College of Charleston 0, Baylor 3
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Baylor Bears won the morning match of the Mortar Board Premier, 3-0, over the College of Charleston.
The Cougars were led by the nine kills of sophomore Madelyn McGinnis. McGinnis record an attack percentage of .421 while senior Sarah Havel notched eight kills on 16 attempts. Redshirt-junior Emily Shelton picked up 10 digs, and sophomores Kallie McKown and Taeler Davis split time at the setter position with McKown picking up 21 assists and Davis notching nine.
Baylor used 16 kills from Briana Tolbert and another 10 from Qian Zhang to win the three-set match. Zhang also picked up a game-high 11 digs.
The Bears used a 5-0 run midway through the first set to open up a 20-14 lead. College of Charleston responded with a 6-1 run, including four straight points during Shelton's serve. Baylor took advantage of a Cougar service error to win back possession and finish the set on a 4-1 run, winning 25-21. College of Charleston hit .400 in the first set with only two attacking errors.
McGinnis led the Cougars through the first half of the second set, tallying four kills and several more quality attempts. Shelton countered the Baylor attack with seven digs and helped force a 13-13 tie. However, the Bears broke the set open with a 7-1 run to build a 20-14 lead. Baylor went on to win the set 25-15, led by Torri Campbell's five kills.
The Bears jumped out to a 18-12 lead in the third set and continued on to win 25-15. Tolbert recorded eight kills in the final frame, while the Cougars' Elyse Chubb picked up three kills on six attempts.
The Cougars will conclude the season-opening road trip with a match against host Purdue at 7 p.m. tonight at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.
Elon 3, North Carolina Central 0
DURHAM, N.C. - With strong play from freshman Chanelle Smith and senior Caroline Lemke, the Elon volleyball team picked up another pair of wins on the second day of the Hilton RTP/NCCU Tournament to take the tournament title today, August 27. The Phoenix (4-0) defeated host North Carolina Central (0-2), 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-14), in its first match of the day and earned another 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-19) victory over Campbell (2-1) in an afternoon tilt.
"I was very happy how we went match-to-match in the tournament," said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. "We were very disciplined defensively and at the same time scored a lot in transition. It was a nice balance. We learned a lot about the team and know what we need to work on in practice to prepare for our upcoming matches."
Smith and Lemke ended the day with 27 and 18 total kills, respectively. Junior Carly Ledbetter also made a strong impact with 14 kills, while senior Megan McMahon recorded 58 assists. Junior Ali Deatsch led the defense with 25 digs in the two matches.
With the first set tied at five-all against NCCU, Smith spurred a six-point run that put Elon up 11-5. After an Eagle miscue, the Phoenix went on another run, capped by back-to-back kills by junior Celia Rose Eddy, to take a nine-point advantage, 15-6. A kill by Lemke would later increase the Phoenix lead to 10 to make it 22-12. Elon would eventually take the set, 25-16.
Elon held a one-point advantage, 5-4, in the second set before a block by sophomore Cali Estes and freshman Kristen Harris got the Phoenix rolling. With the score, 11-8, in favor of the maroon and gold, a five-point run that included two kills each from Eddy and junior Allison Johnson put Elon up 16-8. The Eagles pulled within six to make the score 20-14, but Elon held on to take the set win, 25-17.
In the third and final set, the score remained close until an ace by Deatsch and a kill by Ledbetter put the Phoenix up 9-5. Up by five, 14-9, the Phoenix went on a four-point run, highlighted by a block from Harris, to increase the advantage to nine. With the set at match point for Elon, 24-12, NCCU scored two straight but was not able to make the comeback as the Phoenix took the set, 25-14, and the 3-0 match victory.
Smith led the way for the maroon and gold with 13 kills. Eddy recorded eight kills, while Lemke and Harris tallied five each. McMahon and senior Nickie Halbert split the passing duties with 18 and 15 assists, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball, Harris recorded three blocks and Deatsch finished with eight digs.
The Phoenix stormed out to a commanding 11-2 lead in the first set against Campbell, forcing the Camels to call an early timeout. With the score 17-7 in favor of Elon, the team went on a four-point run to increase its lead by 14. With the match nearing set point, the Camels closed the gap to 23-12, but the Phoenix won the next two points to take the first set, 25-12.
