 17-11, the Apps were not able to muster a comeback, even after pulling within five points off of Forshey and Blasingame kills.
Diebler led Valparaiso in the final points of fourth set play, tallying three kills and VU dealt Appalachian a 25-16 fourth set and 3-1 match defeat.
The 2010 season carries on, with Appalachian hitting the road for two more tournaments. The Apps first head to Akron, Ohio to compete at the Akron Invitational, with their first match taking place Friday, September 10 against host Akron at 2 p.m.
Mercer 3, The Citadel 0
Savannah, Ga. - Tatum Jestila led The Citadel Volleyball team with a double-double that included 10 kills and 18 digs, however Mercer emerged with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-22 victory. Jestila, the senior outside hitter, garnered All-Tournament recognition and finished with 28 kills and 38 digs in the three matches.
Along with Jestila the Cadets got defensive production from Rachael Farrell and Jessica Maas, who finished with 17 and 13 digs respectively. Maas added nine kills, while Farrell and teammate Kaona Mercer each had eight kills.
The Bulldogs (0-7) battled back from a seven point deficit in the opening set to tie the game at 20-20 on a Maas kill. The Bears answered with the next four consecutive points before surrendering a pair of kills by Maas and Jestila that made for the 25-22 win.
Using momentum from the opening game, The Citadel and Bears encountered four ties within the first 10 points of the in the second set. Mercer widened the gap by scoring 12 of the next 18 points, and assumed a 22-16 lead. Behind four kills from Farrell and four Mercer errors The Citadel sliced the lead to 24-23, before Libby Hansch ended the set with a kill past the Bulldogs defense.
The third game continued the trend established in each of the first two, enduring numerous ties. With the score tied 10-10, the Dogs Emily Dalton sent a service ace past the Bears Cassie Roy, for a one-point advantage. Mercer regained the lead, stretching the advantage to 22-18. The Citadel rallied behind back-to-back service aces from Dalton, and kills from Maas and Mercer, made for the 22-22 tie. Following a Mercer timeout, the Bears responded with each of the next three points, closing the match with a 25-22 win.
The Bulldogs make their first appearance at McAlister Field House on Wednesday night, when they host Savannah State at 6 p.m.
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.
Toledo 3, Furman 1
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Senior Katherine Hall and junior Kelly Kirby each posted 12 kills to lead the Furman volleyball team in a 3-1 (17-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-18) loss to Toledo Saturday in the final round of the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Furman held the lead throughout set one, taking a 25-17 advantage in the set. Toledo then tied the match with a 25-13 win in set two. After the break, the two teams battled to an 11-11 tie in the third set. The Paladins kept the match close, staying within two points as Toledo built a 20-18 lead. The Rockets then pulled away for a 25-20 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. In another close set, Toledo built a 20-17 lead in set four, then rallied for a 25-18 win to seal the match victory.
Freshman Elle Ross led the Paladins with 16 digs, while rookie Sarah McCarthy paced the team with 19 assists. Kirby added 10 digs and 10 assists in the match, while Braun recorded nine kills and 10 digs for the Paladins.
Furman (2-4) will travel to Columbia, S.C., next weekend for the Gamecock Invitational. The Paladins will face Lipscomb Friday at noon, followed by a match against the Gamecocks at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Furman will play South Carolina State at 11 a.m.
Kansas 3, Chattanooga 0
LAWRENCE, Kan. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball team out-hit Kansas on Saturday, but fell in three sets (29-27, 25-22, 25-19). Senior middle blocker Courtney Barnes posted a .591 attacking percentage and 13 kills along with two solo blocks.
Freshman Jennifer Kuroski showed her all-around ability coming up one kill short of her first career double-double with nine kills and 11 digs. Setting up the hitters was senior Bailee Chastain, who recorded 38 assists and seven digs.
Playing against the host in her hometown, junior right side Jessica Scott had her best performance of the weekend tallying five kills without an error compiling a .258 hitting percentage.
Not only did Barnes produce from the middle, but junior Ellie Kuhn recorded six kills and her first assist of the season against the Jayhawks.
Defensively, the Lady Mocs were led by sophomore libero Paula Passmore registered 16 digs and has been the match leader during each contest this season.
The Lady Mocs battled Kansas point-for-point in the first set, but were unable to convert on three set points. Chattanooga was up 24-22 and 26-25 before falling to the Jawhawks, 29-27.
Kansas started out the first set scoring on eight of the first 11 rallies, but Chattanooga continued to battle back eventually taking its first lead at 18-17 on a kill by Kuroski. The teams matched each other point-for-point, until two Jayhawks mistakes gave the Lady Mocs a 24-22 advantage.
