Volleyball Voices

Arizona Wildcats Volleyball Team Downed In Straight Sets

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Arizona Wildcats Volleyball Team Downed In Straight Sets
 
Arizona falls to No. 1 Stanford, 3-0…The team will look to bounce back next week when it hosts rival Arizona State Friday night at 7 p.m. in McKale Center in a Territorial Cup showdown.
 
TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona volleyball team was downed in straight sets Sunday afternoon by the No. 1 ranked Stanford Cardinal.  Set scores were 14-25, 19-25, 23-25.
 
The Wildcats (0-2,10-4) got off to a rocky start mid-way through the first set when it was determined the team was out of its wheel set rotation, resulting in a point for the Cardinal (2-0, 11-0) and necessitating the Cats to remain in the unusual lineup the rest of the opening set. SU then made quick work of UA as it took a 25-14 win.
 
In the second set, Arizona attempted to counter the Cardinal attack but was unable to slow hitter Alix Klineman, who recorded 21 kills on .432 for the match overall. After play was tied at nine, Stanford went on a 6-0 run, and later a 5-2 streak, to win the set 25-19.
 
Following the intermission, the Cats put together its best set of the afternoon with both teams unable to establish a significant advantage.  Up 13-12, the Cardinal began to pull away after a 4-0 run made things 17-12.  But the Cats hung tough and eventually took a 20-19 lead on a kill from Courtney Karst.  Stanford regrouped however and limited Arizona to just three points the rest of the way while scoring six of its own to win the set 25-23 and match 3-0.
 
“Today, there’s not much to take away except frustration,” said head coach Dave Rubio. “I put the players in the wrong lineup and that definitely had a lingering effect that we had a hard time getting over.
 
“I think we’re still a very young team and a work in progress. Even though we have some great seniors we have a bunch of young players who haven’t played very long in our system and that hurts us.”
 
With the loss, UA falls to 0-2 in Pac-10 play and 10-4 overall while the top-ranked Cardinal remains unbeaten at 2-0, 11-0.
 
Statistically, Tiffany Owens led Arizona with 13 kills on 39 swings.  Whitney Dosty and Karst each had nine kills while Paige Weber posted 37 assists and 12 digs.
 
“We have to brush this game off and look forward to next week,” said Owens. “Next week is going to be just as hard as this week.”
 
Arizona next week will host in-state rival Arizona State at 7 p.m. on Friday in McKale Center.  The match is schedule for broadcast by Fox Sports Net on tape delay.  

No. 2 Penn State Women's Volleyball Team Sweeps Wisconsin

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No. 2 Penn State Women's Volleyball Team Sweeps Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis., Sept. 26, 2010 – The second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions closed out their first weekend of Big Ten play with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-21) sweep of Wisconsin (11-2, 0-2). The match will air tonight on the Big Ten Network at 9 p.m.
 
Three Nittany Lions posted double-digit kills, including senior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) with 14, freshman Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) with 12 and senior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) with 10. Sophomore setter Kristin Carpenter (Mechanicsville, Va.) dished out 39 assists, while Wilson led the team with four blocks. McClendon had a match-high 16 digs and senior Alyssa D’Errico (Byron, N.Y.) was second on the team with 14.
 
Penn State (11-2, 1-1) finished the match with a .355 attack percentage and held the Badgers to just .147 hitting. The Nittany Lions totaled 50 kills, 43 assists, four aces 53 digs and 8.5 total team blocks. The Badgers finished the match with 34 kills, 31 assists, two ace, 43 digs and 4.0 team blocks.
 
The Nittany Lions opened the match taking a 3-0 lead on kills from senior Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) and McClendon and a Badger attack error. Two PSU errors and a Wisconsin ace tied it up at 3-3, but a McClendon kill put the Lions back in front, 4-3. The score tied twice before three straight PSU kills put the Lions up by three, 8-5. A 3-0 run by Wisconsin had the score knotted at 8-8, but a Brown kill had the Nittany Lions back out in front. The score tied once more before kills by Brown and McClendon and a Wisconsin attack error gave PSU a three-point lead, 12-9. Wisconsin worked back to within one, 14-13, but a 3-0 run, including back-to-back blocks by Carpenter and Wilson moved Penn State ahead by four, 17-13. After a Wisconsin timeout, Penn State scored the next three points for a 20-13 lead. The Badgers called a second timeout and junior Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.) followed it with a kill for PSU. The Badgers managed two more points, but two UW errors and a putdown by Brown closed out set one for Penn State, 25-15.
 
Penn State leapt out to a 5-0 lead in set two forcing a Badger timeout. Two UW errors, two Wilson aces and a Balza kill pushed Penn State early in the set. Wisconsin nabbed a point off a PSU service error, but Penn State’s lead grew to eight, 10-2, before the Badgers scored another point. Wisconsin fought back to within three points, 14-11, and Penn State headed to the bench for a timeout. The Nittany Lions maintained at least a two-point lead until a 3-0 run put PSU up by six, 19-13. The Badgers came within four, 20-16, but two kills and a stuff by Wilson, a kill from Brown and a Kabbes block secured set two for Penn State, 25-17.
 