In the second set, Campbell took an early 4-0 lead, but kills by Lemke and Ledbetter helped Elon tie the set at eight-all. The Phoenix found itself down three, 13-10, before a five-point run, which included an ace from Deatsch and back-to-back kills from Smith, gave the team its first lead of the game, 15-13. Off the serve of Smith, Elon scored six straight points to extend its lead to eight, 23-15. The set would eventually go to the Phoenix, 25-20, and give the maroon and gold a 2-0 match lead.
After falling behind by as many as five points, Elon rallied back with a four-point run off the serve of Ledbetter to take its first lead of the set, 15-14. The Phoenix increased its advantage to 20-16, with kills courtesy of Lemke and Smith. Elon would go on to win five of the next eight points to take the 25-19 set win and its second 3-0 victory of the day.
Lemke recorded 13 kills off 25 attempts and no errors to compile a .520 attack percentage. Smith tallied the first double-double of her young career with 14 kills and 12 digs. Ledbetter finished with 11 kills, while McMahon recorded 40 assists. As a team, Elon hit .244 and held Campbell to a .026 hitting percentage.
Deatsch ended the match with 17 digs, while sophomore Melissa Zidar also made an impact on defense matching her career-high of seven digs.
Elon will make its first home appearance of the 2011 season on Tuesday, August 30, against Radford in Alumni Gym. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Davidson 3, UNC Wilmington 2
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Sophomore outside hitter Caroline Brown, senior middle hitter Madison Benedict and senior outside hitter Christine Perzinski each finished with double-digits in kills as the Davidson Wildcat volleyball team defeated the UNC Wilmington Seahawks, 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 23-25, 15-7) in the opening game of the final day at the Winthrop Classic.
Coming off an outstanding performance against the Bears, Brown bettered her career high with 19 kills with a career-best 19 digs to lead Davidson (2-0). Junior setter Ariel Ley also turned in a double-double for a second straight match, finishing with a career-best 54 assists with 10 digs. Benedict tallied 14 kills, and Perzinski nearly had a double-double with 12 kills and nine digs.
UNC Wilmington (0-2) also had three players in double-digits with Leah Gagliardi, Sarah Fitzgerald and Christi Laite each recording 14 kills. Kelsey Bendig finished with 39 assists, and Haley Collins paced the Seahawk defense with 16 digs.
With the first set tied at five, the Wildcats used a 6-1 run, including kills from Brown, Perzinski and sophomore middle hitter Tindall Sewell to take an 11-6 lead. Davidson controlled play throughout most of the set, pushing its lead to 23-15, but the Seahawks threatened late by winning five straight. Back-to-back kills from Perzinski and Sewell put the set away for Davidson, though, 25-23.
The Wildcats fought back from a 17-10 deficit in the second set to tie the score at 21 behind an 11-4 swing. The teams traded points as Davidson got a pair of kills from senior opposite Erin Lupfer, but after Emily Mohrman gave the Seahawks a set-point chance, UNC Wilmington evened the match with a 25-23 victory.
After the break, Davidson was in a complete control of the third set, busting up a 4-4 tie with a 12-3 run to open up a 15-7 lead. UNC Wilmington never threatened, and the Wildcats closed with a 7-0 run as Perzinski served out the set for the 25-13 win.
But Davidson failed to carry the momentum into the fourth set, falling behind 7-1. The Wildcats clawed back with an 8-2 spurt to tie the score at nine. The teams traded 3-0 runs and the score remained tied at 13, until Wilmington rattled off five straight points to open an 18-13 advantage. Davidson fought off three set points before Gagliardi forced a fifth and decisive set with the 25-23 Seahawk victory.
The Wildcats returned to form in the fifth set, taking control of the abbreviated frame with a 6-1 run, including a pair of kills from Brown, to go ahead 11-5. Davidson finished out the match on a 6-2 swing, as Benedict, Sewell and Brown each scored a point to lead the 'Cats to a 15-7 win for the match.
