Georgia Southern 3, Oral Roberts 1Georgia Southern 3, North Dakota State 0
STATESBORO, Ga. – Jamie DeRatt tallied 15 kills and eight digs, and Alexandra Beecher posted a season-high 24 digs to lead Georgia Southern to a 3-1 (25-23, 14-25, 25-22, 25-19) volleyball victory over Oral Roberts in the GSU Volleyball Tournament Saturday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.
The win was the Eagles’ third of the weekend, giving them their third in-season tournament title in 2013. The Eagles also won the Jaguar Invitational at South Alabama and the Magnolia Invitational at OIe Miss.
Crysten Curry was named MVP of the GSU Volleyball Tournament after recording 16 kills and 22 blocks on the weekend. Beecher, who recorded 49 digs in the three matches, was named to the all-tournament team along with Katie Bange, who had 32 kills and 12 blocks.
The win over Oral Roberts was the Eagles’ second of the day as Georgia Southern (9-2) topped North Dakota State 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-23) earlier this afternoon.
Bange had 10 kills and five blocks against Oral Roberts (8-2), and Nicole Jeschelnik added 12 kills and 10 digs. Curry registered nine kills and 10 blocks, including three solo stops. Lauren LaRocque finished with 10 digs, and Katalin Minnerly collected 46 assists and 11 digs.
Sara Pope led Oral Roberts with 14 kills, and all-tournament selection Bruna Silva collected 20 digs.
With the match tied 1-1 and the score in the third set knotted 22-22, DeRatt got two straight kills for the Eagles, and Bange finished the set with a kill.
Consecutive kills by Curry and Bange broke a 12-12 tie in the fourth set, and the duo added a block, followed by a Minnerly ace to open a 16-12 lead. The margin grew to five points on a DeRatt ace, but Oral Roberts battled back and cut the lead to 21-19 on a kill by Laura Rosa. DeRatt responded with a kill for the Eagles and after an ace by Beecher, added two more kills to finish the match.
Bange notched a match-high 15 kills to lead Georgia Southern in the victory over North Dakota State (0-9). Jeschelnik collected 10 kills and a match-high 16 digs, while DeRatt posted 14 kills and 14 digs and Minnerly notched 43 assists. The Eagles hit .333 as a team with only 14 errors in the three sets.
The Eagles host the Bash in the Boro in Hanner Fieldhouse next Friday and Saturday. Georgia Southern will meet Central Michigan Friday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. and Jackson State (noon) and Charleston Southern (7 p.m.) Saturday, Sept. 21.
Samford 3, Tennessee Tech 0Kennesaw 3, Samford 1
KENNESAW, Ga. ---- Samford senior Katie Murphy became the 10th player in Samford history to earn 1,000 career kills as the Bulldogs split two Saturday matches at the KSU Owls Invite, sweeping Tennessee Tech before falling to Kennesaw State, 3-1.
Samford (7-5) breezed past Tennessee Tech (3-7) in the morning match before falling in a hard-fought contest to tournament hosts Kennesaw State (5-5) in the marquee matchup. On the day, Samford hit a combined .366 as a team with 104 kills, 68 digs and 23 blocks.
Murphy passed the 1,000 career kill mark in the second set of the match against Kennesaw State, finishing the evening in ninth place on Samford’s all-time career kills list. Murphy is the 10th athlete in Samford history to earn 1,000 career kills and the third in the last three years, joining former teammates Elizabeth Neisler (2011) and Lauren Hutchinson (2012) in the prestigious club.
Michaela Reesor led the team Saturday with a combined 30 kills between the two matches, with Murphy close behind with 23 and a .500 hitting percentage. Stephanie Palmer paced the offense with 75 assists, joining Murphy as members of the KSU Owls Invite All-Tournament team.
In the first match of the day, Samford made quick work of Tennessee Tech, needing only 60 minutes to sweep the Golden Eagles in Saturday’s opener for the Bulldogs. Samford hit a season-high .442 as a team while limiting Tennessee Tech to a .042 clip, the lowest for any Samford opponent this season. The Bulldogs’ potent pair of outside hitters, Reesor and Bognar, combined for 24 kills, which is more than the entire Tennessee Tech team. Murphy edged closer to the 1,000 career kill milestone with seven in the match to go along with five blocks.
Tied at 2-2 early in the set, a kill and ace by Bognar started a four-point run that extended Samford’s lead to 6-2. Later, up 9-5, the Bulldogs would use a 7-1 run to build a double-digit lead, 16-6. Samford would hold the double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, as Emily Meitz sealed it with a kill for a 25-12 set one victory.