Wisconsin took a 7-4 lead to start set three, but a Badger service error, D’Errico ace and Carpenter kill had the score knotted at 7-7. A kill by UW’s Allison Wack put the Badgers in front, 8-7, but a McClendon kill had the score tied at 8-8. Two consecutive kills from Elise Walch put Wisconsin up by two, 10-8, but Penn State used two Wilson kills, one from Brown and a UW attack error to move ahead, 12-11. Despite another kill by Walch, two Brown putdowns and one from McClendon had Penn State in the lead by two, 15-13. Following a Wisconsin timeout, Balza and McClendon teamed up for a block before McClendon tallied a kill to give Penn State a four-point advantage, 17-13, and send the Badgers back to the bench. Wisconsin fought to within three, 22-19, with a 4-0 run. After a Nittany Lion timeout, the Badgers registered the first point to make it a two-point set, 22-20. However, Wilson powered a kill for a 23-20 lead before Wisconsin called a timeout. The Badgers recorded one more point before a Brown kill had Penn State in match-point position, 24-21. A joint block by Balza and McClendon ended the match for the Nittany Lions.
 
What’s Next?
Penn State is back in action on Friday, Oct. 1 against Michigan State at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions host Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. The match with the Wolverines will air live on the Big Ten Network.
 
For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women’s volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.
 
 
 
 

Long Island University volleyball team: Blackbirds Rebound with Win Over Saint Francis (Pa.)

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Long Island University volleyball team: Blackbirds Rebound with Win Over Saint Francis (Pa.)
 
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A day after dropping its Northeast Conference opener to Robert Morris, the Long Island University volleyball team evened its conference record with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-13) win over Saint Francis (Pa.) at the Wellness Center. The Blackbirds, who benefitted from three players reaching double figures in kills, survived a third-set scare and won convincingly in the fourth frame.
 
After taking tight first sets by margins of 25-22 and 25-21, respectively, Long Island (2-12, 1-1 NEC) jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the third stanza. Just when it looked like the Blackbirds would cruise to a sweep, the Red Flash awoke from its third-set slumber. Saint Francis (2-13, 0-2 NEC) scored seven of the next 11 points to cut its deficit to 16-12. After a kill from sophomore Breanna Cullity (Colorado Springs, Colo.), the Red Flash scored 10 straight points to take a commanding 22-17 advantage. The Blackbirds would cut the lead to 24-22, but an error gave Saint Francis the set.
 
The comeback served as a wakeup call for Long Island and the Blackbirds responded by taking a 15-10 lead in the fourth set. Long Island used a 5-0 run to stretch its advantage to 20-11 and never looked back en route to a 25-13 win.
 
Sophomore Jessica Rice (Marlton, N.J.) led all players with a career-high 15 kills. Cullity added 14 and freshman Hanna Gibeau (Arvada, Colo.) chipped in 11 to go along with 12 digs for her fourth double-double. Fellow freshman Artisha Jackson (Euless, Texas) notched a match-high 18 digs.
 
Long Island hit .224 while Saint Francis hit .167 for the match. The Red Flash were led by 14 kills from Lauren Wingard and 10 from Elizabeth Williams. Lindsay Malloy contributed 13 digs.
 
Long Island will visit Stony Brook on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m.
 
- LIU -
 
 

Sept. 25 Conference-USA Volleyball Team Recap

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Sept. 25 Conference-USA Volleyball Team Recap

Tulsa extends winning streak to nine-straight matches.

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 Milica Jovic, Tulane<http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/tul/sports/w-volley/auto_action/5763064.jpeg>

Milica Jovic, Tulane

 

C-USA on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=1486367389#!/?ref=logo>  | C-USA on Twitter <http://twitter.com/ConferenceUSA1>
IRVING, Texas - Tulsa stretched its winning streak to nine-straight matches with a 3-1 win at Memphis on Saturday. UTEP and SMU also picked up road victories at East Carolina and UAB, respectively. Tulane opened its league schedule with a 3-1 win over the visiting Houston Cougars. The Tulsa and UTEP matches marked C-USA league openers for those four programs.
Rice and Southern Miss split its two-match weekend series with identical 3-1 match scores. The Owls won Friday night, followed by the Golden Eagles winning Saturday. SMU ended the week winning all three matches, defeating Iron Skillet rival TCU Tuesday and sweeping UAB in Birmingham over the weekend.
RECENT RESULTS
Sat., Sept. 25
*UTEP 3, East Carolina 0
*Tulsa 3, Memphis 1
*Tulane 3, Houston 1
*Southern Miss 3, Rice 1
*SMU 3, UAB 0

Florida Atlantic University volleyball team: Owls Outlast Denver in Four

Florida Atlantic University volleyball team: Owls Outlast Denver in Four
Four Players Have Double-Digit Kills
 