Furman 3, Wisconsin 1
DURHAM, N.C. - Furman picked up its first win of the season and the first win over a Big Ten opponent for any Southern Conference team with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18) victory over Wisconsin Saturday at the Duke Volleyball Invitational in Durham, N.C. Junior Natalie Braun recorded a triple-double for the Paladins, posting 21 assists, 16 digs, and 10 kills.
With the Paladins leading 13-12 in the first set, Furman put together a three-point run to take a 16-12 advantage. Wisconsin cut the lead to three points at 18-15, but two kills by senior Alexis Shaffer gave Furman a 20-15 lead. Following a Badger timeout, the Paladins won five out of the next seven points for a 25-17 set one victory.
Set two was tied at 13 apiece before Furman recorded a block by Braun and junior Caroline Adams, then a solo block by Adams, and a kill by Braun to take a 16-13 lead. Wisconsin fought back to tie the match at 21, but the Paladins reeled off four-straight points with two kills by junior Chandler Ambrester, a Badger error, and an additional kill from Braun to complete the 25-21 set victory and take a 2-0 lead at the break.
The two teams traded points in the third set, then settled into a tie at 19 apiece. Wisconsin scored four straight points for a 23-19 lead, before Furman pulled within two at 24-22. A kill by Bailey Reshel gave the Badgers a 25-22 set win.
Furman broke open the fourth set, leading 16-12 before Wisconsin fought back to come within two points at 19-17. The Paladins then won five-straight points to lead 24-17, and a kill by sophomore Christina Dorismond sealed the 25-18 victory for the Paladins.
Senior Carolyn Nicoletti and Ambrester paced the Furman defensive attack with 19 digs apiece, while Ambrester led the team with 18 kills. Dorismond led the Paladins with a .357 attack percentage, and Adams recorded a team-high five block assists. Senior Kelly Kirby tallied a double-double with 26 assists and 11 digs in the match-up.
"We capitalized off an opportunity against a tough Wisconsin team and got a big win for our program," said Braun after the match. Nicoletti played great defense for us. She didn't let anything hit the floor, which was a huge factor in our win today."
Wisconsin (1-1) was led by Reshel and Crystall Graff, who each tapped in 10 kills, while Janelle Gabrielsen posted a team-high 23 assists. Annemarie Hickey led the Badgers defensive attack with 19 assists.
Wofford 3, SIU Edwardsville 1
Wofford 0, Western Illinois 3
EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. -- Wofford College women's volleyball team finished the Southern Illinois Edwardsville Tournament with a 3-1 record after defeating host SIUE 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 26-24) in the first match on day two and falling to Western Illinois 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-21) in the second match Saturday in their season opening tournament.
In the first set of game one, the Terriers fell behind 8-4 before rallying to tie the match at ten highlighted by three Amanda Liguori kills and a service ace. Down 13-11, Wofford road Reagan Styles serve to a 14-17 lead. Wendy Burnett had two kills and a block assists during the run. SIUE clawed back within one three times but the Terriers held on for the 25-23, as Liguori had three kills during the final six points. Liguori finished the set with six kills on 12 attempts with one error.
In set two, the Cougars pushed a 13-13 tie to a 16-14 lead and never relented. Wofford was able to tie the match at 17 on a Ligouri service ace, but SIUE closed out the set to tie the match at one with an 8-3 run. Rachel Woodlee had four kills in the set.
Wofford came out in set three and jumped out to 15-7 lead. With the score 19-12, SIUE mounted a comeback cutting the lead to 20-19, but Wofford held on to win the set receiving kills from Liguori, Burnett and Woodlee to win the set 25-22.
Up 2-1, The two teams went back and fourth in the final set. Wofford turned a 13-10 deficit into a 15-13 lead on two Arden Anderson kills and a block from Taylor Baird and Anderson. The Terriers extended their lead to 20-16 only to see the Cougars erase the margin and tie the match at 22. SIUE scored the next point only to see Wofford take a 24-23 lead on kills from Dorsey and Anderson. A Terrier service error tied the match at 24, but Anderson gave the Terriers a one point lead on a kill, and Woodlee sealed the 26-24 win with a kill.
The Terriers outhit the Cougars .240 to .210.
