Furman 3, Weber State 2
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Down two sets to one, Furman volleyball rallied to defeat Weber State, 3-2 (21-25, 25-12, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10), in the first game of the UniWyo Wyoming Invite on Friday night. The five-set match was Furman’s sixth of the season and the win was the Paladins’ fourth in a row. With the victory, Furman moves to 5-3 on the season, while Weber State falls to 2-6.
Ashton Gregory led the Paladins offensively, with 14 kills, while adding a career-high three aces. Annie Bierman turned in her fifth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 12 digs and Andrea Fisher tied a season high with 12 kills. Meg DeMaar turned in another double-digit kill match with 14, while Jo Wilks dished out 42 assists and Kasey Hohlen led the Paladins with four blocks.
The teams traded points in set one before Furman called a timeout, trailing 15-14. The Wildcats opened up an 18-14 lead, but the Paladins clawed back to cut the lead to one at 20-19. Weber State pushed their lead to three at 22-19 and held off the Paladins, 25-21, to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
With the score tied at seven in set two, Ashton Gregory served four-straight points to open up an 11-7 lead for the Paladins. After Weber State cut the lead to three at 11-8, Furman used a 9-4 run to push the lead to nine at 20-11. Payton Frappier then closed out the set, serving five-straight points (highlighted by two Andrea Fisher kills) and giving the Paladins a 25-12 set-two victory to tie the match at one.
Set three was another close one from the first serve, as the teams traded points until Weber State took an 11-9 lead to force a Furman timeout. The teams traded points most of the match until the Wildcats pushed their lead to three at 24-21, prompting another Furman timeout. Weber State held off the Paladins, 25-21, to take set three and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Weber State took an early lead in set four, before the Paladins rallied, tied the set at 10 and then took a 12-10 lead, forcing the Wildcats’ first timeout. The teams then traded points until Furman took a 22-17 lead, forcing another Weber State timeout. The Wildcats clawed their way back to cut the lead to three at 22-19, but the Paladins were able to hold on and take set four, 25-20, to force a fifth.
Sparked by two Ashton Gregory service aces, Furman opened up an early 9-4 lead in the fifth set, forcing a Weber State timeout. The Wildcats cut the Furman lead to one a 9-8, but the Paladins closed out set five on a 6-2 run to win 15-10, and secure its’ fourth-straight win.
Furman is back in action tomorrow as the Paladins face Gonzaga at 12:00 p.m. (ET) and tournament-host Wyoming at 9:00 p.m. (ET) in the UniWyo Wyoming Invite.
Chattanooga 3, Wright State 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs opened the Chattanooga Classic with an exciting 3-2 win over Wright State Friday night. The crowd at Maclellan Gym saw junior Sarah Batterton (Colbert, Wash.) lead UTC to its second consecutive win with a 16-kill performance top begin the two-day tournament.
Batterton was joined by sophomores Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.) and Allie Davenport (Tyrone, Ga.) with double digit kills in the victory. Wieser picked up a double-double with 13 kills and 22 digs, while Davenport posted 10 kills and three blocks.
The Chattanooga defense was paced by libero Catherine Chason (Alpharetta, Ga.), who totaled 28 digs, and Lauren Gainer (Boca Raton, Fla.) as the junior blocked five Raider attacks.
Wright State took the first set 25-20, but the Mocs stormed back with a 25-18 score in the second to go to the locker room with the match tied.
The Raiders answered back with a 25-22 win in the third frame, but a convincing 25-17 Mocs victory in the fourth sent the contest to a fifth set. Chattanooga claimed the match with a 15-9 win in the deciding game.
The Mocs gathered energy throughout the match going on five-point runs on five different occasions. One UTC rally was capped off with sophomore Anne Bachmann (Lincoln, Neb.) serving up two aces in the second set. Bachman also led the Mocs with 32 assists.
The Mocs continue action in the Chattanooga Classic Saturday with a 12:30 p.m. match against Mississippi Valley State. They also play the 7 p.m. finale against Murray State.
Among other scores, Murray State took a 3-0 win over Mississippi Valley State in the day’s earlier match.