Tennessee Tech started the second game up 4-0 but the momentum didn’t last as Samford gained the lead off a 7-1 run to make it 7-5. A 10-3 run put Samford in position to build yet another double-digit lead, up 17-8, but the Golden Eagles found a bit of a spark, cutting it as close as 19-14. The Golden Eagles only scored two points in the remainder of the set however, as Samford eventually won 25-16.
Up 5-2 in the third frame, five unanswered points by the Bulldogs including a pair of kills by Stephanie Palmer built Samford’s lead to eight points, up 10-2. Samford continued to pull away, building a double-digit lead up 13-3 and holding it for the remainder of the game. A kill by Kiahna Wicks made it 24-13 and Taylor Palmer and Murphy shut the door with a block to seal the 25-13 win and the match sweep.
Samford fought neck-and-neck with tournament host Kennesaw State in Saturday’s finale, playing four sets but falling by only a combined five points in the third and fourth to fall, 3-1. Reesor and Murphy were a potent pair on offense, earning 16 kills each. Despite out-hitting the Owls .320 to .230, Samford gave away plenty of chances by committing 13 service errors.
The opening frame was a battle for momentum, with neither team able to take more than a one-point lead until Kennesaw State pulled ahead 12-10. Trailing 17-15, Samford’s middles took advantage of some Kennesaw State overpasses as Murphy blasted back-to-back kills with Meitz adding a third as the 3-1 run tied the game at 18-18. In the closing stages of the game, Kennesaw State took a timeout leading 22-21 as the Bulldogs owned possession. A pair of kills gave the Owls set point, 24-21, and a kill by Reesor extended the game but Kennesaw State eventually won, 25-22.
Game two started just like the first one, with both teams fighting to maintain possession. Down 7-10, Samford found a rhythm with a 7-1 run, including three kills by Murphy, to pull ahead 14-11 as the Owls took a timeout. It wouldn’t be any easier for Kennesaw State after the break, as the Bulldogs continued to roll with a 4-1 run to move up 18-12 as the home team burned their final timeout. Samford continued to surge ahead, winning the game 25-16 to even the match at 1-1.
Tied at 5-5 in set three, Kennesaw State would pull ahead off a Bulldog service error and hold the lead until a kill by Murphy and an Owl attack error tied it up at 12-12. Kennesaw State earned three consecutive points to pull ahead 15-12, forcing the Bulldogs to regroup with a timeout. The Owls would continue to extend the lead, reaching set point with a six-point lead, 24-18. The last point proved difficult for the Owls to earn, as the Bulldogs would score three in a row, forcing Kennesaw State into a timeout leading 24-22. After the break, an untimely Samford service error would give the Owls the 25-22 win to pull ahead 2-1 in the match.
Faced with a must-win situation, the Bulldogs remained out in front for the majority of the set, leading 13-10 at the halfway point. A service ace by Carter would give Samford a five-point lead, up 16-11, as Kennesaw State took a timeout. The Owls regrouped to fight back within one, down 17-16, to force a Samford timeout. Kennesaw State kept charging to take their first lead of the match, 19-18, and eventually reach match point, 24-22. Samford would stave off elimination with a kill by Reesor but an ensuing attack error would give Kennesaw State the 25-23 win and the 3-1 match victory.
Next weekend, Samford concludes the pre-conference portion of the schedule with three matches at the Mizzou Classic, hosted by Missouri. Samford will open action against the undefeated Tigers on Friday, Sept. 20 at Noon CT. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Bulldogs will face Southeast Missouri (10 a.m.) and Towson (4 p.m.).
Delaware 3, Furman 2 Furman 3, Rutgers 1
Newark, Del. – The Furman volleyball team fell to tournament-host Delaware, 3-2 (25-15, 21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 7-15), in the championship match of the Delaware Invitational on Saturday night. The Paladins finish the Delaware Invitational at 2-1, coming in second to the Blue Hens.
Furman was led by senior Christina Dorismond on offense, as she recorded 17 kills and a .333 attack percentage. Freshman Annie Bierman recorded a career-high 16 kills and added 14 digs for her first double-double of the season. Jo Wilks added her own double-double with 47 assists and 12 digs, while senior libero Elle Ross added a career-high 33 digs, as well.
The teams traded points early in set one, before, with the score tied at 10, Furman went on a 7-0 run to take a 17-10 lead. The rally was highlighted by two Andrea Fisher service aces, as the Paladins also capitalized on two Delaware errors. The Paladins continued to run the table in set one, finishing the set on a 6-1 run, to win 25-15.
