KSU Box Score
KSU Box Score (PDF)
GMU Box Score
GMU Box Score (PDF)
FAIRFAX, Va. - The Morehead State volleyball team had its back against the wall Saturday morning against Kent State. But, down 2-0, the Eagles rallied back to defeat the Golden Flashes in five sets (19-25, 26-28, 25-21, 25-21, 15-6) at the Patriot Invitational. In their final match of the event the Eagles dropped a 3-1 (18-25, 25-16, 13-25, 15-25) decision to host George Mason. MSU is now 5-1.
In the KSU match, junior
Kaitlin Craven led the Eagles with a season high 17 kills, while freshman
Ellie Roberson landed 14 kills and made only two attacking errors for a career best .400 hitting percentage. Craven was named to the all-tournament team. Junior
Holly Evans reached double figures in the kill column also with 10.
On defense, MSU shined again at the net. Freshman
Annie Gruenschlaeger and red shirt sophomore
Emma Keough each collected seven total blocks as the Eagles record 14 blocks as a team. Roberson and Evans chipped in with four rejections apiece.
Junior setter
Kirstie Brangers tallied her second straight double-double with 46 assists and a team high 16 digs. Senior libero
Kristina Schoo collected 15 of the Eagles' match best 72 digs, and red shirt junior
Lindsey Ruddell notched a career best 12 digs.
As a team, the Eagles hit a season high .303 for the five-set affair. MSU had 62 kills and only 16 errors on 152 attacks. Kent State managed 64 kills but the Eagles' defense at the net limited the Golden Flashes to only a .205 attack percentage.
In the opening set, the teams were knotted at 7-7, but KSU went on a 10-3 run to take a 17-10 lead. The Eagles crept back to within four on two occasions, including 23-19, but a service ace and an MSU attack error gave KSU a 25-19 set one victory. Both teams were en fuego on the attack. KSU hit .450 with 13 kills, while MSU hit .435 with 13 kills.
In the second set, MSU led 19-14 at one point and even had the Flashes on the ropes at 24-21. But, KSU rallied to tie the set at 24. MSU scored first in the extra point session on a kill from Craven. The Golden Flashes tied it at 25 and took a 26-25 lead. An error allowed the Eagles to tie it again at 26-26, but another attack error and a KSU kill sealed it at 28-26.
MSU quickly found itself trailing 8-3 in the third set. However, a 9-4 run had MSU back in the set and tied at 12-12. Later in the set, KSU was within one a 22-21, but three errors by KSU gave MSU a 25-21 win.
The fourth set was dominated by the Eagles early on. MSU ran out a 16-8 lead before KSU began to rally. Three consecutive hitting errors allowed KSU to creep to within 21-19, but back-to-back kills from Brangers and Craven gave the Eagles some breathing room. Gruenschlaeger finished off the set with a kill for a 25-21 win.
The Eagles also dominated the fifth and deciding set. The Eagles had seven kills and no errors as they bolted out a 4-1 lead and never relinquished. MSU led 12-4 at one point and finished off the comeback victory with a 15-6 set five decision.
Kent State got a match-high 23 kills from Arjola Prenga and 21 digs by Kristen Barr.
Against GMU, the Eagles didn't hit as well (.148) and fell victim to 12 service errors as well. Craven led the Eagles with 13 kills off a .324 hitting percentage, but the Patriots were efficient with a .302 attack percentage, nine aces and seven blocks.
Craven nearly picked up a double double as she also had nine digs. Schoo led the back row with 16 digs. Brangers handed out a team best 32 assists.
Gruenschlaeger added to her OVC best block totals for 2009 as she totaled four against GMU.
Laura Turner and Kelsey Bowman had 12 kills each for the host team.
The Eagles had 13 kills each in the first two sets, but in the third frame they only were able to land six kills while making eight errors. In the fourth set, the Patriots hit .394 with 16 kills.
Morehead State travels to the Michigan Wolverine Classic in Ann Arbor next weekend to face Missouri, Fairfield, VCU and nationally top 10 ranked Michigan.