Murray State plays again Saturday morning with a 10 a.m. match against Wright State. The 4:30 p.m. match pins Mississippi Valley State against Wright State.
UNCG 3, Alabama A&M 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG volleyball team christened its home schedule with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-12) victory over Alabama A&M Friday night in the first match of the Spartan-Aggie Invitational at Fleming Gymnasium. A raucous crowd enumerating 879 took in the match.
The win marked the first in a home opener for the Spartans since the 2010 campaign when the Blue and Gold swept North Carolina A&T.
UNCG (5-2) won the offensive battle easily, limiting the Lady Bulldogs (1-8) to a negative hitting percentage (-.053) while hitting a season-high .307 itself. The Spartans held the upper hand in kills (40-14), assists (39-13) and service aces (8-2). Additionally, the Blue and Gold were the stronger team at the net, accruing 10 total blocks to AAMU’s three.
Senior middle Vicky Harley, who entered the weekend as the Southern Conference leader in hitting percentage and blocks, lived up to her billing as she registered a .562 hitting mark and racked up six blocks. She tallied 11 kills on 16 swings with just two errors. Redshirt junior middle Julia Westerbur produced the exact same stat line in the hitting column (11k/2e/16ta) and chipped in with four blocks of her own.
Running the offense was sophomore setter Sara Hohman who picked up 34 assists, five digs and four kills. She also added an ace and a block assist.
Defensively, junior libero Katherine Santiago led the way with 16 digs while sophomore outside hitter Jessica Brezwyn ended her evening with 10 to go along with four kills, four aces and a block.
A pair of blocks set the tone early in the first set as UNCG took a 5-2 lead. The Lady Bulldogs responded with four-straight points to grab a brief 6-5 advantage, but the Spartans ripped off a 7-0 run which encompassed an Alabama A&M timeout. Leading the set 12-6, UNCG allowed AAMU to come no closer than five the rest of the way as the Spartans closed it out 25-16 on a block by Hohman and Harley.
An attacking error by Westerbur kept Alabama A&M close in set two as the Blue and Gold led 4-3 at that point. An ace by Brezwyn and a kill by freshman outside hitter Ashley Muench then sparked a 4-0 run which gave UNCG an 8-3 cushion before the Spartans stretched it to 15-8 on an ace by Harley. The Lady Bulldogs called timeout in an attempt to squash the Blue and Gold’s momentum, but the Spartans netted six of the next eight points to put AAMU in the rear view mirror. An attacking error by Kyanna Sales ended the frame in UNCG’s favor 25-11 heading into intermission.
The third stanza saw the Blue and Gold jump out to a 3-0 edge before a block by Alexandria Green afforded the Lady Bulldogs their first point. Alabama A&M called a timeout later in the set, however, the Spartans were leading 16-7 at that point and allowed AAMU just five more points in the frame, clinching the sweep by a 25-12 margin.
UNCG returns to action in Fleming Gymnasium tomorrow, facing off against North Carolina A&T and Maryland-Eastern Shore at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.
Utah 3, ETSU 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Senior middle blocker Meredith Hardy recorded her 1,000th career kill, but the ETSU volleyball team was swept by Utah (23-25, 16-25, 22-25) on Friday night at the Lipscomb Invitational.
Hardy entered the match needing three kills to reach the milestone and the Kingsport, Tenn. native finished with the magic number. The preseason all-conference selection also added a pair of blocks to extend her streak of recording at least one block to 101 straight matches.
Overall, the Blue and Gold were led offensively by Ivey Rice as the senior outside hitter finished with a match-high 12 kills and added six digs. Junior Khadijah Wiley led ETSU with a .235 attack percentage (7-3-17), while also pitching in three blocks. Sophomore setter Kristen Favre recorded her first collegiate solo block in the second set.
All three sets were tightly contested as the Blue and Gold either held a lead or were tied late in two of the three frames. Unfortunately, ETSU couldn’t get over the hump, while unforced errors played a key factor as the Bucs committed seven service errors and three ball handling miscues in the match.
With the setback, the ETSU dipped to 3-5 on the year, while Utah kept its perfect record intact, improving to 7-0.
