The Citadel 3, Savannah State 0
Charleston, S.C. – Seven kills each by the front row tandem of Ise d'Angelo and Bailey Kernodle led The Citadel volleyball team to a 25-14, 25-12, 25-17 victory over Savannah State on Tuesday evening at McAlister Field House.
The Citadel lineup, which amassed 33 kills and a .244 hitting percentage while committing only 11 errors, had 11 players to record at least one kill. Joining d'Angelo and Kernodle with solid offensive performances were Mallory Moore (four kills) and Dominique Williams (three).
The Bulldogs' (5-17) defense was sparked by Rachel Keefer, who tallied 10 digs to go along with 21 assists, which completed her sixth double-double of the season. Teammates Erin Bucherl (nine digs) and Katie Briggs (four assisted blocks) were also vital for the Cadets defensive efforts.
Savannah State (0-23) was led offensively by the play of Christian Lyle (eight kills) and Justice Dilworth (five). The Tigers (0-23) managed 24 team kills, committed 27 errors and finished with a -.026 hitting percentage, the lowest of any Citadel opponent this season. On defense, Savannah State was anchored by the play of Alexis Washington (15 digs) and Ashia Williams (eight).
Two kills each from the tandem of Moore and Kernodle allowed The Citadel to establish a 9-4 lead early in the first set. Savannah State capitalized on two errors, before an unforced error placed Kernodle in serve and allowed the Dogs to move in front 17-6 after scoring eight unanswered. That double-digit lead remained intact until six Tiger points in a seven-point stretch narrowed the margin to 20-13. The Bulldogs allowed just one point over the remainder of the set and used kills by Moore and Briggs to complete the 25-14 win.
Trailing by one early in the second set, Lauren Hurt drove home a kill that sparked a 6-0 Citadel run as the Dogs forged in front 9-3. The Cadets added two kills by d'Angelo along with strikes by Kernodle and Williams during an 8-4 run to stretch the double figures, 17-7. A series of kills by Dilworth and Caitlynn Masoe placed Savannah State in double digits, but it was not enough to deter The Citadel, who emerged with a 25-12 victory.
The Bulldogs carried over that momentum into the third set as it streaked out to an early 6-3 advantage on the laurels of Kernodle, d'Angelo and Megan Sowell. Savannah State answered with a 5-2 run, highlighted by a Lyle service ace and a Gadis kill, knotting the game at 8-8. The Citadel went onto score 12 of the next 14 points, including kills by Kernodle, Briggs and Samantha Espy to assume the 17-10 lead. The Cadets maintained at least a five-point edge over the remainder of the match to complete the 25-17 win.
The Citadel returns to Southern Conference play this weekend when it head Western Carolina on Friday evening at 7 p.m. The Dogs follow that with a match in Boone, N.C., against Appalachian State on Saturday evening at 6 p.m.