The teams again traded points early in set two, before Delaware used Furman errors to take a four-point lead at 16-12 and force a Paladin timeout. Delaware pushed their lead to five at 20-15, but the Paladins clawed their way back into the match, cutting the lead to two at 20-18. Delaware, however, was able to hold on and take set two, 25-21, to tie the match at one set each.
Furman and Delaware went back and forth again in set three, this time tying the score at 10 before each team used 3-0 runs to tie the game at 13. Delaware again took a three-point lead at 16-13, forcing a Furman timeout, but the Paladins battled back to tie the score at 17. However, Delaware was able to force key Furman errors to take set three, 25-21, and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Furman jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in set four, but Delaware then used a 9-2 run to take a 10-6 lead and force a Furman timeout. The Blue Hens continued their offense, pushing their lead to 13-7. However, Furman then went on a 8-2 run to tie the set at 15, and then took a 16-15 lead off of an Ashton Gregory kill. The teams traded points until Furman went on another scoring run, this time of 5-1, to take a 23-19 lead. The Blue Hens could not overcome the Paladin lead as Furman held on to take set four, 25-21, and tie the match at two.
Delaware took an early 3-0 lead in set five, before Furman cut the lead to two at 5-3. The Blue Hens then used an 8-1 run to push their lead to 13-4, a deficit that the Paladins could not overcome. Delaware took set five, 15-7, and the match, 3-2.
Earlier in the day, Furman defeated Rutgers, 3-1 (19-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23) in the second game of the day at the Delaware Invitational. The Paladins were led by junior Andrea Fisher (season-high 16 kills) and sophomore Amelia Bohlander (career-high 13 kills). Jo Wilks dished out 44 assists and added 19 digs for her first double-double of the season. Elle Ross added 23 digs and Ashton Gregory recorded four blocks.
Furman returns to action on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., as the Paladins open their home season with Presbyterian College.
East Carolina 3, Elon 0Elon 3, North Carolina Central 0
ELON, N.C. – The Elon volleyball team (4-7) split a pair of matches in the final day of the Elon Phoenix Classic today, Sept. 14, in Alumni Gym. The Phoenix swept North Carolina Central (0-12), 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-11) before falling to East Carolina, 3-0 (23-25, 22-25, 16-25), in the final day of the tournament.
With the first set tied at 13-all, a kill by Kris Harris sparked a 7-0 run for Elon to take the lead, 20-13. Kills by Kayla Agae, Ally Karle and Danielle Smith kept the seven-point edge for the Phoenix before back-to-back blocks by D. Smith closed out the set and gave Elon the 25-16 win.
The Eagles took a 7-3 advantage early in the second set before six straight, with the help of three blocks by Karle, put the maroon and gold up by two, 9-7. NCCU tied the score at 14-all, but kills by Harris and Chanelle Smith forced an Eagle timeout. The set became tied for the sixth time at 20-all before kills by Megan Gravley, Cali Estes and C. Smith and back-to-back blocks by Harris and Estes ended the set on a 5-0 run to give the maroon and gold a 25-20 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
The Phoenix jumped out to a strong 7-1 lead early in the third set off the serves of D. Smith and C. Smith. Elon extended its advantage to 10, 16-6, after an ace by D. Smith and a kill by Harris. With the lead at 11, 21-10, kills by D. Smith, C. Smith and two by Karle closed out the set for the Phoenix, 25-11.
Harris led all players with 10 kills to hit .500, while Smith finished with seven. Karle hit an impressive. 625 after five kills off eight attempts and no errors. Ana Nicksic helped the Phoenix to a .333 attack percentage after 26 assists to average 8.6 assists/set.
Elon out blocked the Eagles 11-4 with the help of six blocks by Harris and four by Karle.
In the second game of the day, trailing by six, 20-14, in the first set, kills by Harris, C. Smith and an ace by Nicksic cut the deficit to one, 20-19. The Pirates were able to score three of the next five points to reach set point first, but the Phoenix held ECU and pulled back within one, 24-23. The Pirates would eventually take the set, 25-23.
Kills by C. Smith helped the maroon and gold maintain a two-point advantage through much of the second set. ECU tied the score and took a 20-18 lead before kills by C. Smith and Gravley tied the set at 21-all. The Pirates would then finish the set on a 4-1 run to win 25-22.
