Nov. 6, 2009

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Friday, November 6, 2009) – The Redhawks volleyball team is on a roll and third-place Morehead State got to see first-hand on Friday evening at Houck Field House. Finally healthy and playing with confidence, the Redhawks played their best match of the season as they defended their homecourt with a 3-2 (25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-11).

The Redhawks (12-15, 7-8 OVC) were clicking in all phases of the game and extended their winning streak to a season-high three matches.

The Redhawks beat the Eagles (18-9, 10-5 OVC) in their own game, using a balanced offense and a tough, frontline defense. The Eagles looked frustrated and it showed as they handed the Redhawks 50 points on their own errors. 35 of those errors were on attack and another 10 were service errors.

Meanwhile the Redhawks played nearly perfect. They committed just 14 attack errors on 140 swings for a season-high .286 attack percentage. It was the third-straight match the Redhawks have finished with an attack percentage over .200 and the fourth in the last five matches.

The Redhawks came out determined in the opening set jumping ahead 2-1, but the Eagles grabbed the lead quickly and led 10-5. The Redhawks used a 9-1 run to go ahead 14-11. The Eagles would later grab a two-point lead, 18-16 but that would be the last time they would serve as the Redhawks closed the set with an amazing 9-0 run.

The Eagles were held to a .000 attack percentage (10 kills, 10 attack errors) while the Redhawks hit .241, committing just five attack errors.

The Eagles answered in the second set as the only lead the Redhawks held was winning the opening point. The lead was 17-11 for the Eagles as the Redhawks attempted a comeback. They would only get to within three points, 20-17 before the Eagles closed out the set with an Emma Keough kill.

The set was all offense as the Eagles finished with a .389 attack percentage and the Redhawks a .387 percentage.

In the third set the Eagles overcame a early 12-10 Redhawks lead thanks to a 7-0 run that opened up a 22-14 lead of their own and held off the Redhawks to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Redhawks lost the set despite just committing just two attack errors. However the Eagles recorded a .343 attack percentage with 17 of their 25 points coming by kill.

The crucial fourth set was all Redhawks as the led from the opening point and jumped ahead 14-4. The Eagles managed to cut the lead to three, 18-15 but the Redhawks closed with a 7-3 run to force a fifth and deciding set.

As with the previous four set the Redhawks won the opening serve of the fifth set and jumped ahead 4-0 and later 6-1. A Karleigh DeLong (Santiago/Corona, Calif.) kill gave the Redhawks an 8-5 lead and prompting the switching of sides. A 3-0 run after the switch gave the Redhawks a 11-5 lead. The Eagles managed to cut the lead to two, 11-9 but the Redhawks answered 4-1 run to close the set and match.

The Redhawks improved to 5-2 in five-set matches and snapped a two-match losing streak to the Eagles at Houck Field House.

The Eagles came into the match ranked 19th nationally in blocks at 2.68 per set with freshman Annie Gruenschlaeger ranked tenth nationally in blocks per set at 1.44 per set. The Eagles finished with just six blocks and Gruenschlaeger one for the whole match. The Redhawks however recorded eight blocks with freshman Emily Maher (Marcus/Flower Mound, Texas.) recording a career-best six block assists.

Emily Hughes (St. Benedict/Memphis, Tenn.) led the Redhawks with 16 kills (six coming in the second set). She committed just three attack errors on 33 swings for a .394 attack percentage.

Hughes was the only Redhawk in double figures in kills as they featured a balanced offense. Four players recorded eight or more kills.

DeLong had nine and a team-best 14 digs. She also handed out a season-best five assists and had a season-best six block assists.

Claire Keaton (Incarnate Word Academy/St. Louis, Mo.) had nine kills and eight digs while hitting .263. Maher finished with eight kills and one attack error for a .368 attack percentage.

Sarah Barth (Central Community/Germantown, Ill.) looked fully recovered from her early season wrist fracture as she came up one kill short of her third career triple-double. She recorded nine kills, a team-high 39 assists and ten digs. It was her fourth double-double of the season. She finished with a match and season-high .533 attack percentage as she committed just one error on 15 swings.

Senior Molly Davis (Burris/Muncie, Ind.) led the team with 11 digs followed by Amanda Rickhoff (Southwestern Illinois College/Bartelso, Ill.) who chipped in ten digs.

The Eagles had three players in double-figures in kills with All-OVC selection Kaitlin Craven and freshman Ellie Roberson leading all players with 18 kills apiece. Kirstie Brangers led all players with 58 kills and added 13 digs for a double-double. Kristina Schoo had a match-high 19 digs.

The Redhawks look to extend their winning streak and can come closer to securing an OVC Tournament berth with a win over Eastern Kentucky tomorrow at Houck. The “Senior Day” match will start at 6:00 p.m. against the seventh-place Colonels who trail the Redhawks for the sixth and final OVC Tournament spot.