Redhawks Drop Two Matches in Final Day of Blue Raider Bash

Aug. 30, 2008

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - (Saturday, August 30, 2008) The Redhawks volleyball team lost both of their matches today at the Blue Raider Bash at the Alumni Memorial Gym in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In the day's opening match the Redhawks were no match for host and 15th-ranked Middle Tennessee State 3-0 (14-25, 21-25, 20-25) and later dropped a 3-1 (21-25, 16-25, 25-20, 16-25) decision against Idaho. The Redhawks finished fourth at the two-day tourney going 0-3.

In their four-set match against Idaho (2-1) the Redhawks dropped the first two sets before winning only their second set of the season. The Vandals recorded 18 kills in the opening set and had a .364 attack percentage and held the Redhawks to a .026 percentage in the second frame.

In the third set the Redhawks won a back-forth affair that featured eight ties and three lead changes. With the score tied at 17-all the Redhawks went on a 8-3 run that ended on a Sara Barth (Germantown, Ill./Central Community HS) ace. The Redhawks hit .229 in the set and recorded 13 kills while committing only five attack errors.

The Vandals clinched the match in the fourth set as they smothered the Redhawks offense and held them to a .063 attack percentage while hitting .250 on their end.

Sophomore Clarie Keaton (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) led the Redhawks with her first double-double of the season. She recorded 11 kills and 11 digs and led the team with a .435 attack percentage.

Karleigh DeLong (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS) led the team with 13 kills. Barth led the team with 27 assists and Molly Davis (Muncie, Ind./Burris HS) paced the team with 14 digs.

The Vandals Haley Larsen led all players with a 20 kills and 20 digs. Kelsey James finished with a match-high 46 assists and Sarah Loney tallied 12 kills and hit a match-high .435.

As a team the Vandals hit .268 and held the Redhawks to a .118 attack percentage. The Vandals tallied 10.5 team blocks.

In their match against the Blue Raiders (3-0) the Redhawks struggled from the onset as they managed a season-low 14 points in the opening set. The Blue Raiders recorded an attack percentage of .474 and held the Redhawks to a minus .040 percentage in the opening frame.

In set two the Redhawks showed signs of life as they battled the Blue Raiders valiantly as the set featured nine ties and five lead changes. After falling behind 4-1 the Redhawks rallied 13-11 lead on a Aubrey Dondlinger (Palos Heights, Ill./Parkland College) kill. The Blue Raiders fought back to tie the game 17-17 and later took the lead for good as they reeled off three-straight points for a 20-17 lead and won five of the next eight points for the set win.

The deciding set again featured a scrappy Redhawks team as they again kept the set close early with ten ties and three lead changes. The Redhawks grabbed their largest lead of the match with a 15-12 score thanks to a block by DeLong. The Blue Raiders rallied as they went on a 13-5 run to close out the set and complete the straight-set match victory.

DeLong led the team with 10 kills and a .318 attack percentage. Barth paced the team with 18 assists. Dondlinger added seven kills and a team-high six digs. Kelly Benacka (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs HS) recorded three service aces. Davis saw her streak of 32-consecutive matches with double-digit digs snapped finishing with a career-low three digs.

The Blue Raiders were led by Ashley Asberry and Ashley Mead who each finished with 11 kills. Leslie Clark handed out a match-high 35 assists. Ashley Waugh led all players with 12 digs. Sasha McGlothin added eight kills and a match-high .700 attack percentage.

For the match the Redhawks hit a season-low .034 while the Blue Raiders hit .262.

The Redhawks look to bounce back from a tough start of the season as they head down south to the bayou to participate in the Tiger Classic hosted by Louisiana State. The tournament is a two-day affair that starts on Friday, September 5. The Redhawks will face the host and preseason Southeastern Conference favorite LSU at 11:00 a.m.