Liguori led the Terriers with 16 points on 12 kills and three service aces. She also recorded a double-double as she picked up 14 digs. Woodlee also had a double-double with 11 kills and a team-high 17 digs. Dorsey notched a double-double with 38 assists and 11 digs. Baird finished with 7 kills, six of which came in the final two sets. She also notched a team-high two and a half total blocks.
In match two of the day against Western Illinois, the Leathernecks took off to a 10-2 lead in the first set and led wire-to-wire. The Terriers were never able to pull within five points as they fell 25-19.
Set two started with the Terriers takeing a 10-6 lead. Western Illinois pulled within two points, 12-10, but Wofford would push the lead back to 17-11 as Liguori and Baird each notched a kill. With the score 19-13, Terriers, the Leathernecks mounted an 11-5 run to tie the match at 21. The two teams would trade points until the Leathernecks flipped a 24-23 deficit into a 26-24 win with three consecutive kills to take the set 26-24.
In the third and final set, the two teams swapped the lead until the Leathernecks broke a 10-10 tie with a 6-2 run to take a 16-12 lead. Wofford was never able to close the gap and retake the lead as they fell 25-21 in set three to end the match.
Wofford was led offensively by Anderson who had nine kills. She also paced the team with 12 points and three total blocks. Liguori tallied eight kills while Burnett and Baird had six kills. Dorsey passed out 28 assists and recorded 12 digs for her third double-double of the tournament.
For the first time in the tournament the Terriers were outhit .186 to .168.
Samford 3, Arkansas State 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The final match of the Samford/UAB Tournament gave the crowd at the Pete Hanna Center its money's worth, with Samford (3-0) and Arkansas State (2-1) stretching to five sets. The Bulldogs rallied late in the fifth set to seal the 3-2 victory (15-25, 25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 15-13) to stay undefeated so far this season.
Hutchinson led the team with 20 kills (.615), giving her 40 kills total for the weekend. Bauer and Carter had 20 digs each in the match and Hutchinson and Katie Murphy guarded the net well, combining for 13 assisted blocks and five solo blocks. Samford bested the Red Wolves in team blocks 20-8 and had a higher hitting percentage in all but one set.
Arkansas State came out swinging in the first set, jumping ahead 18-6 at one point. The Bulldogs regained some ground, partly in thanks to a four-point rally by setter Casey Garvey with Hutchinson slamming down two kills. Ultimately, the comeback fell short as the Red Wolves took the set 25-15.
Samford evened the match with a win in the second set, taking advantage of 12 Arkansas State errors. The set remained neck-and-neck in the early stages, but Samford started pulling ahead with a sustained service rally by Taylor Chao to pull them up 18-9. The Red Wolves provided a late scare, pulling within four, but back-to-back kills by Reesor and Neisler sealed the 25-19 victory.
The third set developed similarly to the second, with the teams battling back and forth, not able to establish rallies with errors on both sides. Down 15-17, Hutchinson again provided a spark, but this time serving the ball, forcing the Red Wolves to four consecutive attack errors pulling the Bulldogs ahead 19-17. Tied at 22, Neisler downed two kills in a row with Reesor providing the final kill of the 25-22 set and setting up the Bulldogs for a victory.
Arkansas State refused to go down easily, fighting to a six-point lead to start the fourth set. Samford inched closeer, hitting hard and taking advantage of opponent errors. Following a Samford timeout, the Bulldogs stayed within three points and then made a statement late with Reesor pulling them within two. Arkansas State benefitted from their own late timeout however, and came out on top, 25-22.
The fifth and final set proved as exciting as the entire match, with the teams battling back and forth refusing to let one another pull away. By the halfway point, the lead had already changed five times. Following a Samford attack error, the Red Wolves tallied two more points to pull ahead 12-8, their largest lead of the set. The Bulldogs stormed back emphatically, with Murphy knocking in three crucial kills down the stretch. Alicia Roth ended the match in style, scoring a service ace to seal the 15-13 set victory and a 3-2 Samford win.
Chattanooga 2, Jackson State 3
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team was defeated by Jackson State in a five-set match, 3-2 (17-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-13, 15-11), to conclude the Southern Miss Invitational at Reed Green Coliseum on Saturday. Sophomore outside Jennifer Kuroski led the offense attack with 16 kills along with junior right side Christina Teter with 14.
