SAMFORD 3, PRESBYTERIAN 0SAMFORD 3, GEORGIA STATE 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford Volleyball opened its 2013 season in front of a home crowd with a pair of sweeps, downing Presbyterian and Georgia State in three sets each Friday night at the Pete Hanna Center.
Samford (2-0) proved too potent on offense for Presbyterian (1-1) and Georgia State (0-2), as the Bulldogs tallied a .311 clip with 93 kills as opposed to a combined .105 clip and 52 kills from the opponents. Junior Michaela Reesor and senior Katie Murphy showed why they were preseason All-Conference honorees, earning a combined 44 kills with Murphy at a team-leading .581 attack percentage. Samford’s other middle, sophomore Emily Meitz, also had a strong showing with 19 kills and only four errors for a .455 clip.
Junior libero Chelsi Carter led the Bulldogs defensively with 25 kills while also adding three service aces.
Samford opened the day with a convincing win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose as the visitors would only score 45 points over the three sets. Meitz set the pace from the middle with 10 kills on 14 swings while Reesor and Murphy backed her up with nine each. Samford’s play at the service line made a huge difference as well, with the Bulldogs tallying nine service aces in the match.
Samford’s 2-1 lead early in set one was the closest of the opening frame, as the Bulldogs quickly pulled away. Samford hit the double-digit mark leading 10-5 and used a 6-3 run to push it to 16-8, forcing Presbyterian to take their first timeout of the set. A Samford attack error gave Presbyterian possession, but the Bulldogs battled back with four-consecutive points, including two service aces by Carter, to make it 20-9. Samford reached set point up 24-12 and, following a Presbyterian kill, a subsequent service error gave the Bulldogs the 25-13 win.
The positive momentum carried over into the second set as Samford would build a 7-0 lead before Presbyterian would earn a point. Later, up 14-8, four-consecutive points, including a kill and an ace by Meitz would give the Bulldogs a double-digit lead, up 18-8. Up by the same margin later, 23-13, a kill by Meitz gave the Bulldogs set point. Presbyterian staved off a loss with two points but it proved too little, too late as a knock by Taylor Palmer sealed the 25-15 win and a 2-0 lead heading into the locker room.
Presbyterian would take its first lead of the match to open set two, pulling ahead 2-0. They would hold the lead until, up 6-2, Samford rallied to tie it at 6-6. Samford kept battling back to tie the match but would not take the lead until a block by Murphy and Stephanie Palmer put Samford up 12-11. The Bulldogs would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the match, eventually putting distance between the teams with a 7-0 run to make it 22-14. A kill by freshman Erin Bognar made it 24-17 and she paired up with Murphy for a match-ending block as the Bulldogs won 25-17 to seal the sweep.
The match against Georgia State was more tightly contested, but Samford made the right plays at the right time to earn another sweep and start the season undefeated.
Reesor led the offense with 14 kills and was one dig away from a double-double with nine. Murphy and Meitz anchored the middle again, combining for 21 kills with only five errors, while Bognar was close behind with eight kills. Senior setter Stephanie Palmer paced the Bulldog offense with 40 assists while adding four kills and a service ace.
Set one was a back-and-forth affair with neither team taking more than a four-point lead. Up 9-8, back-to-back kills by Bognar made it 11-8 and a Georgia State attack error gave the Bulldogs a four-point lead. The lead was short-lived however, as the Panthers eventually came back to tie it at 17-17. A kill by Reesor set up match point, leading 24-21, as Samford took a timeout to strategize on a crucial service. An attack error gave Georgia State possession but Reesor sealed it with another kill as the Bulldogs eventually won 25-22.
The Panthers stole the early momentum in set two, building a 5-2 lead over the Bulldogs. Samford quickly bounced back with a 7-0 run to pull ahead 9-5 and force a timeout by Georgia State. The Panthers chipped away at the lead, but Samford stayed resolute, hitting the 20-point mark with a six-point lead, 20-14. Georgia State would rattle off three in a row to narrow the lead to three, but a 5-3 run closed out by a pair of kills by Murphy gave Samford the 25-20 win.