BOCA RATON, FL (September 25, 2010) - Four players had at least 10 kills in the Florida Atlantic University volleyball team’s 3-1 (25-23, 27-29, 25-14, 25-18) win over Denver on Saturday.
The Owls fell behind 10-5 early in set one, but rallied to tie the score at 12. The teams went back and forth for the next several points and were tied again at 22. Georgia Robinson stepped up and had a solo block and a kill to help FAU take the set 25-23. In the second set, the Owls once again trailed, this time by the score of 13-10 before leveling the score at 14. Both teams had set points, but neither could capitalize on their opportunities. The 14th tie of the set came at 27, before back-to-back Pioneer kills evened the match at one set each.
The tide of the match shifted permanently in the third set when FAU used a 13-4 run to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Five different Owls had kills during the rally and Cintia Nightingale served the last six points of the set. Joanne Marras Tate assisted on 14 of the 16 FAU kills in the set.
FAU was in control from the outset of the fourth set, building a 14-4 lead. DU never got closer than five points the rest of the set and seniors Anne Vaughan and Kristyna Dzmuranova combined for the match winning block. Christina Wallinger (14), Dzmuranova (13), Robinson (12) and Vaughan (12) all had double-digit kills on the night. Marras Tate ended up with a season-high 48 assists in the match.
The Owls will wrap up their four-match homestand on Tuesday when they host in-state rival Stetson at 6:30 p.m.
 
 

- FAU –
About Florida Atlantic University Athletics:FAU Athletics is comprised of 18 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country,  football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and volleyball. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in the Sun Belt Conference in all but men’s soccer, which participates in the Mid America Conference. The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and have captured two bowl games. Cheer and Dance are also part of the athletic department family and represent the University annually in competition and within the community.
 
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses and sites. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts 10 colleges:  College of Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science, the College of Business, the College of  Education, the College of  Engineering & Computer Science, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Graduate College, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

VCU Volleyball Team Rallies To Defeat Hofstra

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VCU Volleyball Team Rallies To Defeat Hofstra

Midlothian, VA - Redshirt freshman outside hitter Nikki Kinnier and graduate student outside hitter Marina Markovic each tallied 13 kills to lead Hofstra, but VCU rallied after dropping the first set to defeat the Pride in four sets on Saturday evening at Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia.

The loss drops Hofstra's record to 6-13 overall and 0-2 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play, while the Rams improve to 3-14 and 1-1 in conference action.Set scores were 20-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-10 in favor of the Rams, who had a balanced attack in the contest. 

Six different VCU players at least four kills, led by nine kills from Kelsie Clegg.  Jasmine Waters had seven kills and a stellar 13 blocks for the Rams as well.A kill from Mariel Frey early in the first set looked to give the Rams a commanding 11-5 lead but Hofstra battled back. 

A kill from Markovic got a 7-1 Pride run started and Markovic would finish the run with a service ace to knot the set at 12.  The two squads would go back and forth until a kill from Kinnier broke a 16-all tie and Hofstra would never trail again. 

The Pride would finish off the Rams with a kill from Markovic later in the set to win by the score of 25-20.  It was all VCU from there in the match, though, as the Rams won the next three sets in commanding fashion as they held Hofstra to a negative hitting percentage in each of the next three sets en route to the four-set victory. 

Kinnier missed a double-double by one dig as she had nine digs, while sophomore libero Kylee Maneja had 14 digs to lead the Pride.  Bridget Camacho had 15 assists and nine digs for the Rams to assist in the win.Hofstra is back in action next Friday when they host James Madison at 7 p.m.

No. 22 Michigan Wolverines Volleyball Team Rallies to Knock off No. 14 Minnesota

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No. 22 Michigan Wolverines Volleyball Team Rallies to Knock off No. 14 Minnesota

Facing a 2-0 deficit, Alex Hunt (28 kills), Claire McElheny (15 kills) and Lexi Zimmerman (60 assists, 21 digs) helped the 22nd-ranked Wolverines shock No. 14 Minnesota, 13-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 16-14.Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)

Result: #22 Michigan 3, #14 Minnesota 2 (12-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 16-14)

Records: U-M (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten), Minnesota (11-3, 1-1 Big Ten)

Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 1 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior outside hitter Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph) put down a career-best 28 kills to help the No. 22-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team overcome a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 14 Minnesota, 12-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 16-14, on Saturday night (Sept. 25) at Cliff Keen Arena.
Hunt keyed the Wolverine offense with two service aces and 11 digs to go along with her 28 kills, while senior setter Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) dished out a season-high 60 assists and notched 21 digs. Redshirt sophomore right side Claire McElheny (Westfield, Ind./Brebeuf) hit double digits in kills with 15 as every front row player for U-M recorded at least two terminations. Junior libero Sloane Donhoff (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) chipped in 16 digs and a service ace.
The Wolverines jumped out to a 6-3 advantage in the fifth and deciding set, but Minnesota put together a run of six straight points to stake a 9-6 lead. Michigan regrouped, using a kill by McElheny and two straight Minnesota attacking errors to knot the set at 13-all. Michigan missed on its first match point, but Hunt's kill off the Golden Gopher block gave the Wolverines the 16-14, come-from-behind triumph.
Michigan hit a blistering .425 in the fourth set, as McElheny led the way with six terminations and Hunt and freshman middle blocker Jennifer Cross (Scarborough, Ont./Birchmount Park Collegiate) went for five each. Neither team took a lead larger than three in the set. Michigan had two chances at set point, before a Hunt kill sent the match to a fifth.
Facing a 2-0 deficit at the break, U-M pulled out a 25-22 third-set win on the strength of seven kills from Hunt and four from McElheny. Tied at 21-all, a kill out of the middle from redshirt junior middle blocker Karlee Bruck (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) gave the Wolverines a lead they never relinquished en route to a 25-22 win.
Down 24-18 in the second, the Maize and Blue strung together five consecutive points to climb within a point, 24-23, on a kill from freshman Lexi Erwin (Spring, Texas/Woodlands College Park). A kill from Minnesota's Tori Dixon off the Michigan block thwarted the Wolverine comeback and sent Minnesota to the break with a 2-0 advantage after the 25-23 victory.
The teams traded points to start the match, before Minnesota pulled away after a 4-4 tie. U-M fell victim to 10 attack errors in the first set, hitting -.061 as the Golden Gophers tallied 8.0 blocks to take a 25-13 win.
The Wolverines will hit the road for their next contest, heading to Ohio State on Friday (Oct. 1) for a 7 p.m. contest.
N O T E S
· Minnesota is the first ranked team Michigan has faced in 2010.
· The Wolverines have started 2-0 in Big Ten action for the second consecutive season.
· The Wolverines have not dropped a home contest to Minnesota since the 2005 season.
· Tonight’s win was head coach Mark Rosen’s 28th win over a top-25 opponent.
· Alex Hunt had a career high 28 kills, bettering her previous mark of 24 set against Toledo earlier this season (Aug. 28). She has six matches with at least 20 kills this season.
· Lexi Zimmerman had a season-high 60 assists and 21 digs. It is the second 20-dig performance of the season. The other came against Toledo (Aug. 28).
· Michigan is now 1-1 in five-set matches in 2010.
· Minnesota (.289) is only the second team to outhit the Wolverines (.198). U-M is 2-0 when the opposition has a higher attack percentage, knocking off Arizona State last weekend (Sept. 17).
· Lexi Zimmerman, who became the program leader in assists on Friday night against Iowa , now has 5,144 for her career.
Q U O T E S
Michigan head coach Mark Rosen
 
On what was learned from tonight’s match …
“I think we learned a lot about our team. A lot of it is just the ability to compete. When you have your back against the wall and not give up. To have the courage and the self image to be able to get better as the match goes on. I am proud of htem. We had our back against the wall pretty big, and we have had that situation a few times this season and we keep finding a way to pull it out. I think we are starting to believe a little bit.
 
On using the break to regroup …
“One of the things we talked about before the match is that they are a physical team. They make their money with being a big, physical blocking team. I kind of liken them to bullies. Not because they have a bad personality, but because they are going to be someone who comes in here and tries to push you around. I told the team that if we flinch, we are going to be in trouble because the bully has got you. We needed to go toe to toe with them and we did not at first. I was concerned after game two; we were letting the bully run us off the playground.
 
As the match went on though, you saw us start to turn. I think that starts with Al (Alex Hunt), who started just banging balls. She was swinging for broke. During a timeout, I asked her what she was thinking about when she went up. She said that she was looking to get a kill. I told the team that was exactly the mentality we needed, to go for it. We did not need to focus on making a mistake or thinking about whether it was the right decision, just go after it. It is amazing what good things can happen when you do that. First, Al is doing it. The next thing you know, Claire is doing it and right down the line. You could just see it building and there was no question that it started with Alex and her aggressiveness. “
 

No. 9 Illinois Volleyball Team Defeats Ohio State, 3-0

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No. 9 Illinois Volleyball Team Defeats Ohio State, 3-0

 

Illini down Ohio State in straight sets.

Champaign, Ill.— Ordinarily Saturday night’s match with Ohio State, a team picked fourth in the Big Ten and hovering around the Top 25, could have been that letdown match after such an emotional victory over No. 2 Penn State Friday. But Illini head coach Kevin Hambly has preached that in order to win the Big Ten, there will be battles every night and the Illini responded with a workmanlike straight sets 25-23, 25-9, 25-22 victory over the Buckeyes.

Illinois now has won five straight matches in the series and improves to 10-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. Ohio State falls to 13-2, 1-1 in the league. The crowd of 2,608 included many Chinese students and dignitaries as well as Chancellor Robert Easter on Chinese-American Unity Night.

“2-0 is great any weekend because it’s not easy,” Hambly said. “The conference is a grind because you play everyone twice and it’s always a battle. So whatever wins you get, you’re happy with them.”

Junior Colleen Ward continued her All-America caliber play, leading the team for the second night in a row in kills with 14, while hitting .444. The Illini offense had a nice night overall, hitting .364. compared to Ohio State’s .180.

 “I think (setter) Hillary (Haen) did a great job of moving the ball around,” senior Laura DeBruler said. “She got the ball to pretty much every single hitter at some point and they usually had one blocker. That made it really easy to score.”