The Mocs recorded eight service aces in the match with freshman defensive specialist Melissa Green leading the squad with four.
Running the Mocs offense was sophomore setter Bridget Camacho with 33 assists. Freshman middle blocker Kasey Taylley recorded her first collegiate kill, and senior middle blocker Ellie Kuhn tallied seven during the match.
Defensively, Chattanooga notched victories in the two sets where it performed well and recorded side out pct. of 70 or better. Junior libero Paula Passmore came up with a match-high 27 digs, while Camacho added nine.
Providing a big block for the Mocs was Teter, who registered a career-high three block solos and seven total blocks in the match. Adding four each was sophomore Aneisha Christie and Camacho.
Chattanooga jumped out to a lead in the match winning the first set, 25-17, as Kuroski totaled six kills for the Mocs. A 5-1 run provided the Mocs with a 14-9 lead, and they did not look back in recording 15 kills and hitting at a .333 pct.
The second set had five ties and two lead changes as Jackson State used a 6-2 run to tie the match at one, 25-19. Teter notched five kills in the frame, while the Lady Tigers hit the 15-kill mark.
Following the intermission, the teams played a tight set that saw 13 ties and four lead changes. The biggest run, 6-1, was used by the Mocs to close out the frame, 25-20. Chattanooga used six blocks during the set as Passmore had 12 digs and Kuroski recorded four kills.
During the fourth frame, Jackson State kept the Mocs out of system and moved the match to a decisive fifth set with a 25-13 victory.
Back-and-forth action continued in the fifth set as seven ties and five lead changes were the story. Just when the Lady Tigers thought they were going to pull away with a 9-6 lead, the Mocs went on a four-point run capped by a Kuroski kill to go up by one. Chattanooga tied the match at 11 before Jackson State scored the final four points of the match, 15-11.
#13 Purdue 3, College of Charleston 0
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - No. 13 Purdue topped College of Charleston, 3-0, in the final game of the 2011 Mortar Board Premier.
Senior Sarah Havel led the College of Charleston (0-3, 0-0) with 10 kills. She finished the weekend with 25 kills and six total blocks, earning a spot on the Mortar Board All-Tournament team. Classmate Elyse Chubb finished with six kills and three block assists.
Purdue (3-0, 0-0) was led by the attacking of Ariel Turner and Tiffany Fisher, as both tallied 15 kills apiece in the win. The Boilermakers finished with a hitting percentage of .362 and notched 39 digs, including 12 from Rachel Davis.
The Cougars and Boilermakers battled all the way through the first set with neither team leading by more than two points at any time. Havel ignited the Cougars with a game-high eight kills on 19 attempts. The senior from Carmel, Ind., came up with a big kill on set point to pull College of Charleston to within 24-23. An attack from sophomore Emily Neideffer tied it at 24 after the Purdue block attempt hit the pole. However, the Boilermakers were able to win the next two points and take the set 26-24. College of Charleston battled with long volleys, efficient passing and 19 defensive digs.
After battling to a 7-7 lock, Purdue opened up the second set with an 8-2 run to build a 15-9 lead. The Boilermakers ran to a 25-14 set win behind a .379 hitting percentage and seven kills from Turner.
The game flow continued in the third set as both teams traded points to an 8-8 tie before Purdue jumped out to a 15-9 lead and eventually winning 25-14. The Boilermakers were precise in the attack game, tallying 21 kills on 27 attempts with only two errors. Chubb and freshman Lizzie Theesfeld both notched three kills in the set.
Furman 3, Charleston Southern 1
DURHAM, N.C. - Furman slipped past Charleston Southern 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19) Saturday to conclude the Duke Volleyball Invitational in Durham, N.C. Senior Carolyn Nicoletti and junior Natalie Braun represented the Paladins on the all-tournament team.
The Buccaneers jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the first set, but the Paladins regrouped for a 15-5 run to take a 16-8 advantage. Charleston Southern cut the lead to four at 19-15, but a kill from senior Alexis Shaffer, combined with a Buccaneer error and a kill from Braun put the Paladins ahead, 22-15. Charleston Southern again rallied to slash the deficit to four at 22-18 before Furman scored on three out of the last four points for a 25-19 set one victory.