Georgia State would not go down easily in set three, as an early Bulldog lead disappeared with the visitors fighting back to eventually tie the set at 9-9. Tied later at 14-14, Samford scored three in a row to force a Georgia State timeout and then added another point after the break off a Selina Schirmer service ace. With Samford up 23-20, Georgia State fought back to tie it 23-23 and put the sweep at risk. Murphy and Bognar paired up for a block to set up match point as the Bulldogs took a timeout. Stephanie Palmer would put good air under the ball to set up a match-winning kill by Bognar as the Bulldogs completed the sweep with a 25-23 victory.
Samford continues its opening weekend tomorrow with another pair of matches. Samford opens up the day at Noon facing Mercer (1-1) before squaring off against sixth-ranked Minnesota (2-0) at 5 p.m.
Western Carolina 3, Wright State 0Western Carolina 3, Boston College 1
Cullowhee, N.C. – Led by Caitlin Piechota’s 27 total kills in two matches, the Western Carolina volleyball team swept Wright State 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-20) and beat Boston College 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-16) to open the 2013 season on the opening day of the WCU Invitational.
Piechota strung together nine kills on 20 attempts with no errors for a .450 hitting percentage in the first match against Wright State and followed up with a match-high 18 kills and 16 digs for her 12th career double-double.
In the first match against Wright State, WCU fell behind early, 9-5, but rallied back to take the lead. Down 12-9 WCU mounted a 6-0 run highlighted by three Jordan Timmermann service aces. WCU went on to take the set 25-17.
Set two saw Western Carolina jump out to a 14-9 lead en route to a 25-16 win. Addy George had four other nine kills in the set.
The Catamounts went on the complete the sweep as Piechota powered WCU with four kills and five digs in the 25-20 set three win.
George’s nine kills tied her with Piechota for the Western Carolina lead. George finished with a team-high 11 points as she added three total blocks, one solo and two block assists. Cristina Nazario handed out 31 assists, while Morgan Cochran collected 13 digs.
Western Carolina hit a sizzling .330 as a team, putting them fourth all-time for team hitting percentage in a match. The Catamounts had 40 kills on 91 attempts with 10 errors. The Raiders ended with 30 kills on 100 swings and 20 errors for a .100 hitting percentage. WCU held an advantage at the net as they out blocked Wright State six to one.
In the second match of the day for Western Carolina against Boston College, WCU broke a tie at eight with a 5-0 run sparked by two George kills in the first set. The Eagles fought back and tied the set at 17, but the Catamounts regained control of the set, 20-18, on a Piechota kill. WCU held off BC to claim the set 25-21.
The second set was another tightly contested set as neither team could pull away with more than a three-point lead. With the score tied at 23, BC used a service ace by Lauren Fields and a kill by Sarah Mendes to squeak out a 25-23 win.
The two teams continued the back-and-forth play early in the third set, but WCU broke open the set with 5-1 run, taking advantage of key BC errors to push the lead out to six points, 19-13. The Eagles clawed back to trim the margin to two points, 22-20, but Piechota claimed the set for the Catamounts, 25-21, with two kills over the final five rallies. WCU had five team blocks in set three with George leading the way with four total blocks, one solo and three block assists. Cochran, who almost doubled her dig total from the prior set in the match, picked up 11 digs.
Boston College looked poised to force a fifth set as they took the lead early in set four, 12-9. Trailing 15-13, WCU’s Brandi Anderson delivered three straight kills followed by back-to-back kills from Nicole Ford as the Catamounts took an 18-15 lead. Western Carolina never looked back as they closed out the set and the match, 25-16, with a 7-1 run.