The first set consisted of several runs, but when the dust cleared Utah won the final two points to win the opener, 25-23. ETSU jumped out to an early 4-3 lead, but Utah responded with four unanswered points to gain a three-point advantage, 7-4. From there, the Bucs pulled within two when a kill by Ivey Rice made it a 16-14 score, but Utah responded with a 7-3 run to go ahead, 23-17. ETSU didn’t budge as the Bucs showed their grit and toughness by rattling off six straight scores to tie the set at 23; however, Utah won the final two points to take the opener. Rice and Wiley led the Blue and Gold with four kills each, but it were unforced errors that haunted ETSU in the first. The Bucs committed two service and one ball handling error in the opener.
In the second set, ETSU dug itself in a deep hole early as the Utes won eight of the first 10 points, and despite the Bucs coming all the way back to take a 13-11 lead, the Blue and Gold couldn’t hold off the Utes. After falling behind by two, Utah closed out the set on a 14-3 run to take a 2-0 match lead with its 25-16 set victory.
The Bucs led early on in the third when a kill by Hardy made it a 6-4 score, but the Utes mounted a 7-1 run to take the lead for good, forcing ETSU to burn a timeout at 11-7. Utah was able to extend its lead to five, 19-14, but like they did all night, the Bucs continued to battle back and inched within a point at 20-19 and 23-22. However, Utah ended the match by claiming the final two points to pull out its sixth sweep of the campaign. Hardy reached her personal milestone in the third when Jamie Rutledge (Kingsport, Tenn.) found Hardy for the kill to tie the set at seven.
Rutledge – who is now 42 assists shy of recording No. 3,000 of her career – finished with a match-high 26 assists, while Katie Muey (Alexandria, Ind.) led all players with 17 digs. Junior Ashleigh Shain (Geneva, Ill.) came off the bench to add 10 digs for the Blue and Gold.
Utah was led by Kendall Cygan and Chelsey Schofield as they both finished with double-doubles. Cygan ended with 20 assists and 11 digs, while Schofield added 11 kills and 10 digs.
As a team, Utah out-hit the Bucs .209 to .091.
The Bucs close out the Lipscomb Invitational on Saturday as ETSU takes on the host Bisons at 1:30 p.m. EDT, while facing Georgia Tech at 5 p.m. EDT inside Allen Arena.
Tennessee State 3, Wofford 1
CLEMSON, S.C. – Senior Taylor Baird tallied her 1,000th career point and put down a match-high 25 kills on Friday afternoon against Tennessee State, but the Wofford volleyball team lost a tight four-set decision (25-27, 25-20, 16-25, 20-25) on day one of the Clemson Classic from Jervey Gym.
Baird had 16 kills through the first two sets and tallied point number 1,000 with her fourth kill of the third set. She became the 16th Terrier to reach the milestone, earning 27 points in the match, hitting .409 (25-7-44) and adding four digs and four blocks.
Wofford (2-5) had two set points with a 24-22 lead in the first set and Tennessee State (2-6) saved both, scoring three straight. Freshman Bella Santoro saved the set for the Terriers by equalizing the opener at 25 with one of her 12 kills in the match, but the Tigers finished off the comeback with kills by Naomi Wells and Taylor Swayzer.
After splitting the next two games, Wofford was faced with needing to win sets four and five. The Terriers led the fourth 20-19 when redshirt freshman Alyse High earned an ace, but TSU went on to score the final six points for its second win of the season.
On the afternoon, Wofford was outhit .308 (47-14-107) to .221 (56-27-131), falling victim to nearly twice the amount of attack errors as Tennessee State. After hitting .355 to win the second set, Wofford hit .045 and .100 in the third and fourth sets, respectively.
Junior Liz Buterbaugh posted her second five-block match of the season and classmate Jessica Graham went for a match-high 13 digs. Freshman setter Molly Mayo assisted 43 of Wofford’s 56 kills.
Baird and Santoro had seven kills apiece in the first set and the Terriers hit a respectable .292, but Tennessee State answered the call by hitting .410 with 16 kills and no attack errors. There were 14 ties and nine lead changes. Baird got the day started with Wofford’s first three kills and TSU responded with a 6-1 run to lead 8-4. Down 11-8, the Terriers scored seven of the next nine points to go back on top 15-13. The run included three kills from Baird, two from Santoro and one from Buterbaugh.