Charleston Southern took a quick 5-1 lead to open the second set. Furman cut the advantage to two at 9-7, but the Buccaneers reeled off five-straight points for a 14-7. With Charleston Southern leading 16-10, the Paladins scored on six-consecutive points, including two service aces by junior Caroline Adams, putting Furman back in the match and down by just one point. The teams were deadlocked at 22 before the Buccaneers capitalized off a kill from Erin Lavenice and a Paladin error for a 24-22 lead. After Furman scored off a Charleston Southern error, Lavenice chalked up another kill for the 25-23 Buccaneer set win.
Furman opened the third set with a 5-0 lead, but Charleston Southern went up 9-6 after scoring seven consecutive points. Later in the match the Paladins put together another 5-0 run and led 13-10. The teams traded leads and were tied at 19 before Furman ended the set with a 6-2 run for a 25-21 win.
The Paladins built a quick 10-4 lead in the fourth set. The Buccaneers cut the deficit to 13-10, but Furman gained control of the match after a 7-1 run put the Paladins ahead 24-15. Charleston Southern made one last effort, winning four-straight points to cut the lead to 24-19, before a Buccaneer error gave the Paladins the 25-19 victory.
Braun recorded her second triple-double of the season, pacing the team with 26 assists and notching 12 kills and 13 digs. Senior Kelly Kirby led the team with a .267 attack percentage, while adding a double-double of 23 assists and 13 kills. Shaffer posted a season-high eight block assists, and junior Chandler Ambrester recorded a double-double of 13 kills and 12 digs. Nicoletti paced the Paladin defensive attack, pulling in 19 digs in the win.
Charleston Southern (0-3) was led by Lavenice, who paced the team with 10 kills, and Amy Nokes, who recorded 38 assists for the Bucs. Ashley Johnston led the team with 17 digs.
Western Carolina 0, UVA 3
Western Carolina 0, Western Michigan 3
Senior Carrie Minogue was named to the Marriott Cavalier Classic All-Tournament Team Saturday at as Western Carolina (0-3) dropped two matches at the University of Virginia's Memorial Gymnasium.
The Lousiville, Ky.-native finished the tournament notching 23 kills, eight digs and 10 total blocks (2 solo and 8 assists) for the weekend.
The first set of the first match of Saturday against Western Michigan (3-0) went back and forth with both team exchanging leads. WMU eventually pulled away to pick up the set 25-20.
The second and third sets belonged to the Broncos, winning 25-15 and 25-11.
Western Michigan had three score in double figures, being led by Ali Gossen. Gossen finished the match with 12 kills, nine digs and four total blocks. Eventual tournament MVP Lena Oliver added solid defense, logging 24 digs.
Minogue finished with 12 kills, while Morgan Cochran picked up 17 digs. Jordan Timmermann had 6 kills, 12 digs and 2 total blocks.
In the second match of the afternoon against the home Virginia Cavaliers (2-1), Abbey Scroggins led the way for the Catamounts against the Virginia Cavaliers, logging eight kills and six digs.
Jordan Timmermann added four kills and seven digs as the freshman from Florissant, Mo. finished the weekend with 17 kills, 31 digs and 7 total blocks (two solo, 5 assists).
Virginia picked up the win by a score of 25-12, 25-10 and 25-18.
The Catamounts finished the Marriott Cavalier Classic with a 0-3 record. Western Michigan won all three of their matches in the tournament, with Lena Oliver being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Appalachian State 3, Kennessaw State 0
Appalachian State 2, Charlotte 3
BOONE, N.C. - Less than a full day after opening the season with an impressive win against NC State, Appalachian State University volleyball returned to the court to sweep Kennesaw State, 25-18, 25-21, 25-17, on Saturday afternoon in the Appalachian Invitational. In the tournament finale, Charlotte pulled out a 3-2 win, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, 17-25, 15-12. Anna Wagner earned all-tournament honors and Kelly Rhein was named the Most Valuable Player.