Piechota’s 18 kills led all players in the match, while Timmermann followed with 11 kills. Timmermann also earned a double-double, her 14th of her career, with 14 digs. Nazario handed out 45 assists and picked up 14 digs for her fifth career double-double. Cochran finished the match one dig shy of the 30-dig club, 29 digs.
The Catamounts dominated the net with 14 team blocks compared to nine for the Eagles. WCU’s 14 team blocks tied them for third all-time for single-game performances. George paved the way with eight total blocks, one solo and seven block assists. Nazario and Ford followed with six block assists each.
The match featured 22 ties and ten lead changes.
The win was the first time since September 9, 2006, a 3-1 win over Air Force, that the Catamounts defeated a team from a BCS conference, and the first time since 1990 they have earned a win over a team from the ACC. On October 20, 1990 WCU beat Georgia Tech 3-0.
Western Carolina returns to the court Saturday, August 31 at noon against USC Upstate for its next match. The Catamounts complete the WCU Invitational with mountain rival UNC Asheville Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the tournament’s finale.
Davidson 3, Charlotte 2
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Caroline Brown notched her first double-double of the season while Taylor Pisel slammed down 18 kills as the Davidson volleyball team battled past cross-county rival Charlotte 3-2 to open the season as part of the Wildcat Classic at Belk Arena Friday evening. The ‘Cats claimed the hard-fought victory with set scores of 26-24, 25-15, 15-25, 22-25 and 15-11.
In addition to Brown's 17 kills and 21 digs, a pair of freshman saw significant time and contributed well. Mikayla Derochie recorded 47 assists in her collegiate debut as the team's starting setter, while Emily Franklin was 4-for-4 attacking to hit 1.000 with a solo block and a trio of block assists. Brown also had a pair of service aces on the night, while Pisel added five digs and a pair of block assists.
In her debut as the libero, junior Anastasia Owen tallied 18 digs and a pair of assists, while Rachel Earnhardt added in 13 digs and a block assist. Hannah Rau came through late in the game, with eight kills and a trio of digs and Tindall Sewell led the team with four block assists and notched four kills. The ‘Cats hit .260 as a team with nine team blocks.
Claire Kreuz had 19 digs for the 49ers, followed by Amanda Videmsek’s 18 kills and 13 digs. Britney Leigh Held had 49 assists, while Jackie Servais added in a pair of service aces. The 49ers also came up with 11.5 team blocks.
Davidson jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the 49ers rallied to tie things up and force a fifth set. The ‘Cats showed off their resiliency in the final stanza, earning the triumph.
The Wildcats fought hard for the lead in the first set, battling back from a 7-4 deficit to knot the game up at 11-11. A pair of attacking errors by the 49ers gave Davidson the 17-14 lead, though Charlotte came back to tie the game back up at 19-19. Pisel would come through with a pair of big kills, giving the ‘Cats the 26-24 win.
Davidson dominated the second set from start to finish, rushing out to an 8-3 advantage on a block by Sewell and Derochie. Pisel added in two more kills while a slam from Brown put the ‘Cats in front 18-9. Fittingly, it was Pisel with another pair and Brown with the final kill to hand the ‘Cats the 25-15 set victory.
Off to a shaky start in the third set, three straight service aces put the 49ers in front 7-3. Charlotte put up five straight points soon after, taking a 10-point lead on a service ace by Amanda Videmsek. Franklin and Pisel each tallied a kill from Derochie, but the Wildcats couldn’t climb out of the hole and fell 15-25 in the set.
Charlotte took the early lead again in the fourth set, jumping out to a 9-2 advantage. Davidson battled back to tie the set at 15-15 on a kill and an ace by Brown before taking a slim 19-17 advantage with a kill from Derochie. However, the 49ers would tally five of the last six points to win the set 25-22 and force a fifth set.