Tennessee State briefly stopped the run to tie the set at 15, until an ace by Baird and kills by freshman Danni Densford, Santoro and Buterbaugh put the Terriers in control, 19-15, capping an 11-4 run.
It was all for naught. The Tigers rallied to close the gap to 20-19, but Wofford held its lead and earned two set points when Baird put down her final kill of the first. Three straight Tiger points forced Coach Sweet to use his first timeout with Wofford facing set point. Santoro used her final kill of the set to level the score at 25, but TSU finished the rally with consecutive kills.
Wofford responded in a big way in set two, hitting .355 with 17 kills. Baird led the way and was absolutely unconscious on the attack, posting nine kills with no errors on 13 attempts (.692). The senior standout used three consecutive kills to push Wofford ahead 21-16, capping an 8-3 run. Her ninth kill of the second put the Terriers ahead 23-19 and Santoro slammed the set winner.
As well as the Terriers played in the second, Tennessee State was that much better in the third. The Tigers hit .444 on 10 kills and just a pair of errors, while Wofford struggled to .045. The Terriers used a timeout down 17-12 and never caught up. Baird’s 1,000th career point made it a five-point set for the final time at 18-13 and TSU used a 7-1 run to close it out.
Both sides struggled offensively in the fourth, combining for 15 attack errors and hitting below .115 each. It still made for a very competitive set that saw 16 ties and nine lead changes. Freshman Alex Holland entered the match for the first time to begin the set, earning a block to put the Terriers ahead 2-0 and a kill for a 9-8 lead. TSU then scored three straight and the set saw ties at every mark from 12 to 20. The Tigers blocked a Terrier attack to go up 21-20 and never looked back.
The Terriers return to action at the Clemson Classic tomorrow. Wofford faces host Clemson at 12:30 p.m., followed by William & Mary at 4:30 p.m.
Valparaiso 3, Western Carolina 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - The Western Carolina volleyball team fell to one-loss Valparaiso University, 3-0, to open up play at the Skyhawk Invitational hosted by the University of Tennessee-Martin. All three sets were highly competitive but the Crusaders had the upper hand in the end.
Senior Jordan Timmermann once again led the way for the Catamounts as she posted 10 kills and eight digs finishing just shy of her fourth double-double of the season. She has now had double-digit kills in six of WCU's seven matches this season. Classmate Caitlin Piechota turned in another strong dig performance as she dug up 11 balls to go along with six kills. Piechota's 11 digs moved her into 17th on the career digs list at WCU with 1,021. She needs just three more to tie Bri Milan-Williams (1998-2001) for 16th overall.
Senior Addy George led the team with a pair of solo blocks while finishing second in kills with seven.
Freshman Jo-Leigh Vervelde and junior Cristina Nazario once again split time at setter with Vervelde dishing out 16 assists and Nazario passing out 12. Junior Elyssa Mulheron tied for the team lead with 11 digs.
The Catamounts fell in straight sets, 25-23, 25-19 and 25-21. WCU's record falls to 3-4 on the season while the Crusaders improve to 7-1.
A big factor in the match was Valpo's strong offensive performance. The Crusaders hit .378 against the Catamounts which ranks as the highest hitting percentage the Catamounts have given up all season.
The Catamounts jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the opening set that included a pair of service aces from Timmermann. WCU held on to the lead most of the set but the Crusaders used a 9-4 run midway through the set to take a 21-20 lead. The Catamounts and Crusaders traded points down the stretch but a blocking error ended the set in Valpo's favor, 25-23.
The second set was close throughout despite Valparaiso hitting .471 as a team in the frame. Up 20-18, the Crusaders used a 5-1 run to close out the set, 25-19.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third set and never trailed the rest of the way. The Catamounts fought back and tied the set at 20 but another late run by Valpo ended the match, 25-21.
Valparaiso was led by Emily Campbell who had 15 kills and 11 digs. Morgan Beil added 10 kills on 16 swings while Taylor Graboski had eight kills on 12 swings.