A UTC mistake and kill by the Jayhawks knotted the score at 25-all. An error by the Jayhawks on the next rally provided Chattanooga with its final set point, but it was unable to capitalize as Kansas went on to take the set, 29-27.
The second set started like the end of the first with both teams staying within a couple points. A Kuroski kill tied it at 16-all. Kansas scored the next two points and went on to take a 23-20 lead before two kills by Barnes closed to 23-22, but the effort wasn't enough as the Jayhawks won 25-22.
In the third set, both teams battled as sophomore outside hitter Heather Parman tied the set up at 10-all. Kansas took control scoring on five of the next six rallies, en route to a 20-13 advantage. The Lady Mocs used kills from Kuhn and sophomore outside hitters Meagan Ernd and Kirsten Beasley cutting the score to 21-18, but the Jayhawks closed out the set at 25-19.
Next up for the Lady Mocs is a trip to Nashville for a matchup with Belmont at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. UTC then travels to North Florida battling the hosts, Charleston Southern, Troy and Illinois-Chicago.
The Country Inns & Suites Invitational begins the home slate at Maclellan Gym for Chattanooga starting with a matchup against Belmont at 7 p.m. on Sept. 17. The Lady Mocs also welcome UCF and James Madison to the Scenic City for the two-day event.
Duke 3, Georgia Southern 2
Miami (FL) 3, Georgia Southern 1
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Georgia Southern closed out its second fall tournament dropping two matches to Duke and Miami on Saturday (September 4) at the MT Blue Raider Bash. The Eagles took Atlantic Coast Conference foe Duke into five sets - only the second team to do so this season - and fell to the Hurricanes in four.
Match One: Duke
Four Eagles posted double-figure kills against Duke, led by Bethany Sanford with a match-high 19 kills. Hannah Nelson followed with 14 and Parker Small added 13. Moriah Bellissimo recorded 10 kills. Kate Van Dyke posted 50 assists, while Ashley Roe recorded 14 digs.
Georgia Southern opened the contest handing Duke a first set loss, 25-19. The Blue Devils took the early set lead, but the Eagles erased a 5-3 deficit, tying the set at 6-6 and took their first lead thereafter. Duke took its last lead at 9-8 before Georgia Southern put together a 6-0 run helped by three Small kills to harbor a 14-9 lead. The Eagles led by five points four more times and closed out the set edging the Blue Devils by six, 25-19.
Duke responded opening the second set with four unanswered points. The Blue Devils took a five-point lead, 9-4, and continued to widen their margin, forcing an Eagle timeout at 15-7. Duke evened the match with a second set win, 24-15, hitting .556 in the set led by Megan Hendrickson with six kills.
The Blue Devils continued their strong play, taking set three, 25-16, led by Hendrickson and Becci Burling, each posting four kills. But the Eagles knotted the match at 2-sets apiece, taking the fourth, 26-24. Sanford posted seven kills in the set followed by Nelson with five. The Eagles jumped out of the gate taking the early lead and grabbed a four point advantage at 17-13. A Sanford kill to follow gave the Eagles an 18-13 lead, but the Blue Devils charged back, drawing the score to 21-20. Georgia Southern responded with a 3-0 run, handing the Eagles set point at 24-20. Duke held strong fighting off five set points and pulled the set to a 24-24 tie before GS secured the set with a 26-24 win.
In the deciding fifth set, the second for Georgia Southern in as many days, Duke pulled out with a 3-0 lead. The Eagles pulled to within two points at 10-8, but Duke rounded out the match win, 15-10.
Match Two: Miami
Georgia Southern took the third set off Miami, but fell to the Hurricanes, 3-1. Sanford led the Eagles with 22 kills and Van Dyke picked up 44 assists. Roe posted a match-high 22 digs.
The Eagles took a three-point lead at 8-5 off a Small kill, but Miami knotted the score at 9-all and took the set lead thereafter. Tied at 13-apiece, Miami went on a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead and closed out the set, 25-17.
Miami took the second set, 25-20, to take a 2-0 match lead. Sanford posted eight kills to lead the Eagles, while the Hurricanes distributed their offense with Ali Becker posting five kills and Alex Johnson and Christine Williamson each posting four. Georgia Southern took a timeout trailing 10-6 and pulled to within two at 12-10. The Eagles continued to keep the set close and at 21-16, Enjoli Johnson sparked a 4-0 GS run, along with two Sanford kills, to close the gap to 21-10. But the Hurricanes answered with a 4-0 run of their own to cap the second set, 25-20.