The Wildcats came out clawing, working their way to a 5-1 lead. Back-to-back kills by Rau made it 11-6, though the 49ers cut the lead to two with a kill by Kreuz to make it 13-11. Pisel and Franklin combined for a block before Sewell threw down the final kill as the Wildcats took the set 15-11 to take the match 3-2.
Davidson will be back in action Saturday afternoon in continuation of the Wildcat Classic. The squad will face CSU Bakersfield at 1 p.m. before squaring off with Charleston Southern in the 5 p.m. finale of the tournament.
Appalachian State 3, Loyola 0
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University volleyball opened their season with a dominating 3-0 win against Loyola on Friday at the Holmes Center.
The Mountaineers (1-0) swept the visiting Greyhounds (0-1) in their home opener and first match of the Appalachian Invitational.
App State took an early lead in the first set at 8-3, not allowing Loyola to build any momentum as the Mountaineers rallied to a 25-15 victory. The Apps hit a scorching .393 on the attack, led by a combined effort of Lindsey Sauls and Jess Keller, who each tallied 4 kills.
It would be all App from there as Loyola could never redeem in the final two sets. The Mountaineers dominated to a 25-14 victory in the second and sealed the match with a 25-20 third set.
The Black and Gold edged Loyola on both side of the ball, proving to be the stronger team as they recorded a .319 attack percentage for the match and kept Loyola to a dismal .019 percentage on the night.
Appalachian did not turn down the heat in the second set, beating Loyola by 11 points (25-14), as the Mountaineers never trailed and tallied 13 blocks.
The Greyhounds were able to take their first lead of the game (2-3), but Appalachian fought back, point for point. With the game knotted at 12, the Mountaineers combined to notch four-straight points and regain the lead (16-12), despite a late effort by Loyola.
Sauls led all players with nine kills, while both Keller and Emily Corrigan tallied 8 kills apiece. Paige Brown led the team with 27 assists and Meghan Mahoney chipped in with 22 digs.
The Mountaineers committed just seven errors on 94 total attacks and finished with 12.5 blocks to Loyola’s one.
For day two of the Appalachian Invitational, the Mountaineers meet Sam Houston State at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by Norfolk State later that same evening.
UNCG 3, ETSU 2
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The UNCG volleyball team started its 2013 campaign on an impressive note, holding off a rally by defending Atlantic Sun Conference champion East Tennessee State to win a thrilling 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 15-11) decision in the first match of the Deacon Invitational inside Reynolds Gymnasium. The contest was a preview of sorts as ETSU will join the Southern Conference next season.
Senior middle hitter Olivia Humphries started her final season with a double-double as she racked up 21 kills and 14 digs while hitting .378. She also tallied five blocks. Senior outside hitter and preseason All-Southern Conference honoree Karrian Chambers ended up with a double-double herself as she finished the contest with 12 kills and 10 digs. Chambers has a double-double in eight-straight matches going back to last season and she also extended a streak of double-figure kill efforts to 20.
A total of five UNCG players racked up double digits in digs with senior libero Kellie Orewiler Humphries leading the way at 14. Junior middle hitter Kelsey Sidney hit for a high percentage in the match as she put down nine kills on 19 swings with just two errors to end up at .368.
The Buccaneers ended up with the advantage in hitting at .212-.200, but the Spartans held ETSU to negative numbers in the fifth frame while hitting .148 themselves. UNCG also held the upper hand in digs, 64-61, while also taking advantage of 14 Buccaneer service errors.
East Tennessee State scored the first two points of the first set before the Blue and Gold responded with four straight to take a 4-2 advantage. A UNCG block made the score 8-5 in favor of the Spartans, but the Buccaneers pulled within one at 8-7 on a kill by Megan Devine. The set stayed tight the whole way as a Meredith Hardy kill kept UNCG within ETSU’s sights. However, an attacking error by Ivey Rice gave the Blue and Gold some breathing room at 20-16. The Bucs tried to mount a comeback, but a kill by Sidney gave the Spartans the set by a 25-23 score.