The Catamounts will be back in action tomorrow, Sept. 13, as they battle host UT-Martin and Drake.
Central Arkansas 3, Samford 0
No. 7 Florida State 3, Samford 0
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Samford University volleyball team took two hard defeats to the likes of the University of Central Arkansas and No. 7 ranked Florida State University on the opening day of the Seminole Classic on Friday, September 12, inside Tully Gym.
The Bulldogs (3-5) dropped its early morning match against Central Arkansas (2-5) in three-straight sets to open the classic. Samford put up a valiant effort in the first two sets of the match and narrowly missed out on sets of 23-25 and 22-25 before UCA dispatched SU easily 25-12 in the final set of the contest.
Junior Emily Meitz led Samford's offense with six kills on 10 attempts (.600); she also contributed two blocks in the effort. Michaela Reesor also notched six kills in the match.
Samford started off strong in the nightcap against the No. 7 Seminoles but the depth of the highly ranked FSU proved to be too much for the Bulldogs as the team fell in three-straight sets.
SU was bested by FSU the first set 25-19 before the squad fell in the second and third sets by the scores of 25-8 and 25-13.
Reesor paced the struggling Samford offense with seven kills.
FSU's Nicole Walch led the Seminole offense with 13 kills.
Samford returns to action at noon tomorrow to face SEC foe LSU at noon on the final day of the Seminole Classic. The match will be broadcast on Cox Sports.
Towson 3, The Citadel 0
Alabama State 3, The Citadel 2
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Tournament host Alabama State overcame a hard-charging Citadel squad in the final match of the ISTAP Collegiate Cup 2 to earn a 25-19, 20-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-11 victory over the Bulldogs on Friday afternoon.
The play of Amber Bennett (15 kills) and Rachel Smith (11) proved to be the difference for the Hornets, who combined for 52 total kills. Smith was also instrumental on defense as she finished with a match-high 19 digs. Ellyn Jones also posted a double-double in the match by virtue of 28 assists and 12 digs. ASU also took advantage of 14 assisted blocks as they improved to 4-7 overall.
The Citadel (3-6) was led on offense by the play of Bailey Kernodle (16 kills) and Dominique Williams (nine). Kernodle completed her second double-double of the season with a team-high 13 digs. Rachel Keefer (34 assists) and Amanda Rudnik (12 digs) also reached double figures for the Cadets.
Alabama State paired two Bennett kills with seven Citadel unforced errors to move in front 17-9 in the first set. The Bulldogs countered by forcing a pair of consecutive attack errors by Khryssnee Madison, pulling within five with Kernodle in serve. Timely kills by Ise d'Angelo and Megan Sowell, combined with a series of ASU attack errors, trimmed the deficit to 21-18. After a late timeout to regroup, Alabama State closed out the match with a 25-19 win.
The Bulldogs assumed a 14-10 lead midway through the second set due in large part to five ASU errors and two kills each by d'Angelo and Williams. Despite offensive strikes by Samantha Espy and Sowell, the Hornets remained within four points of The Citadel in the waning stages of the match. Separated by a 20-16 score, the Dogs used three kills down the stretch by Kernodle to knot the match at 1-1 with a 25-20 win.
Kernodle continued to be a nemesis for the Alabama State defense in the third set, driving a kill past the Hornets defensive alignment to give the Dogs a 15-14 lead. A string of points by Espy stretched The Citadel's lead to seven, 23-16, forcing an ASU timeout. A pair of kills by Keefer and Williams gave the Bulldogs a 25-17 win in the set and a 2-1 advantage.
Alabama State responded to the challenge in the fourth set, battling through nine ties, including an 18-18 deadlock, before taking the lead on an unforced Citadel error. The Hornets added to the lead with Chelsey Scott in serve, stretching the margin to 22-19, as they eventually sent the match to a fifth set with a 25-21 triumph.
The Bulldogs used kills by Kernodle and Espy to take an early 3-1 lead in the tightly contested fifth game. Alabama State countered with a 4-0 run, assuming a two-point advantage in the process before the two teams reached a 9-9 tie. Consecutive kills by Tiara Kelley provided ASU with an 11-9 lead, forcing the Bulldogs to spend their first timeout. A pair of unforced errors stretched the Hornets lead to 13-9 as Alabama State eventually emerged with the 15-11 victory.