Illinois trailed early in set one, as Ohio State pushed to leads of 9-6 and 13-10, but Ward served three straight points, scoring on a kill from the back row in one of them. The Illini never trailed in any set after that.

“I thought Ohio State came out really fast against us and we just had to slow it down especially after the first set,” Ward said.

DeBruler had eight kills on the night, leaving her just four shy of Mary Eggers on Illinois’ all-time career kills list. For DeBruler, who missed the past two weeks with mono, it was about getting her jumping legs and energy back.

“When she had to, she could dig in and get more out of herself,” Hambly said of DeBruler’s play on back-to-back nights. “That’s a good sign that she’s getting past her illness. If you had told me we got a ‘W,’ I’d take it, to wrap it up in three, that’s the cherry on top. I thought it was great for Laura not to have to exert energy in that second set.”

Illinois dominated the second set and took advantage of just enough edge in the serve/pass game to eke out sets one and three. Ohio State was able to run middle at times with Kelli Barhorst tying for the Ohio State lead with seven kills while hitting .545, but the block of Michelle Bartsch (7 kills, .462, 3 blocks) and Johannah Bangert (4 kills, .500, 3 blocks) slowed the attack down enough.

Illinois used a 10-1 run in set two to take firm control of the set. Ward and freshman Jennifer Bonilla (11 digs) served five straight points each as the Illini jumped to a 15-2 lead. In fact setter Haen (33 assists) was the only player to serve in the second rotation.

Ohio State kept set three close by matching Illinois on side-out percentage, but at 16-16, the Illini went on a mini 4-1 run and eventually extended the lead to 23-19.

Illinois travels to Wisconsin on Wednesday night before hosting Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 2.

NCAA Women's Volleyball: Huskies Grab First MAC Win, Sweep Toledo

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NCAA Women's Volleyball: Huskies Grab First MAC Win, Sweep Toledo

NIU scores 57 points to Toledo’s 39
 
DeKALB, Ill. - After last night’s tough five-set loss to Ball State in the Mid-American Conference opener, the Northern Illinois volleyball team bounced back in a big way Saturday night at Victor E. Court.  The Huskies swept Toledo, 25-15, 25-22, 25-19, to split their conference home weekend. 
 
“As a group, we knew that last night’s loss was a tough one,” said NIU head coach Ray Gooden.  “But the good thing about tonight is we had a chance to have a short memory and make up for what we didn’t accomplish the night before.
 
“I thought we did a really good job of taking care of each other.  By doing so, we were able to play with a lot more confidence.”
 
NIU (15-2, 1-1 MAC) was in control for the entire match, as there were only three lead changes all night. The first two came in the initial set.  After the Huskies were up 2-1, Toledo (5-8, 1-1 MAC) scored on a kill, Huskie attack error, and block.  The teams then exchanged points before NIU broke the 4-4 tie with a 9-2 run behind freshman outside hitter Lauren Wicinski’s (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) serving.  In serving for the whole run, Wicinski put down three aces and made the Rocket back row passers very uncomfortable.  With momentum on their side, the Huskies were able easily take the set.
 
“Lauren’s serve came alive tonight,” Gooden said of Wicinski, who had four of NIU’s eight aces on the night, while Toledo managed four.  “She did a great job keeping it both aggressive and in control.  It helped our group get off to a great start.”
 
The final lead change happened in the second set.  NIU was aced on the first serve but scored three straight points, two from Wicinski kills, to take control again.  From there, NIU grabbed a four-point lead three different times but the Rockets hung close, climbing within one point after another ace late in the set.  But sophomore outside hitter Meghan Romo (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) answered with a kill to put the Huskies up 23-21.  A Toledo kill later, junior outside hitter Allison McGlaughlin (Morton, Ill./Morton) fired back with a kill, and an errant Rocket attack gave NIU the 2-0 advantage in the match.
 
In the final stanza, NIU charged out to a 5-1 lead with help from three Wicinski putaways.  Toledo rallied back to knot the score at 12-12 but the Huskies quickly got rolling again with an 8-2 spurt, and didn’t look back.  Wicinski once again sparked the run as she scored the first three points with back-to-back kills and a block. 
 
As a team, the Huskies racked up 40 kills and a .299 hitting percentage, along with 35 digs and nine blocks, scoring 57 points.  Toledo’s line: 31 kills, .136 hitting percentage, 31 digs, four blocks, 39 points.  
 
Wicinski led the way for NIU with 19 kills and hit .441.  Romo also achieved double-digit kills with 10 and a .444 attack percentage, along with a season-high-tying four blocks for the second straight match.  McGlaughlin was most efficient in putting up a season-best .583 hitting percentage, totaling eight kills.  Junior setter Kristin Hoffman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) ran the offense well with 37 assists, while senior libero Maddie Hughes (St. Charles, Ill./North) captained the defense with 15 digs, marking the fourth straight match that she has had 10 or more digs.
 