The second frame started off poorly for UNCG as ETSU raced out to a 5-0 advantage. The Spartans shook off the poor start, however, and used a Humphries kill to cap a 7-3 run and pull within 8-7. A kill by Chambers drew UNCG within 11-10, but a 5-0 run by the Buccaneers gave them a comfortable 16-11 edge. Things looked bleak for the Spartans in the late goings, but with ETSU looking to close out the set up 23-19, the Blue and Gold mounted a stirring rally which saw UNCG score the last six points of the set to steal it 25-23.
The Spartans were in cruise control in the third frame, leading 19-13 and close to closing out the match with a sweep, but the Buccaneers turned in a furious rally of their own, outscoring UNCG 12-2 the rest of the set to send the contest to a fourth set with the 25-22 victory.
ETSU used that newfound momentum to forge into the lead in the fourth stanza and was in front by a 19-14 margin after a Bethany Gesell service ace. The Spartans were able to draw within 23-19, however, the Buccaneers staved off the run to close out the set 25-21.
Determined to not let its two-set lead go to waste, UNCG was the first team to eight points in the fifth set as Devine committed a service error. After the sides switched benches, Gesell produced a miscue to give the Spartans a 9-7 edge. ETSU came back to tie the frame at 10 points after a ball-handling error was called on the Blue and Gold. However, a block by junior setter Emily McMurtrey and senior middle hitter Morgan Freeman ignited UNCG and the Spartans allowed the Bucs just one more point the rest of the way as a kill by Humphries fittingly ended the match.
The Spartans will play two matches tomorrow to close out the Deacon Invitational, taking on East Carolina at 10 a.m. before facing host Wake Forest in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern 3, Southern Utah 0
MOBILE, Ala. – Jamie DeRatt tallied 13 kills and eight digs, while Katalin Minnerly collected 40 assists and 12 digs to lead Georgia Southern to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-17) volleyball victory over Southern Utah at the Jaguar Invitational Friday evening.
It was the women’s volleyball head coaching debut for Dustin Wood, who took over the Eagle program in July. It was also the season opener for both teams and the 14th win in the last 15 matches for Georgia Southern, dating back to last season.
DeRatt hit .462 in the match and added two blocks, while Katie Bange recorded 10 kills. Crysten Curry posted nine kills, and Kym Coley added eight. Alexandra Beecher had a match-high 15 digs, and Nicole Jeschelnik recorded 13 digs and six kills.
Kylie Schofield led Southern Utah (0-1) with 12 kills.
Georgia Southern (1-0) hit .376 as a team, including .478 in the third set, when the Eagles collected 13 kills on 23 swings.
The Eagles never trailed in the first set and jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Georgia Southern maintained a four or five-point working margin until a Schofield kill and an Eagle ball-handling error trimmed the margin to 24-22, but Minnerly set DeRatt for a kill to end the frame.
With the Eagles leading 11-10 in the second set, DeRatt got a kill and served three straight points to open a 15-10 cushion. The margin grew to 23-15 on a DeRatt kill en route to a 25-22 victory. A 5-1 Eagle run in the third set turned a two-point lead into a 15-10 advantage. The margin grew to as many as eight points after a Curry kill, and Georgia Southern finished the match by winning the set 25-17.
Georgia Southern is back in action tomorrow as they face Tennessee State at 10 a.m. in the Jaguar Invitational. The Eagles also face host South Alabama at 7 p.m.
TCU 3, Furman 0
Athens, Ga. – The Furman volleyball team fell to Big-12 foe TCU 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-20) in game one of the Georgia Bulldog Invitational Friday night in Athens, Ga. The Horned Frogs out-hit the Paladins .305-.222 and 47 kills to Furman’s 41.
Freshman Ashton Gregory led all Paladins with 11 kills, a .562 hitting percentage, and three blocks. Senior Christina Dorismond was the only other Paladin to reach double-digits in kills with 10. Sophomore setter Jo Wilks recorded a team-high 29 assists, while senior libero Elle Ross led the team with 14 digs.