With the third set tied at four-all, ECU managed a run of five straight to take a 9-4 lead. Kills by Estes and C. Smith and an ace by Harris closed the gap to two, 16-14, before the Pirates scored three of the next four to force an Elon timeout. ECU closed out the set with a 25-16 victory to claim the match, 3-0.
C. Smith led the Phoenix with nine kills, while Harris finished with eight kills and two aces. On defense, both Harris and Catherine Head recorded two blocks each to help the maroon and gold to five total team blocks.
Harris and Nicksic were both named to the Elon Phoenix Classic all-tournament team for their performances.
Elon will remain home in Alumni Gym to host Radford on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in a 6 p.m. match.
Western Carolina 3, North Carolina A&T 0UNC Wilmington 3, Western Carolina 1
Wilmington, N.C. – Led by Morgan Cochran’s two 30-dig performances, the Western Carolina volleyball team earned a split two matches Saturday with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-14) win over North Carolina A&T and a 3-1(22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-20) loss to host UNC-Wilmington on the final day of the Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire UNCW Volleyball Classic.
Cochran, who was named all-tournament team, picked up 12 digs in the opening set of the morning match against N.C. A&T to move into second place on WCU’s all-time dig list. She collected 60 total digs on the day - 30 in both matches - for 1,732 career digs. She passed 2013 WCU Hall of Fame inductee Christy Attebery, class of 2001, who had 1,682 career digs in her four-year career. Cochran, who entered the weekend fourth in the NCAA and first in the Southern Conference in digs per set, trails only Liz Rondone, class of 2009, who amassed 2,152 digs in her career.
In the first match against N.C. A&T, Jordan Timmermann was the lone Catamount with double-figure kills with 12 kills on 30 swing and two errors for .333 hitting percentage. It was the junior’s 30th career double-digit kill match. Cristina Nazario handed out 35 assists.
In the first set, it was all WCU as the Catamounts cruised to a 25-12 win.
WCU claimed set two to take a 2-0 lead 25-15 behind five kills from Timmermann and six digs from Cochran. The Catamounts held a .333 hitting percentage compared to .086 for the Aggies.
Western Carolina completed the sweep with a 25-14 set three win. Timmermann added another five kills, while Cochran collected 13 digs.
In the second match against UNC-Wilmington, WCU scored back-to-back points on a kill from Brandi Anderson and a UNCW attack error to take an 11-9 lead. The Seahawks tied the set at 12, but the Catamounts again scored the next two points to take a 14-12 lead this time on a kill from Timmermann and a kill from Addy George. WCU never relinquished the lead as they took the tightly contested first set 25-22.
UNCW broke a tie at five in the second set with a 4-0 run to take a 9-5 lead. The Seahawks never allowed the Catamounts back in as they evened the match at one set apiece with a 25-20 win.
In the third set, it was UNCW again breaking an early tie, this time at eight, with two straight points to take a 10-8 lead. Up 11-10, the Seahawks used a 4-1 run to extend its lead out to 15-11 and take the upper hand in the set. Trailing 23-18, WCU mounted a comeback – 5-2 run – that came up short with UNCW holding on for a 25-23 set three win. Both teams hit at a blistering pace in the set with UNCW at .500 and WCU at .441.
In the fourth set, UNCW broke a tie at 11 with two straight points to take a 13-11 lead. The Seahawks extended the margin out to six points, 19-15, before taking the set, 25-20, and the match 3-1.
Overall, WCU was outhit in the match, .288 to .223, and UNCW held a blocking advantage with eight team blocks compared to four team blocks.
Timmermann again paced the Catamount attack with 16 kills, while Piechota picked up a double-double with 11 kills and 16 digs. It was her fifth double-double of the season and 30th of her career. Three WCU players – Nicole Ford, George and Anderson – each posted seven kills. Paige McConlogue also earned double-figure digs with 13, while Nazario passed out 39 assists.
The Catamounts return to action with their final tournament tune-up with the Carolina Classic presented by Courtyard Marriott, hosted by South Carolina Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21. WCU plays South Carolina Friday night at 7 p.m. before taking on Presbyterian Saturday morning at 10 and Robert Morris Saturday afternoon at 4.
Wofford 3, Niagra 0Mississippi State 3, Wofford 0
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Wofford College volleyball team earned a victory on day two of the Bulldog Classic, highlighted by senior Amanda Liguori tallying her 1,000th career kill, Saturday from Mississippi State’s Newell-Grissom Building.