Sanford's seven kills in the third set helped lead the Eagles to a 25-22 victory. GS led by three, 8-5, following a bad set from Katie Gallagher, but Miami pulled off a brief lead before a Roe kill tied the set at 13-13. Georgia Southern took its final lead with two Sanford kills and pulled out with a 21-18 advantage. Miami closed to within two at 23-21, but Georgia Southern rounded out the set with a Lauren Claybaugh kill for a 25-22 win.
Miami sealed the match win with a 25-21 fourth set win. The teams kept the set close through an 11-11 tie before the Eagles took a 15-13 lead. Tied at 20-all, the Hurricanes ended the match with a 5-1 run for a 25-21 victory.
After opening the season with six matches on the road, Georgia Southern finally opens its home slate on Monday, September 6 against Savannah State. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.
Indiana State 3, Western Carolina 0
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -The Western Carolina volleyball squad used a balanced attack at the net as seven different players recorded a kill in the match, but the Catamounts fell to Indiana State, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at the Drury Inn ISU Classic.
"We started the match playing well, hanging right in there with a Missouri Valley Conference team that has been improving a lot in recent years," said Western Carolina head coach Manuel Concepcion. "Their serves broke our serve receive and took us out of our system later in the match."
The Catamounts (2-3) lost a close set (25-22) with the Sycamores (5-1) to open the match before dropping the final two sets (25-13, 25-19).
The first set saw WCU and Indiana State exchange leads midway through the set until the Catamounts took a 18-17 lead on back-to-back kills by Paloma Alvarez and Leah Best. The Sycamores scored the next four points to take a 21-18 advantage before WCU got back within one (21-20) on an Alvarez kill. Indiana State finished the set on a 4-2 run, taking advantage of two WCU miscues and converting on two kills to win the set.
Indiana State jumped out to a 10-point lead (14-4) to open the second set before a Carrie Minouge ace got the Catamounts within eight (14-6). WCU trailed by 10 most of the match, getting as close as 19-10 before the Sycamores handily won the set, 25-13.
The Sycamores again jumped out to a large lead (16-7) before the Catamounts went on a 4-2 run to bring the match within seven (18-11). Down nine (22-13), WCU scored five unanswered points capped by a Rebecca Stoltz kill to get the match within four (22-18). Indiana State's Stacy Qualizza picked up two kills down the stretch to seal the victory for the Sycamores.
Alvarez and Chaparro paced the offense with eight kills each while Best and Stoltz added four. Freshman Kelcie Randazzo had a team-high 14 assists in the match.
Defensively, Alvarez led the team with nine digs. Stoltz chipped in three blocks in the loss.
"Brittany Lysik came in and played libero this afternoon and did a decent job," said Concepcion. "Offensively, Amanda Chaparro, Leah Best and Rebecca Stoltz carried us throughout the match.
"This tournament has been an eye opener for our freshman and it's good they're getting a lot of playing," said Concepcion. "Strong signs of improvement have been present. All we need is to put it all together now."
SIU-Edwardsville 3, Western Carolina 0
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Catamounts dropped their final match of the Drury Inn ISU Classic, 3-0, at the hands of SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday, Sept. 4.
The Catamounts (2-4) lost the first set, 25-6, before dropping the final two sets (25-23, 25-21) against the Cougars (4-2). SIU-Edwardsville jumped out to an early 17-2 lead in the first set and never looked back as the Cougars routed the Catamounts, 25-6, to open the match.
WCU had the second set of match tied early at three before the Cougars showed reminisce of the first set, jumping out to a large lead (21-12). The Catamounts rattled off three straight points on kills by Leah Best and Carrie Minogue and a Cougar attacking error to cut their deficit to six (21-15). After a WCU error, the Catamounts scored five consecutive points capped by an Amanda Chaparro kill to bring the match within two (22-20) and causing SIU-Edwardsville to burn a timeout.
The Catamounts took advantage of a Cougar error followed by back-to-back kills by Best and Abbey Scroggins to tie the match at 23. A block by Cougar Jessica Hemann followed by a Best attacking error gave SIU-Edwardsville the final two points of the set (25-23).
Set three saw WCU trail early and get within four points on two occasions before a late rally saw the Catamounts get within three (22-19) late in the match. After two Cougar points, the Catamounts brought the match to 24-21 on a Minogue kill and SIU-Edwardsville error, but WCU lost the final point of the match on a Brittany Lysik service error.
Paloma Alvarez led the team with nine kills and chipped in seven digs. Best posted a season-high eight kills and blocked two Cougar attack attempts.
Kelcie Randazzo led the team in digs with nine and posted team-high 13 assists.
Minogue was named to the Drury Inn ISU Classic All-Tournament Team for her efforts throughout the weekend.
WCU is back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 7 when it hosts South Carolina State at 7 p.m.