In set one, the teams traded points from the beginning, until TCU took a 15-9 lead on a kill by Blaire Pickens. The Paladins were then able to pull within two on kills by Gregory, Amelia Bohlander and Dorismond before the Horned Frogs went on a 7-3 run to force a Furman timeout. Wilks again went to Gregory for the offense, but the Paladins were not able to close the gap, falling 25-21.
The Paladins jumped out to a 7-3 lead in set two, before TCU came back to tie the score at 7. Then, leading 8-7, Elle Ross served six consecutive points for the Paladins, allowing Furman to stretch the lead to 13-7. The Paladins opened up an even bigger lead on the Horned Frogs, using kills by Gregory, Bohlander and Dorismond to pull out to a 20-14 lead. TCU would come back to tie the match at 20, however, before the teams traded points and the Paladins took a 24-22 lead. TCU closed out the match on a 4-0 run to take set two, 26-24.
Set three was just as close as the previous two, with the two teams trading points throughout the course of the set. With the score tied at 19-18 in favor of TCU, the Horned Frogs used a 4-0 run to set a lead that Furman could not overcome, and take set three (and the match), 25-20.
Furman returns to action tomorrow morning at the Bulldog Invitational, taking on Lipscomb at 10:00 a.m. Fans can follow live stats on FurmanPaladins.com, or get scored updates on Twitter at @FurmanVB.
College of Charleston 3, Chattanooga 2Georgia Tech 3, Chattanooga 0
ATLANTA, Ga. – Despite falling in back-to-back matches to begin the season, the Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team forced a five-set match against last season’s Southern Conference champions and NCAA participant while falling 0-3 to an ACC powerhouse. Chattanooga sustained a 3-2 loss to the College of Charleston and a sweep at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to open the season at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta, Ga.
The Mocs dropped their first match of the season after a heated five-set competition with the College of Charleston was decided with a 15-12 final frame. The Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a commanding 25-14 victory in the first set, but the Mocs battled back in the second to take a 25-21 win in the second. Charleston again controlled the tempo of the third set with a 25-12 win, but Chattanooga battled back in the fourth set with a nail-biting 27-25 set to take the match to a 2-2 tie. In the end, the Cougars bested UTC 3-2 with a 15-12 mark in the fifth frame.
College of Charleston put together four series of three-or-more points scored in a row against Chattanooga in the first set and dominated the third set with two five-point streaks against the Mocs. Chattanooga’s sets were won was UTC scored the first point of the set in both frames while CofC won the first point in all three of its victories.
Sophomore Briana Reid led the Mocs offense with 15 kills and 53 attacks while posting her first double-double with 11 digs. Her 17.5 points were topped only by freshmen Allie Davenport as she recorded 18.0 points and 12 kills. Davenport and Reid were the only Mocs to record double-digit scores while freshman Anne Bachmann set up 35 Chattanooga points from the setter position.
Sophomore Catherine Chason collected 13 digs as she was awarded the spot at libero while defensive specialist Melissa Green finished with 11 digs on the day.
Despite the loss, Saturday marks the first time since 2007 Chattanooga has taken at least two sets in a match from the Cougars. That was an Oct. 9 game at Maclellan Gym that the Mocs claimed as a 3-2 victory. It was also the last win against the former SoCon team.
The Mocs did not fare as well against the Yellow Jackets though, falling in three straight sets (17-25, 20-25, 13-25) to conclude play on Friday. Chattanooga attackers were held to single-digit kills – Davenport leading the way with eight while sophomore Julimar Alvarado garnered seven – and the defense only recorded 37 total digs.
The loss dropped UTC to 0-2 to begin the season while Georgia Tech improved to 2-0 in its own tournament.
The Mocs have Saturday off before wrapping up the Yellow Jacket Invitational Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. against Florida A&M.
