Sept. 26, 2009

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Saturday, September 26, 2009) – Persistence paid off for the Redhawks volleyball team on Saturday afternoon. Against an upstart Tennessee State team the Redhawks rallied from being down 2-0 to win 3-2 (21-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-19, 15-12) for their first home win of the season.

The Redhawks (6-8, 3-2 OVC) improved to 36-3 all-time against the Tigers (2-11, 1-2 OVC) including 18-1 at Houck Field House.

After being outplayed in the opening two sets the Redhawks were on the ropes as they trailed 6-3 early in the third set. They would later grab their first lead of the set 11-10. The Tigers regained the lead and went up two points, 13-11.

The Redhawks responded with 8-0 run to jump ahead 19-13 and closed out the set with 6-2 run to force extra frames.

The Redhawks recorded 12 kills and just two attack errors in the third set and recorded an attack percentage of .263. The Tigers were held .082 attack percentage. Emily Hughes (St. Benedict/Memphis, Tenn.) led the offense for the Redhawks as she recorded seven kills and had a .583 attack percentage.

The Redhawks kept the momentum in the fourth set as they jumped ahead 5-0 and grabbed their largest lead of the set 8-2. A 5-0 run by the Tigers made it a one point lead, 13-12. The Redhawks 4-0 run that put some distance between them and the Tigers.

The Tigers got to within two points, 20-18 before the Redhawks won five of the next six points to force a fifth and deciding set.

The Redhawks headed into the fifth set with a perfect 2-0 record in five-set matches and 16-3 over the last four seasons.

The Tigers took an early 3-0 lead to start the stanza before the Redhawks tied the set at four-all. A service ace by Amanda Rickhoff (Southwestern Illinois College/Bartelso, Ill.) gave the Redhawks their first lead, 7-6.

Back-to-back kills by Paige Dossey (Avon/Avon, Ind.) and Jenny Bellairs (Osage Community/Osage, Iowa.) gave the Redhawks a 9-7 lead after the Tigers tied the set at seven-all. The Tigers again cut the lead to one but the Redhawks responded with a 3-0 run to jump ahead 12-8.

After the Tigers again made it a one-point set, 13-12 the Redhawks recorded consecutive kills by Rickhoff and Karleigh DeLong (Santiago/Corona, Calif.) to end the match.

For the match the Redhawks recorded an attack percentage of .167 and held the Tigers to a .119 clip.

DeLong was all over the court for the Redhawks as she finished with her second career 20-20 match. She poured in a match and season-high 25 kills offensively and 20 digs defensively. It was her team-best fifth double-double of the season and second straight. Her 76 swings set a new career high and she finished with a .263 attack percentage. Additionally she added a match-best two aces.

Kelly Benacka (Jacobs/Algonquin, Ill.) matched DeLong with her fifth double-double of the season (all within the last five matches) with a career and match-best 59 assists and 21 digs.

Benacka and DeLong were two of three Redhawks to record 20+ digs in the match.

Molly Davis (Burris/Muncie, Ind.) led all players with 29 digs, extending her consecutive double digit dig matches to 34. It was her eighth-straight match in which she has recorded 20 or more digs.

Hughes chipped in 19 kills and led all players with a .311 attack percentage. She also added a season-high five block assists. Dossey chipped in nine kills and six digs.

Rickhoff finished with a season-high 17 digs.

The Tigers were led by Yamari Padilla-Collazo who finished with a double-double with 45 assists and 12 digs. Shaquita Williams led the team with 14 kills and tied for the team lead with eight block assists. Terakka Walker led the team with 27 digs.

The Redhawks hit the road again for two Ohio Valley conference matches starting with Eastern Kentucky on Friday, October 2 at 6:00 p.m.