With one contest remaining on their season-long, seven-match home stand, the Huskies improved to 4-2 on the stretch.  NIU also bettered to 9-2 at home this year and 37-30 at Victor E. Court against MAC foes since 2002.
 
The Huskies return to action Thursday, Sept. 30, as they host Western Michigan (11-4, 2-0 MAC) at 7 p.m. CT.
 
-NIU-

William and Mary Volleyball Team Falls in Four Tough Sets to Northeastern, 3-1

William and Mary Volleyball Team Falls in Four Tough Sets to Northeastern, 3-1

Ginny Bray Sets Career High With 17 Kills

WILLIAMSBURG - The William and Mary volleyball team put up a terrific fight in front of a school-record crowd, but the Tribe was narrowly edged by Northeastern in four sets, 3-1. The Tribe's record now stands even at 7-7, and 1-1 in the CAA, while Northeastern improves to 11-5, 2-0 in the conference.

Box Score

W&M senior Ginny Bray (Cary, N.C.) had a great night on both sides of the night, hitting .400 with a career-high 17 kills, and adding a match-high five blocks. Classmate Erin Skipper (Yorktown, Va.) and junior Lindsay Kresch (Moon Township, Pa.) each added 10 kills to the team's total, with Skipper also providing 11 digs and three blocks, and Kresch taking on seven digs.

Senior setter Cassie Crumal (Castle Rock, Colo.) continued her strong play from the past few weeks, providing 36 assists, seven digs, and a block. Freshman Celine Alasomuka (Centreville, Va.) had 11 digs and two aces, and junior Anne Dorff (Kent, ohio) had five kills on a .500 attack and two blocks.

The Tribe fell behind early in the first set, but quickly rallied with a five-point run that gave W&M the lead at 10-9. Northeastern was able to piece together a couple mini-runs to retake control of the set and went up by as many as five, at 18-13, before three kills from Bray helped fuel a 6-1 run for the home team that leveled the score once again at 19-19. The Huskies were able to regain the lead, however, and held on for the 25-20 win.

In the second set, Northeastern continued to control the early goings, but Bray changed all that as she took personal control of a 7-3 Tribe run that left W&M ahead 14-12. She got things going with her team down 7-10 with a pair of kills from Crumal, and after a Northeastern kill, got up for solo blocks on two consecutive points to tie the set at 11-11. The Huskies got another kill to retake the lead, but a sequence of three points saw Bray knock down a kill, partner with Crumal for yet another block, and put away an overpass for her fourth kill of the run. Northeastern came back to retake the lead at 18-17, before Kresch knocked down a pass from Crumal to tie the score for the final time. Skipper then emulated Bray with a three-point sequence of kill, block alongside Dorff, and kill to put the Green and Gold ahead 21-18. Northeastern would get as close as one point three times between 22-1 and 24-23, but each time, Skipper or Bray were there to finish off an assist from Crumal and keep the Tribe in position to win the set, which finally came at 25-23.

Both teams came out of the rbeak pumped up and ready to go, and embarked on a wild ride that saw 10 ties and seven lead changes. W&M had a pair of four-point runs in the set, but until the very end, both teams were stealing points one bunches of just one or two while defending against the same, putting abuzz into the school-record crowd of 452. Two kills by Skipper lifted W&M to a 23-20 lead, but the Huskies were able to rally back and scratch out enough points to take the set, 25-23. That momentum swing carried the visitors through the fourth set until W&M found themselves staring at an 11-point deficit at 23-12. The Green and Gold would not go down without a fight, however, and Ginny Bray knocked down her 17th kill of the night to spark a 6-1 run to close to 18-24, and very much on the verge of a huge rally of their own. Kresch had a pair of kills in the run, and Dorff provided both a kill and a solo block, but a final attack was just a touch too low and the Huskies were able to hold on for the win, 25-18.

William and Mary continues at home in the CAA next weekend, as the Tribe hosts VCU Saturday night, October 2nd, at 7 p.m. as part of the College's Family Weekend festivities.

Baylor Volleyball Team Swept by No. 10 Nebraska

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Baylor Volleyball Team Swept by No. 10 Nebraska
Senior Ashley Byrd had a career-high 14 kills in the loss
 
WACO, Texas – Despite a career-high 14 kills by senior Ashley Byrd, Baylor couldn’t get on track in a 3-0 (19-25, 22-25, 22-25) loss to fourth-ranked Nebraska on Saturday night at the Ferrell Center in front of a season-best crowd of 1,177. The attendance was the ninth-largest in program history.
 
Baylor held a lead at different points in each of the three sets, but facing its third consecutive top-10 opponent, couldn’t finish off the perennial power Huskers. The Bears hit just .152 (41-21-132), their lowest in the last nine matches, while Nebraska slowed them down with 14.0 total blocks and a .225 hitting percentage (47-16-138).
 
“I thought we competed really well, and gave ourselves a chance to win,” head coach Jim Barnes said. “That’s what we talked about, executing our gameplan, and we did that at times. Nebraska is a good team, and I thought they played exceptional defense.” 
Byrd’s career night came with a .480 hitting percentage having just two errors in 25 total attacks with her 14 kills. Ashlie Christenson added eight kills, and Torri Campbell had seven, but five Nebraska players had at least three blocks on the night, led by Alison McNeal’s eight block assists.
 