Wofford (4-6) defeated Niagara (0-9) for the second straight day, earning another sweep, 3-0 (25-23, 25-11, 25-17). The Terriers took on Mississippi State (6-4) to start the day, but fell to the Bulldogs, 3-0 (25-8, 25-12, 25-17).
Liguori’s 1,000th kill was her last of the day, helping Wofford extend its third-set lead to 10-6 against the Purple Eagles. Liguori becomes the 10th member of Wofford’s 1,000 kill club and needs just two more to surpass Courtney Howe’s (1993-96) 1,001 career kills. The outside hitter finished with nine kills against Niagara and hit .346 (9-0-26) for the match.
The Terriers were dominating on offense the entire way over Niagara, outhitting their opponent .423 (48-4-104) to .103 (23-13-97). Junior Taylor Baird led the way with a match-high 17 kills and a .503 attack percentage (17-1-30). Senior middle blocker Wendy Burnett hit a match-high .562 (9-0-16).
At the conclusion of the Bulldog Classic, Burnett and sophomore Jessica Graham were named to the all-tournament team. Graham went for 44 digs on Friday and added 21 on Saturday to complete the weekend with 65.
Mississippi State held Wofford to just 20 kills and a .047 (20-13-97) attack percentage. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs hit .400 (41-9-80), led by Chelsea Duhs and Kimmy Gardiner who had 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
The Wofford volleyball team heads for Orangeburg, S.C., on Tuesday for a midweek matchup against South Carolina State.
Georgia 3, UNCG 1
ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia broke open a 1-1 deadlock in the third and fourth sets Saturday night, taking a 3-1 (25-11, 16-25, 25-10, 25-13) victory over the UNCG volleyball team to close out the Benson’s Invitational at Stegeman Coliseum. The Spartans drop to 5-4 overall while the Bulldogs are now 8-1.
UNCG was just the second team all season to push Georgia past three sets in a victory.
The Blue and Gold was limited to a .127 hitting mark in the contest while the Bulldogs hit a clean .330. The teams ended up even in digs at 49 apiece and UNCG outblocked Georgia 9-7, but the Spartans could not overcome the disparity in hitting.
Senior middle hitter Olivia Humphries ended the match with 16 kills and hit .200 – making eight errors on 40 attempts. Picking up a double-double was junior setter Emily McMurtrey who dished out 25 assists and tallied 10 digs. It was her second double-double of the season. Defensively, sophomore libero Katherine Santiago led the squad with 15 digs.
Georgia seized control right from the outset, moving in front 10-2 in the first set. The Spartans scored two-straight points on a kill by Humphries and a Bulldog attack error, but UGA settled down and rolled to a 19-7 lead before closing the frame down 25-11.
The second stanza was much tighter as the squads played to a 5-5 deadlock to begin the set. UNCG put down three-straight kills to push ahead 8-5, but Georgia went on a 4-1 run to knot the score once more. The Spartans dug down from there as a Bulldog attacking error sparked a 4-0 run to put the Blue and Gold in front 13-9.
A kill by freshman outside hitter Sydney Darden saw the Spartans establish a 15-11 lead and UNCG was able to sustain the momentum. A McMurtrey kill helped the Blue and Gold reach 20 points with a six-point advantage before the Spartans rolled to a 25-16 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
After the Bulldogs cruised to a 25-10 set three triumph, UNCG attempted to rally in the fourth stanza. With the score knotted at two, Georgia went on a huge run – scoring the next 10 points to establish a 12-2 cushion. The Spartans pulled to within 15-7 on a kill by senior outside hitter Karrian Chambers but the Bulldogs did not budge, winning the fourth stanza 25-13.
UNCG returns home for four-straight contests, beginning Friday, Sept. 20 against George Mason at 7 p.m. to open the Spartan Spiketacular at Fleming Gymnasium. North Carolina Central and TCU make up the remainder of the tournament’s field.
Radford 3, The Citadel 0DePaul 3, The Citadel 0
Charleston, S.C. – The tandem of Jordan Watson and Rachel Wiechecki led Radford to a 25-10, 25-19 and 25-15 over The Citadel as the Highlanders tied fellow Big South Conference participant Charleston Southern with two wins in the two-day tournament. Watson finished with a match-high 15 kills, while Wiechecki recorded 12 kills to improve the Highlanders to 8-3 overall.
The Sticky Fingers Citadel Invitational overall champion was awarded to Big East Conference participant DePaul, who won all three of its matches over the weekend. The Blue Demons earned wins against Charleston Southern, Radford and the host Bulldogs to remain perfect on the season.
