Aug. 28, 2009
Box Score
TOLEDO, OHIO - The Marist volleyball team opened its 2009 season with a five-set loss to Kennesaw State Friday at the Staybridge Suites Rocket Classic, held at the University of Toledo. The Red Foxes dropped the first two sets 25-16 and 25-18, but bounced back to hit a combined .310 in sets three and four to even the match. Marist led 9-8 in the fifth, but the Owls went on a 7-2 run to win the set 15-10 and the match 3-2. Senior outside hitter Alexandra Schultze (Austin, Texas) passed Jaime Kenworthy as Marist's all-time leader in kills, recording her 1,188th career kill at 12-11 of the third set.
Schultze ended the match with 17 kills, giving her 1,194 for her career. She also had 10 digs for a double-double. Junior outside hitter Emily Brosky (Whitehall, Pa.) led all players with 23 digs.
Things did not start well for Marist (0-1) as Kennesaw State jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The Red Foxes closed to within four as a Lindsey Schmid (Austin, Texas) kill made the score 8-4. The Owls responded with a 6-2 run to go ahead by eight, 14-6. Kennesaw State led by as much as 10 in the set before taking the first 25-16. The second set saw the two teams trade points early and often, playing to a 10-10 tie. The Red Foxes then took a 12-10 lead on consecutive kills from Schmid and Foss. Kennesaw State came back to tie the set at 14-14 on a Marist error. With the set tied at 17-17, the Owls got back to back aces from Holly Knight to go ahead 19-17. Schultze put down a kill to make the score 19-18, but Kennesaw State would close the set on a 7-0 run to take the second set 25-18.
Kennesaw State (1-0) jumped out to a quick 7-4 lead early in the third set, highlighted by kills from Sabrita Gulley and Chelsey Denesha. Marist, though, battled back and chipped away at the Owls, eventually tying the set at 13-13. Kennesaw State took the lead back on a Ginny Frederick kill, and led up to 19-17. Following a Denesha kill, Schmid connected on three straight kills to give Marist its first lead of the set, 20-19. A Foss kill gave the Red Foxes a two point lead, 21-19. The teams traded points until 22-21, when Leeann Harridsleff (Simi Valley, Calif.) put down a kill to make the score 23-21. Brosky then added a rare kill to give Marist three set points at 24-21. After not converting the first set point, Foss put down a kill to give Marist the win in the third set 25-22.
The fourth set played out much like the third. The Red Foxes and Owls played to a 5-5 tie, but Kennesaw State made the first big move of the set. The Owls got back to back kills from Denesha to power a 7-1 run and take a 12-6 lead. Once again, Marist chipped away at the lead. Trailing by two 16-14, Foss connected on consecutive kills to tie the set at 16-16. The Red Foxes then took the lead on a Dawn Jan (Belleville, N.J.) kill. Foss added another two kills to put Marist ahead 19-16. Kennesaw State closed to within one point a couple times, but the Red Foxes put away the fourth set on a Schultze service ace, 25-22.
The fifth set saw eight ties and three lead changes. Marist took control early in the fifth, as a Harridsleff kill put the Red Foxes ahead 3-1. With the set tied at 5-5, Schmid pounded an overpass right down to make the score 6-5. She followed that up with an ace to make the score 7-5. Kennesaw State then tied the match at 7-7 on a pair of Marist errors. The teams traded points until 9-9, when Knight and Ginny Frederick combined for a block to put the Owls ahead 10-9. The Red Foxes tied the set at 10-10 with a block by Jan and Allie Burke (Alpharetta, Ga.). Gulley gave Kennesaw State the lead with a kill to make the score 11-10. The Owls took over from there, taking the next four points to win the set 15-10.
Kennesaw State outhit Marist .318-.205 and held a 10-2 advantage in blocks. The Red Foxes held a 70-64 advantage in digs. Gully led Kennesaw State with 16 kills, as Denesha added 13 while hitting .355.
Marist continues play in the Rocket Classic with a 10 a.m. match against the host Rockets of Toledo Saturday morning.