Illinois-Chicago 3, Elon 1
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Elon volleyball team (0-1) started off strong against the Flames of Illinois-Chicago (1-0), claiming the first set but eventually falling 3-1 (28-26, 18-25, 20-25, 21-25) today, Aug. 30, in the first match of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational hosted by Navy.
Junior Kris Harris put together a match-high seven blocks, 10 kills and two aces to stand out for the Phoenix on the day. Sophomore Megan Gravley also tallied 10 kills in the match, while senior Cali Estes finished with nine.
On defense, the Phoenix out-blocked the Flames, 15-7, as eight players wearing the maroon and gold recorded blocks. Freshman Morgan Maner finished with 12 digs in her first match for Elon.
The Phoenix started the first set off strong after a block by Estes and Catherine Head put the maroon and gold up 4-1. With the score tied at six-all, a kill by Gravley, block by Gravley and Harris and an ace by Maner capped a 4-0 run, forcing a UIC timeout. The Flames pulled even at 15 before two kills by Gravley, a block by Harris and Gravley and an ace by Ana Nicksic gave Elon a 19-16 advantage. Three straight kills by Harris gave the Phoenix a five-point edge, 22-17, but UIC managed to grab set point first, 24-23, after a 6-2 run. A block and kill by Ally Karle gave the Phoenix the advantage 25-24 before a kill by Estes finally sealed the first-set win for Elon, 28-26.
The Flames had the upper hand in the second set, taking a nine-point lead, 17-8. The Phoenix rallied with four straight points off kills by Gravley, Harris and Kayla Agae and an ace by Maggie Reichard to pull within in five, 17-12. However, UIC was able to maintain its advantage and even the match after a 25-18 win.
In the third set, UIC claimed an early 10-6 lead before the Phoenix scored three straight with the help of kills by Agae and Danielle Smith to pull within one 10-9. The maroon and gold kept the differential to one after a kill by Nicksic and a block by Harris and Gravley made the score 14-13 in favor of the Flames. After UIC went up by six, 19-13, and forced an Elon timeout, the Phoenix pulled back within three, 16-13, after a kill by Gravley and forced mistakes by the Flames. UIC grabbed set point, 24-17, but Elon would not back down easily taking the next three points off three blocks by D. Smith, Karle and Agae. The Flames would claim the set, 25-20, to take a 2-1 match lead.
Kills by Estes, Gravley, D. Smith and an ace by Maner helped the Phoenix to an 8-5 edge early in the fourth set. The Flames rallied back and eventually held a 20-15 advantage before a 3-1 run off kills by Harris, Nicksic and Estes cut the deficit to three, 21-18, forcing a UIC timeout. The Flames earned set point, 24-18, but once again the Phoenix held on with kills by Harris and Karle and an ace by Harris to make it 24-21. UIC closed out the set and the match on the next play to claim a 25-21 final-set win.
The Phoenix will return to action in the Kristen Dickmann Invitational tomorrow, Aug. 31, when it takes on UNC Wilmington at 1 p.m. and host Navy at 6 p.m.
Iowa 3, Wofford 2
CONWAY, S.C. – The Wofford volleyball team gave Iowa everything it could handle, pushing the Hawkeyes to their limits but eventually falling in five sets (25-14, 20-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-8) in the season opener Friday night from Coastal Carolina's HTC Center.
Wofford (0-1) cruised through the fourth set, leading by as many as nine points, to bring the match to the fifth. Iowa (1-0) jumped ahead 6-1 in the deciding set with the help of five straight points and never surrendered the lead. With the final of Lauren Brobst's match-high 23 kills, Iowa escaped the Terriers and day one of the Chanticleer Invitational.