Wiechecki was also among the defensive leaders for Radford with nine digs, joined in the back row by Kristina Cascio and Kelby Jackson, who contributed eight digs apiece. Emma Deininger anchored the front row with four assisted blocks.
Bailey Kernodle, an all tournament selection, highlighted a Citadel (1-9) offensive attack with seven kills and was joined by Ise d'Angelo (five kills) among statistical leaders. The Bulldogs, without the services of Erin Bucherl for the match, struggled to establish defensive rhythm as d'Angelo and Rachel Keefer shared top honors with six digs. Junior Lauren Hurt also made her presence felt with three assisted blocks against the Highlanders.
Radford established itself early in the opening set, 6-0, behind Wiechecki's service game. That lead ballooned to 15-2 behind the combination three kills by Jordan Watson and three straight service aces by all tournament honoree Cheyanne James. Kernodle ended the Dogs' scoring drought with a kill on a pass from Keffer, but Radford rebounded to score the next three straight points and moved the lead to 19-4 in the process. Kernodle registered two kills and Briggs added another for the Dogs, but it was Radford that completed the win, 25-10.
The Citadel responded to the challenge in the second set, taking advantage of Keefer's service game to make for a 5-1 lead. Radford answered with an 8-3 run, which included five unforced Citadel errors, and knotted the set at 9-9. Four ties over the next 10 points brought the game to a 14-14 tie, where the Watson responded with two kills for the Highlanders to provide a lead they would not relinquish. The Bulldogs closed with three points on three occasions over the final 10 points as Radford completed the 25-19 victory.
Keyed by the play of Rudnik, The Citadel established itself with a 5-1 advantage in the third. Radford quickly retaliated with a six unanswered points and eventually forged in front, 12-9, behind eight points in serve by Megan McKenzie and Emma Wroblicky. Kernodle and d'Angelo were responsible for the next three kills to keep the Dogs within striking distance, 16-13, before a series of Highlander points established a 19-14 advantage. From there they used the combination of Cascio and Jordan Watson to score six of the final seven points and emerge victorious, 25-15.
In the second game of the day, Laura Witt finished with 15 digs and 10 kills to lead DePaul to a 25-15, 25-17 and 26-24 victory over The Citadel in the earlier session. Witt was joined up front by all tournament recipient Abbie Fleener, who notched a match-high 13 kills, as the Blue Demons remained perfect at 8-0 on the season.
DePaul also got a lift on the defensive side from the play of Allyson Rooks (14 digs), Natalie Rizzo (three assisted blocks) and Vesela Zapryanova (three assisted blocks). The Blue Demons used the play of Witt, who handed out 27 assists, to wrap up the match with a .271 attack percentage.
Meanwhile, The Citadel was led offensively by the play of Bailey Kernodle (five kills), Amanda Rudnik (four) and Mallory Moore (four). Teammate Rachel Keefer, who tallied 11 digs, and Erin Bucherl (10 digs), provided the Cadets defensive presence.
In a tightly contested opening set, DePaul broke an early 2-2 deadlock with a kill by Callie Huebener. The followed with six team kills, including two by Witt, to rattled off 10 of the next 15 points to assume a 13-7 lead. The Bulldog service games of Keefer and Rudnik, who each recorded a service ace, along with a DePaul unforced error eventually trimmed that margin to 14-11. However, leading 17-12, following a kill by Witt, the Blue Demons scored eight of the final 11 points to complete the 25-15 win.
The Bulldogs responded with a solid effort to begin the second set by turning four unforced errors and kills from Rudnik and Moore into an eventual 7-7 tie. Ten points and four ties later, with the teams knotted at 12-12, Witt drove a kill past the Bulldog defense to give the Blue Demons a one point advantage. That allowed Zapryanova to assume serving duties, which opened the door to a 20-13 DePaul lead. Points down the stretch by Rudnik and Moore were not enough to deter the eight-point, 25-17, Blue Demon victory.
Unaffected by the Blue Demons' 2-0 edge in the match, The Citadel took advantage of front row kills by Lauren Hurt, Briggs and Ise d'Angelo to move out to a 7-4 lead. The Bulldogs continued their solid play and pushed the lead to five, 12-7, following a kill by Hurt and a service ace by Keefer. DePaul put together a rally with Fleener in serve, eventually assuming an 18-15 lead in the process. That lead quickly evaporated for DePaul who were victimized by Bucherl's service game that accounted for six Citadel points and a 23-19 lead. The back-and-forth battle continued with the Blue Demons clawing back to force a 24-24 tie. It was there that DePaul used a Huebener kill and a Rizzo service ace to complete the 26-24 win.