Match 1 - vs. Kennesaw State
Senior Kelly Rhein paced the ASU offense with 16 kills and no errors on 26 attacks. Her .615 hitting percentage easily led all players, while the Apps recorded a solid .301 mark for the match. Rhein added four digs and an assist on the afternoon as well. Classmate Kasey Sauls set up 42 of ASU's 46 assists to accompany seven digs and three kills.
ASU (2-0) jumped out to a 15-3 lead in the opening set and weathered a late Owl rally to cruise to the 25-18 win. KSU (0-2) started strong in the second set with an early 12-5 lead. Appalachian then responded to gain a 14-13 advantage as the play evened out. ASU finished strong with five of the final six points to break the eighth tie of the set at 20-20.
The third set left little to chance as ASU put together a 10-3 run to break a 7-7 tie and secure the win and remain undefeated in the season-opening tournament. An Anna Wagner kill punctuated the 25-17 win. Following her 31-kill performance on Friday night, Wagner cooled off to convert a modest eight kills. She added 10 digs, two assists and a block.
Meghann Forshey added nine kills on 21 attacks with a block and fellow junior Courtney Rhein chipped in a team-high 13 digs with an assist. In the middle, Alison Blasingame hit .545 with seven kills to accompany two digs and a pair of blocks.
KSU owned a 7-4 advantage in blocks but hit just .090 in the match. Emily Bean led the Owls with 15 digs and seven kills.
Match 2 - vs. Charlotte
The first set opened with a back-and-forth style before Charlotte grabbed hold of a 10-6 lead and extended it to 19-11 before the Mountaineers caught their breath. The Apps pulled within five points at 21-16 on a Sauls and Lauren Gray block, but the 49ers tallied the final four points to take the set.
The squads traded the lead five times and tied each other twice in the second set, as neither team led by more than three points throughout. Following a 19-19 tie, Appalachian wrested control with enough of a spurt to claim a 25-23 win on a kill by Kelly Rhein.
The Niners took hold of momentum following the intermission with a tight 25-21 win in the third set. The score stayed within three points - including nine ties and six lead changes - until Charlotte grabbed an 18-14 lead and maintained at least a two-point cushion the rest of the way.
Intensity stepped up dramatically in the fourth set, as the momentum swung back to the home team. After a tight beginning, Appalachian loosened the game up behind the strength of seven Wagner kills. The final 25-17 margin was ASU's largest lead in the frame.
Charlotte staked a 4-1 lead in the deciding set before Kelly Rhein followed a kill with a solo block to draw the Apps even at 6-6. ASU gained a one-point lead on a Charlotte attack error, but the 49ers took it back and refused to let it go. UNCC completed the 15-12 win on a setter dump.
Wagner led the Apps with 20 kills and a .271 hitting percentage to accompany seven digs and a pair of kills. Kelly Rhein added 16 kills with just three errors. She hit .351 and nothed six digs, two blocks and a pair of assists.
Kasey Sauls chipped in 39 assists, eight digs and three blocks, while Alison Blasingame patrolled the net with four blocks in addition to five kills and four digs.
Courtney Rhein again led the Appalachian defense, with 19 of ASU's 55 digs. Charlotte's Bianca Rouse converted a match-high 24 kills and a .378 hitting clip, while three players recorded double-figure digs for Chris Redding's squad.
ASU hosts William & Mary at 3 p.m. on Sunday in a late addition to the 2011 schedule. W&M's weekend tournament was cancelled in anticipation of inclement weather. W&M will also face Kennesaw State on Sunday at 10 a.m. in the Holmes Center. Admission is free to both matches.
Georgia Southern 3, Montana State 0
Georgia Southern 3, Jacksonville 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Volleyball team (2-2) responded from a disappointing opening day of the 2011 season with a pair of 3-0 sweeps over Montana State and Jacksonville in day two of the SpringHill Suites Invitational. Senior outside hitter Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) had a career-high 26 kills against the Jackrabbits and tallied 25 on Saturday to earn a spot on the all-tournament team.