The Huskers had three players with double-digit kills, including team-leader Lindsay Licht with 13, while Hannah Werth and Brooke Delano each had 10 kills.
 
On defense for Baylor, Caitlyn Trice continued her string of 14 consecutive matches with double-digit digs racking up 14, while Allison King had a match-high 18 digs. Elizabeth Graham, ranked second in the conference in digs per set improved her average on the night with six total blocks (1 solo, 5 assist) as part of Baylor’s 9.0 as a team.
 
“Defensively, I thought we did a good job,” Barnes said. “We just needed a little more offense and to create a few more kills out of the sideout.”
 
The Bears hung with Nebraska trading sideouts for the first 18 points, but a 5-0 NU run gave the Huskers the lead for good at 13-9. Nebraska opened up a 23-14 lead, but BU held tough with kills by Byrd, Campbell, and Christenson to close it to 24-19. Nebraska closed it out with a kill by Brooke Delano at 25-19.
 
With Nebraska leading 9-7 in the second set, BU turned up the pressure and went on a 6-1 run. During the stretch Byrd and Campbell each had back-to-back kills of their own. Nebraska climbed back in the lead at 15-14, but Baylor held strong getting a block assist by Campbell and Christenson to stay within 22-21. A kill by Delano and two more by Licht, however, finished off the set for NU, 25-22.
 
In the third, Baylor grabbed a 5-4 lead on a kill by Zoe Adom, but Nebraska had the answer, building a lead as big as 21-13 before BU responded. The Bears then put on a 9-2 run to close within 23-22 with two kills each by Graham and Byrd, along with a Byrd and Briana Tolbert block assist. Werth got a kill to make it 24-22, then Licht added the finishing play with a solo block for a 25-22 set win.
 
Baylor will be back on the road in its next match at Texas Tech University. The Bears will take on the Red Raiders in United Spirit Arena at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Follow the action with live stats and live audiostreaming on www.BaylorBears.com.
 

Kansas Volleyball Team Drops Five-set Battle at Colorado

Kansas Volleyball Team Drops Five-Set Battle at Colorado

 

BOULDER, Colo. - Junior Allison Mayfield recorded a season-high 20 kills, while the Kansas volleyball team battled back from a two-set deficit to force a fifth frame but it was not enough as Colorado edged KU 15-13 in the final set to defeat the Jayhawks 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 13-25, 22-25, 15-13).

 

Kansas dropped to 10-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. Colorado evened its record to 5-5, including 2-2 in league play.

 

In the final set, Colorado went on a 4-0 run to take its first lead of the frame, 7-6. Kansas immediately responded with three-straight blocks to take back the advantage. Undeterred, the Buffaloes battled back to tie the score at 9-9 and again at 12-12. With score knotted at 12, CU recorded three of the last four points to edge Kansas 15-13.

 

Senior Karina Garlington added 14 kills in the effort and sophomore middle blocker Tayler Tolefree chipped in with a career-high 13 kills on a team-best .444 attack percentage. For the match, KU out-hit Colorado .227-.169.

 

Despite out-digging Colorado 17-8 in the first set and taking advantage of four CU service errors, Kansas could not find the winning piece as it fell 25-23 to open the match.

 

Freshman Brianne Riley paced the KU defense with a career-best 24 digs, her third contest with 20-plus digs this season. Three more Jayhawks joined Riley with double-digit digs including junior Nicole Tate (16), senior Melissa Manda (12) and sophomore Morgan Boub (10). Kansas' defense was also aided by redshirt freshman Caroline Jarmoc, who totaled seven blocks in the contest. Tate tied her career-high with five blocks.

 

Kansas found itself down 23-17 in the second set before it scored three-straight points to cut its deficit to three. Colorado picked up the next point to lead 24-20 but the Jayhawks did not give up tallying the next three points on two kills from Mayfield and another from Jarmoc. During the next play, a Colorado attack bounced off KU's block and landed out-of-bounds to award the Buffaloes set point.

 

Trailing two sets to none, Kansas refused to give up and came out of the break with a strong performance in set three. The Jayhawks used an early 7-0 run to take a 9-5 lead and utilized that momentum to cruise to a 25-13 win. KU, which also benefitted from 10 Colorado attack errors, closed out the set scoring eight of the final 10 points to seal the victory.

 

A strong push towards the end helped the Jayhawks score a 25-22 win in set four. KU led 20-19 but soon fell behind 21-20. Following a Kansas timeout, the Jayhawks rallied for four-straight points behind two kills from Mayfield, another from Jarmoc and a Colorado attack error. CU held off set-point for one play before Mayfield slammed the set-winning kill, her seventh of the frame.

 

The Jayhawks return home to the Horejsi Family Athletics Center to host Border Showdown rival Missouri on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The match will be televised in Lawrence on Metro Sports, which can be found on Sunflower Broadband channel 37.