The Bulldogs return to McAlister Field House on Sept. 17 for a meeting with Big South Conference foe Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m.
Northwestern State 3, Appalachian State 0
WACO, TEXAS — Appalachian State University dropped its third and final match of the Baylor Tournament after falling in three sets to Northwestern State University at the Ferrell Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers drop to 6-4 overall, while Northwestern’s second win of the season puts them at 2-8.
Appalachian lost the final two, closely contested frames (25-16, 25-22, 25-23) by just a hair to give Northwestern State the match victory.
On the offensive front, Emily Corrigan was the only Mountaineer to record double-digit kills with 10. Jess Keller and Lauren Gray added 7 and 6 kills, respectively. Overall,
Appalachian tallied 33 kills against 20 attack errors to total a .104 hitting percentage for the match.
Starting setter Paige Brown dished out 24 assists, while freshman Kati Stammen, Lauren Gray, and Keller each grabbed a service ace.
Defensively, four Mountaineers finished with double-digit dig numbers. Meghan Mahoney led the squad with 16 digs, while Corrigan added 14 for her fourth double-double of the season. Stammen and Brown each chipped in 11 and 10.
For Northwestern State, Ashley Elrod picked up 15 kills and 10 digs, good for a match-high 19.5 points and a double-double. The freshman hit .300 on the attack, while recording recorded four service aces in the Lady Demons’ victory.
Libero Keelie Arneson tallied a match-high 23 digs, while Stacey DiFrancesco added 12.
Northwestern State shot .187 on the night off of 42 kills and 19 attack errors.
Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will host North Carolina A&T on Wed., Sept. 18 at the Holmes Center for a 7 p.m. match.
Davidson 3, Buffalo 1Central Florida 3, Davidson 1
ATLANTA, Ga. – A trio of Wildcats posted double-digit kills as the Davidson volleyball team bounced back from yesterday’s loss to Buffalo with a 3-1 win over host Georgia State at the GSU Invitational Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. After dropping the first set 25-17, the ‘Cats rebounded to take the next three sets by score of 27-25, 26-24 and 25-23.
Taylor Pisel and Hannah Rau each finished with 13 kills in the match, hitting .212 and .278, respectively. Rau also came away with nine digs to all just shy of a double-double, while Pisel added in three block assists.
Caroline Brown notched a double-double, her sixth o the season, totaling 12 kills and 15 digs. She also recorded three aces on her way to a team-high 16 points. Anastasia Owen led the defense with 27 digs, while Mikayla Derochie finished with 46 assists in the match. Tindall Sewell led the blocking effort with four block assists as the Wildcats posted 7.0 as a team.
In addition, the ‘Cats hit .168 with 51 kills. The Panthers finished with 62 kills and a team attacking percentage of .220 with 11.0 team blocks. Dede Bonannon had a team-high 13 kills as the Panthers also had three players in double figures. Natalia Nieto was the top setter with 41 assists, and tied Emily Averbeck with 22 digs apiece. Andrea Ezell had a pair of solo blocks and five block assists for GSU.
The two teams kept things close to start the first set, working their ways to ties of 12-12 and later 15-15. The ‘Cats took a quick one-point lead at 16-15 on a kill from Pisel, but the Panthers went on a 6-0 run to grab a 21-16 advantage on a Davidson error. Pisel and Franklin combined for a block to stop the run, but GSU would rattle off five straight to take the set 25-17.
Davidson capitalized on several early GSU miscues to score the first four points of the second set before adding four more in a row to take a 9-2 advantage. However the Panthers would score nine straight to come from behind and take an 18-17 lead before a kill by Brown from Derochie stopped the run. A pair of kills from Molly Shonk put the Panthers in front 22-20 but this time it was the Wildcats who rallied to knot the score at 24-all on another kill from Brown. The teams traded points to a 25-25 tie before back-to-back kills from Sewell sealed the deal for the ‘Cats at 27-25.
Three kills by Pisel helped Davidson to a 12-10 lead in the third set, but a kill and an ace by the Panthers would even the score at 12-12. A pair of kills from Kristina Stinson helped GSU to a 16-13 lead, which soon stretched to 20-16 on a block by Nieto and Ezell. The Panthers came dangerously close to taking the set, serving match point at 24-22. However, the Wildcats answered with a kill and an ace by Brown to once again knot the set at 24-24. Despite a pair of Georgia State timeouts, Rau came up with back-to-back kills as the Wildcats came from behind for the 26-24 set win to lead the match at 26-24.