Georgia Southern earned its first win of the 2011 season with a 3-0 sweep of Jacksonville in the Eagles' first game of the day on Saturday. The Eagles got double-digit kills from three players while holding the Dolphins' leader to just 9. GSU opened with a 25-18 first-set victory, the third in as many games, and continued with set wins of 25-21 and 25-13 respectively.
Sanford lead the Eagles with 14 kills while Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) added 11. Junior transfer Meredith Paskert (Brecksville, Ohio) tallied 10 kills and led the Eagles with a .643 hitting percentage. GSU benefited from a much improved hitting percentage and posted a mark of .473. Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) was her usual self tallying 43 of the teams 48 assists in the match and helped feed a Georgia Southern offense that posted its best hitting percentage so far.
The Eagles continued their streak of first-set victories with a 25-18 set win in game two against Montana State. Small posted five of the team's 17 kills in the set while Van Dyke assisted on 11 of them. Georgia Southern posted a pair of close set wins to complete the sweep.
Paskert tied for a game-high 12 kills while Sanford posted 11 more in the win. Van Dyke tallied 33 assists and 11 digs while Lauren LaRocque (Frisco, Texas) recorded a game-high 19 digs. The team posted a .244 hitting percentage and opened with a .317 percentage in the first set.
Stephen F. Austin swept South Dakota State 3-0 in the first game of the day and continued their perfect mark in the Invitational with a 3-1 over Montana State. The Jackrabbits rebounded with a 3-1 win over Jacksonville.
Davidson 2, Winthrop 3
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Big South Preseason Player of the Year Becca Toor posted 23 kills to lead the Winthrop Eagles to a 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 30-28, 20-25, 7-15) win over the Davidson Wildcat volleyball team in the championship match of the Winthrop Classic Saturday night at The Winthrop Coliseum.
Winthrop (3-0) finished its tournament undefeated behind 23 kills from Toor and 12 from Jennica Mullins. Stephanie Palmer finished with a double-double of 52 assists and 17 digs, and Catherine Brusie led the Eagle defense with 23 digs.
Davidson (2-1) was led by sophomore outside hitter Caroline Brown who finished with 16 kills and 17 digs. Senior outside hitter Christine Perzinski also posted a double-double of 13 kills and 19 digs, and junior libero Molly Crenshaw equaled her with 19 digs. Junior setter Ariel Ley tallied 53 assists.
The first set had five ties in the early goings before Davidson pulled ahead 7-6 on an Eagle error. Winthrop put some distance between the teams with a 5-1 run to go ahead 11-9. The Wildcats got within a score twice, including 17-16, but the Eagles scored five straight to take a 21-16 lead on a kill by Toor. Davidson answered with a 5-0 swing of its own, again closing within a point, 22-21, but the Eagles won the last three points, including two kills by Toor, and the first set, 25-21.
The Wildcats got out to a quick start, opening up a 6-2 lead in the second set. Winthrop fought back to knot the score at 11, but the 'Cats answered with an 8-2 run to reclaim a 19-13 lead on an ace by Brown. The lead proved sufficient, though Winthrop fought off three set-points before a kill by sophomore middle hitter Tindall Sewell gave Davidson a 25-21 win to even the match.
The third set featured 17 ties and required extra points. After a back-and-forth opening, a kill by Brown put Davidson up, 14-13, but Winthrop rattled off four straight to retake a 17-14 lead. The Wildcats knotted the set at 19 on a pair of kills by Sewell and one each from Brown and Perzinski. Down 24-23, Brown helped the 'Cats survive a set-point and, a score later senior middle hitter Madison Benedict did the same. Toor kept the Eagles alive, until the Wildcats won three straight to close out the 30-28 win and take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Winthrop used a 4-0 run to turn a two-point deficit, 8-10, into a two-point advantage, 12-10, mid-way through the fourth set. Davidson tied the score at 16 on a kill by Lupfer, but the Eagles' 7-1 run gave Winthrop control of the set, 23-17. That lead proved enough, and Palmer's kill lifted the Eagles to a 25-20 win to force the fifth set.
The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the shortened fifth set, but the Wildcats rallied to win the next three on kills from Lupfer and Perzinski. Winthrop, though, pushed its lead to 11-7 and put the match away with a 4-0 swing - including three kills by Toor, for the 15-7 win.