Oct. 9, 2009

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Friday, October 9, 2009) – A short-handed Redhawks volleyball team gave it their all against Ohio Valley Conference leader Jacksonville State but eventually fell, 3-0 (20-25, 23-25, 22-25) on Friday evening at Houck Field House. The loss was the Redhawks third-straight while the Gamecocks recorded their ninth-straight victory and remain undefeated in OVC play.

Playing without two of their Preseason All-OVC selections due to injuries the Redhawks (6-11, 3-5 OVC) played a gutsy match against a team that had won six-straight on the Redhawks home court.

The Gamecocks (15-5, 8-0 OVC) and Redhawks played the first set close at the beginning. With both teams knotted at nine apiece the Gamecocks went on an 11-4 run to grab their largest lead of the set, 20-13. The Redhawks would rally and cut the lead to three 22-19 but the damage had already been done and the Gamecocks closed by winning three of the final four points for the win.

Set two started in favor of the Redhawks as they held an early 4-1 advantage and lead by as much as five points, 15-10 thanks to a 6-1 run. The Gamecocks answered with an 8-0 run to grab a 18-15 lead. The Redhawks tied the set at 18-all thanks to an Amanda Rickhoff (Southwestern Illinois College/Bartelso, Ill.) kill.

Both teams went back and forth from that point. An Emily Maher (Marcus/Flower Mound, Texas.) kill tied the game once again at 23-23 but the Gamecocks recorded kills by Brittney Whitten and Jen Meyer for the two-point win.

In the third and deciding set the Redhawks again jumped ahead early as they went up 5-1. The Gamecocks again rallied and jumped ahead. The Redhawks kept close and repeatedly tied the Gamecocks but couldn’t grab the lead.

After tying the set at 16-16, the Gamecocks used a 7-2 run to jump ahead, 23-18. The Redhawks 4-1 run made it interesting at 24-22 but the Gamecocks closed the set and match with an Alyx Schulte kill for the win.

The Gamecocks finished with a .215 attack percentage as they recorded 51 kills and committed just 19 attack errors. In the third set they recorded a .357 attack percentage as 19 of their 25 points came via the kill.

In contrast the Redhawks finished with an attack percentage of .121 managing just 34 kills.

Junior Kelly Benacka (Jacobs/Algonquin, Ill.) recorded her team-best seventh double-double as she led the team with 25 assists and recorded 18 digs.

Emily Hughes (St. Benedict/Memphis, Tenn.) led all players with 12 kills and finished with a team-best .250 attack percentage. Maher finished with nine kills. The Redhawks middle of Hughes, Maher and Jenny Bellairs (Osage Community/Osage, Iowa.) finished with eight block assists including three apiece from Maher and Hughes.

The Redhawks had some encouraging play from Preseason First Team All-OVC selection Claire Keaton (Incarnate Word Academy/St. Louis, Mo.). Keaton, who had been restricted to backrow duties due to a shoulder injury, had her most extensive work on the outside this season finishing with a season-highs of 35 swings and six kills.

Senior Molly Davis (Burris/Muncie, Ind.) recorded a team-best 19 digs.

The Gamecocks were led by Meyer who finished with a team-high 11 kills. Whitten finished with a double-double with11 kills and 13 digs. Lauren Harkins finished with a match-best 21 digs. Setter Brooke Schumacher had a match-high 30 assists and added 13 digs for a double-double.

The Redhawks look to snap their losing streak as they continue their five-match homestand tomorrow. They host Tennessee Tech in Houck Field House at 6:00 p.m.