In the first match of the day Towson completed a three-set victory over The Citadel by scores of 25-8, 25-21 and 25-10. The Tigers were paced by the duo of Haley Pa'akaula (12 kills) and Saitaua Iosia (10).
The Citadel was plagued offensively throughout the match, combining for 17 team kills. Lauren Hurt's five kills led the way for the Bulldogs, while Ise d'Angelo contributed seven digs.
Towson ended the match with 33 kills and a .397 hitting percentage, keyed by Pa'akaula and Iosia. Paige Sekerak added 11 digs and Steadman capped off the match with five assisted blocks.
Towson took command of the first set early, using six Citadel unforced errors and service aces by Iosia and Lindsay Flaherty to establish an 18-5 lead. After Bailey Kernodle kill ended Pa'akaula's stint in serve, The Citadel managed just two additional points over the remainder of the game as Towson won 25-8.
The Bulldogs responded to the challenge in the second set, taking a two-point lead early as the teams battled to an 11-11 tie. An unforced error by The Citadel sparked an 8-0 Towson run that ended on a Flaherty service error. With the two units separated by six points, and Amanda Rudnik in serve, the Dogs used kills by Megan Sowell and Hurt to pull within four, 21-17. Service aces highlighted the final eight points of the 25-21 Towson victory.
The Tigers regained their earlier form as they streaked out to a 20-8 lead in the decisive set. Four kills by Pa'akaula combined with nine Citadel unforced errors created the 12-point difference. The Bulldogs managed just two points over the remainder of the set as Towson completed the sweep 25-10.
The Citadel will enjoy a four-day break before heading to Orangeburg to take on South Carolina State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Ole Miss 3, Mercer 0
UAB 3, Mercer 1
OXFORD, Miss. – The Mercer volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to open the Magnolia Invitational hosted by Ole Miss on Friday. The Bears fell victim to the Rebels 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-18) before being edged by UAB 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21).
Mercer's efforts moved the team to 3-5 on the season while Ole Miss remains a perfect 9-0 and UAB is now 3-7 overall.
Junior Molly Locke collected her fifth double-double of the year with 16 kills and 13 digs against UAB, and led Mercer with total 21 kills on the day. Senior Caroline Carlton also reached double figures in the kill column with 10 against the Blazers.
Mercer and UAB shared 29 tie scores and 11 lead changes in a match that was tightly contested throughout. The Bears got the upper hand early in the match, breaking away from a 23-23 tie in the first set to claim a slim victory.
In the second set, Mercer was up 19-18 before the Blazers scored four of the next five points to take a two-point advantage. The separation proved to be enough as UAB ultimately prevailed, 25-22.
In the third set UAB was ahead just 19-17 before rattling off four-straight scores to gain control. The fourth and final frame had the teams knotted at 18-18 before UAB went on a crucial 4-0 run to help secure the win.
Freshman setter Claire Walizcek handed out 27 assists to go along with seven digs against UAB while sophomore Tori Penrod notched a match-high 18 digs.
Against the Rebels, junior Monica Johnson and Carlton tied for the team lead with eight kills apiece. Carlton's eight kills came on 12 swings with only four errors while Johnson's were earned on 29 attempts with only two miscues.
Walizcek and sophomore Hannah Noon split time at the setter position, combining for 30 assists in three sets. Walizcek contributed 18 of the helpers to go along with a dig, while Noon's 12 assists came in conjunction with two digs.
Mercer fell behind 5-0 in the first set and couldn't get back within six points the rest of the way. In the second set, the Bears gained an initial 4-1 advantage before the Rebels clawed back to a 7-7 tie. The hosts were ultimately able to break away with four-straight points midway through the frame and take a 2-0 set lead. In the final set, Ole Miss broke out to a 10-4 lead and maintained the advantage before securing the match.
Sophomore Ellie James led the way defensively, collecting a team-high 13 digs in the losing effort.
Mercer continues play in the Magnolia Invitational on Saturday, facing Jacksonville State at noon.