UAB Volleyball Team Closes C-USA Weekend With 3-0 Loss To SMU

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UAB Volleyball Team Closes C-USA Weekend With 3-0 Loss To SMU
Becca Howard posts double-double with 30 assists, 13 digs

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- SMU’s blocking again proved to be a difficult obstacle for UAB on Saturday night as the Blazers lost, 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-14), in the second match of this weekend’s Conference USA volleyball series.

The Mustangs (10-3, 2-0 C- USA) finished with 12 total blocks as a team, with Courtney Manning contributing on nine of them, compared to two blocks for UAB (3-11, 0-2 C-USA).
 
Five different UAB players recorded at least five kills, led by Jordan McDonald with eight, but the Blazers closed the night with a .099 attack percentage as a team. SMU, on the other hand, hit .281.
 
Dana Powell led SMU with a match-best 16 kills, followed by Kathryn Wilkerson with 10. Powell also finished with 14 digs for a double-double.
 
UAB setter Becca Howard posted her second-double-double of the season, handing out 30 assists and recording 13 digs. Libero Heather Thomas led the Blazers in the digs category with 17.
 
SMU setter Kellie Becerra led all players with 39 assists, while Mustang libero Sidney Stewart posted a match-best 24 digs.
 
UAB continues conference play Friday, Oct. 1 when the Blazers host East Carolina for a 7 p.m. first serve at Bartow Arena.

-- CALL US UAB --

Southern Miss Volleyball Team Takes Down Rice in Four

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Southern Miss volleyball team Takes Down Rice in Four
 
 
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After dropping the first set, the Southern Miss volleyball team bounced back to take the final three sets in defeating Rice, 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-17, 26-24) in Conference USA action Saturday night in Reed Green Coliseum.
 
The Golden Eagles are now 8-5 overall and evened their record at 1-1 in league play, while Rice dropped to 7-8 and 2-1.
 
Ashley Mell tallied a match-high 24 kills with teammates Halie Ecker and Amelia Hendrickson chipping in 16 and 10 kills, respectively. Lisa Knecht recorded a match-high 25 digs. Kelsea Seymour finished with 50 assists.
 
“I thought tonight’s win was a total team effort,” Head Coach Abbey Sutherland said. “I thought Kelsea did a great job of running our offense and spreading the ball around. Mell came up with some big kills. I thought the team responded well under pressure. You have to give Rice a lot of credit because they are a tough team. Their defense was incredible because they got up a lot of balls that I thought were kills.
 
Rice opened the first set popping out to a 4-1 lead before Hendrickson got a kill to end the Rice run, but Rice got back-to-back kills to push its lead to 6-2. Southern Miss fought back to get with 7-6, but that was as close as the Eagles would get in the remainder of the set. The Owls pushed their lead to 22-11 and cruised to a 25-17 win.
 
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead to start the second set on kills by Lauren Sears and Mell. Rice quickly tied the set at 2-2 before USM used a 3-1 run for a 6-3 led. Rice tied the set scoring three consecutive points. From there, the two teams battled back and forth, producing five ties. With the set tied at 12-12, Rice got back-to-back kills by Jordan Meredith and Megan Shepard and a USM miscue for a 15-12 lead. After a USM timeout, the Eagles responded with two kills, two blocks and a Rice error in taking a 17-15 led and forcing Rice to take a timeout. The two teams continued to trade points down the stretch. With the set tied at 22-22, Mell recorded a kill and Sears added an ace for the 24-22 lead. Rice called its second time and responded with a McCord Kill, but Mell ended the set with a kill for the 25-23 win to even the match 1-1.
 
“Lisa Knecht really took control of the back row,” said Sutherland. “Amelia had a solid all-around match tonight. Her blocking and hitting kept us in the tight sets and gave us momentum.” 
 
Coming out of the intermission, Southern Miss took a 4-4 tie and outscored the Owls 8-1 in taking a 12-5 lead, forcing Rice to take both timeouts during that run. Southern Miss was able to maintain at least a six-point advantage for the remainder of the set in taking a 25-17 win.
 
The fourth set featured 10 ties and only two lead changes. With the scored tied at 6-6, Rice put together a 7-3 run for a 13-9 lead forcing USM to take a timeout. The Eagles began chipping away at the Owl lead and finally tied the set at 17-17. Rice got back-to-back kills for a 19-17 lead but Hendrickson answered with a kill to keep the Eagles within one. Rice was able to maintain its two-point heading into the final stretch. Rice had a 23-21 lead when USM took its final timeout and the Eagles responded with a kill by Ecker and Mell to tie the set at 23-all. After Rice took a timeout, Meredith gave Rice a 24-23 lead with a kill, but Mell answered back with a kill to keep the set tied. Ecker then put down a kill to give the Eagles a 25-24 lead. One the final possession, both teams battled and kept the ball in play until Seymour finally got the ball to find the floor for the 26-24 win.
 
McCord led Rice with 19 kills while Meredith and Cole added 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Tracey Lam had 20 digs and Meredith Schamun had 52 assists for the Owls.
 
The Golden Eagles return to action when they host Tulsa, Oct. 1.