Once again the ‘Cats took a 4-0 lead to being the fourth set on a pair of kills from Emily Franklin. The Panthers quickly put up six of the next eight points to even things out at 6-6. The teams continued to trade points to a 12-12 tie and continued to keep things close. Kills from Brown and Rau, combined with a GSU error, put the Wildcats in front 18-15. Rau strung together a pair of kills soon after, forcing GSU to burn a timeout. The Panthers rallied for the 22-22 tie before Pisel slammed home a kill to put the Wildcats in front 23-22. The next three points were all the results of errors, with two going in Davidson’s favor as the ‘Cats claimed set three 25-23 to win the match 3-1.
In the second match of the day, despite putting up 12 team blocks, the Davidson Wildcat volleyball team couldn’t overcome a Central Florida offense hitting .340 and fell to the Knights by a score of 3-1 in their final game at the Georgia State Invite at the GSU Sports Arena Saturday evening. The Knights took the contest by set scores of 24-26, 25-13, 25-18 and 26-24.
Caroline Brown recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 15 kills and 13 digs to go along with three block assists and an ace on her way to a team high 17.5 points. She led a trio of players in double digit kills as Taylor Pisel slammed home 10 and Hannah Rau added in nine. Pisel, who also added a pair of block assists, earned all-tournament team honors for her efforts.
Freshmen Emily Franklin and Mikayla Derochie each finished with seven block assists, with Derochie recording 44 assists and six digs in the match. Tindall Sewell hit a team-high .667 on four kills before leaving with an injury in the first set.
Anastasia Owen had a team-high 14 digs and chipped in three assists as well as a service ace. Rachel Earnhardt added another of the team’s four aces to go along with five kills and eight digs. The Wildcats hit .183 as a team with 51 kills and 50 digs.
Angelica Crump’s 25 kills and .340 attacking percentage led the Knights, who finished with 69 kills and 11.0 team blocks. Marie Reiterova had a team-high 62 assists while three players ended the evening in double-digit digs for the Knights, led by Reiterova’s 15.
A pair of early aces along with kills from Rau, Brown and Pisel helped the ‘Cats take a 6-2 advantage to start set one. UCF was able to capitalize on several Davidson errors as they erased the four-point deficit to even the score at 11-11. The teams traded points from then on with neither team taking a clear lead. A late kill from Brown made it 22-21, but the Knights struck back with a kill from Loren Cory to even the score. Brown paired a kill with a UCF error to give Davidson the 24-23 lead, but the Knights came back from a timeout to tie the game at 24-24. In the end, Earnhardt slammed home a kill before Rau and Franklin came through on a big block to take the first set 26-24.
The Knights took the early lead in set two, claiming a 6-2 advantage. Their lead stretched to 13-6 before Davidson called a timeout to regroup. The squads swapped points with the Wildcats attempting to dig out of a nine-point hole at 19-9. Kills from Brown and Rau made a dent in the deficit, but UCF would take seven of the next 11 points as they claimed the second set 25-12.
Davidson was able to keep the score closer to start the third set, but a pair of Wildcat miscues helped the Knights score four straight and made it 11-6 in favor of UCF. The ‘Cats then capitalized on a pair of UCF errors, trimming the deficit to five at 15-10. Three straight from the Knights made put their advantage at 19-11 before Brown and Layne Doctson were able to chip in with a pair of kills to make it a six-point lead in favor of Central Florida. Brown came through with a kill to go along with two more UCF miscues, forcing the Knights into a timeout. Davidson scored immediately following the break, but a pair of UCF blocks would finish things off as the Knights took the set 25-18.
The Wildcats came out ready to fight in the fourth set, battling their way to a 10-10 tie on an attacking error from Crump. Consecutive kills from Pisel and Earnhardt pushed the ‘Cats ahead by two at 16-14, but a kill from Reiterova knotted the set at 18-all. The teams tied things up five more times, as Pisel and DeLaina Sarden traded kills to even the score at 23-23. Brown came through with a kill to set up set points for the Wildcats at 24-23, but UCF burned a timeout and scored on the ensuing play. Crump then picked up a kill to set up match-point for the Knights and paired with Sarden for the game-ending block as UCF took the set 26-24 to win the game 3-1.
Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to nearby High Point, N.C., to compete in the High Point Invitational Sept. 20-21. The squad will open play with a 7:30 p.m. match vs. Murray State on Friday.