Pacing Wofford on the attack were seniors Amanda Liguori and Wendy Burnett. Liguori finished with a team-high 14 kills to go along with nine errors on her 50 attempts (.100), while Burnett hit a blistering .522 with 13 kills and just a single error on 23 total attacks. Liguori added a team-high 18 digs for her 22nd career double-double. Senior setter Bekah Dorsey led all players with 43 assists, also adding 14 digs to mark her 31st career double-double.
The Terriers also got some key play from sophomore Jessica Graham who wound up with 13 digs and three service aces, and was commended by Coach Sweet.
In what was the first ever match between the two sides, a close first set turned in favor of the Hawkeyes. With the score 10-9, Iowa took nine of the next 11 points and a commanding 19-11 lead before winning the opening set by 11. Wofford went ahead by six early in the second set, but six straight Iowa points nodded the score at 13. The two teams battled back and forth until kills by Burnett and freshman Ellie Tallman helped the Terriers take the final four points of the set, 25-20, leveling the score 1-1 at the intermission.
The third set got away from the Terriers and ultimately cost them the match. Leading the whole way and ahead 24-20, Wofford looked primed to take its first lead of the match. Unfortunately, Iowa responded with six consecutive points to take a heartbreaker. Wofford bounced back to take the fourth decisively, but it would not be enough as Iowa walked away with the win.
The Wofford volleyball team is back in action on Saturday with two matches to close out the Chanticleer Invitational. The Terriers begin against Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m., and wrap things up against Youngstown State at 4:30 p.m.
South Florida 3, The Citadel 0
Tampa, Fla. – South Florida's Erin Fairs was responsible for 16 digs and 11 kills as the Bulls defeated The Citadel 25-18, 25-19 and 25-12 to open the 2013 volleyball slate.
Fairs was joined by Andrea Rodriguez Gomez and Jennica Mullins, who each finished with nine kills, on a USF front row that combined for 41 kills and a .240 hitting percentage. The Bulls were led defensively by Fairs, Amy Van Sant (11 digs) and Dakota Hampton (10 digs). In the process South Florida earned its first victory of the season.
The Citadel (0-1) got a solid effort from Katie Briggs (six kills) and Lauren Hurt (five kills). Hurt was also active on defense with four solo blocks as the Cadets edged USF 10-6 as a unit. Senior defensive specialist Erin Bucherl also posted a solid effort for the Bulldogs with 15 digs on the evening.
South Florida established itself early in the first set by scoring 11 of the first 13 points that included three kills by Fairs. However, the resilient Citadel squad put together a run of its own, after trailing by as many as 11 points, behind a kill from Bailey Kernodle and two unforced errors by USF to slice the margin to 19-12. A kill by Fairs got the Bulls back on track and despite offensive strikes from Briggs, who accounted for half of The Citadel's final six points, South Florida emerged 25-18.
The strong ending to the first set, along with two kills by Hurt, played an integral role in The Citadel establishing a 6-3 lead to open up the second set. After margin was trimmed to one, 7-6, Kernodle responded with a timely kill for the Cadets who scored five of the next eight points. With the Bulldogs leading 14-10, following an assisted block by Hurt and Rachel Keefer, South Florida called a timeout to collect itself. The Bulls answered with a 13-2 run, led by multiple kills off the hand of Rodriquez Gomez, Mullins and Fairs, to forge in front 23-16. A Mallory Moore kill and service point by Samantha Espy were not enough to hold off a 25-19 USF victory.
Combining a solid service game along with a kill by Kayla Bivins allowed South Florida to establish an early 7-3 lead in the third set. But it was the play of Hurt that singlehandedly rallied the Bulldogs as she used a kill and consecutive unforced Bulls errors in her service game to make for a 7-7 tie. Outscoring The Citadel 18-5 over the remainder of the match, due in large part to eight straight service points by Rodriguez Gomez, the Bulls completed the sweep with a 25-12 win.
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday morning when they take on Ball State at 11:30 a.m. That match will be followed by a meeting with Austin Peay, set to begin at 4:30 p.m., to complete the South Florida Tournament.