Aug. 29, 2009

TOLEDO, OHIO - Behind 15 kills from junior middle blocker Lindsey Schmid (Austin, Texas), the Marist volleyball team earned its first win of 2009 by defeating the Bryant Bulldogs 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21). Schmid also hit a team-high .522 for the match. Junior outside hitter Joanna Foss (Northville, Mich.) added eight kills, nine digs, and four service aces, hitting .417 for the match and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Bryant (0-3) controlled the first set early, winning the first three points. Marist battled back to tie the set at 5-5, getting kills from Alexandra Schultze (Austin, Texas) and Leeann Harridsleff (Simi Valley, Calif.) along the way. The Red Foxes had their first lead of the match at 9-8 as a Schultze kill broke an 8-8 stalemate. The first set was close the whole way until 19-18. Jazmin Stoner put down a kill for Bryant to get the Bulldogs within one. Marist responded with a Schultze kill to go back up two, 20-18. Schmid then put the Red Foxes ahead by three with a kill of her own, making the score 21-18. Marist would lead by three all the way until the final point of the set. Schmid hit a service ace at 24-21 to give the Red Foxes a 25-21 win in the first set.

Marist (1-2) got out to an early 4-1 lead in the second set, getting kills from Schmid and Foss. Bryant, however, would get back into the set via a 6-3 run capped by a Julie Geonnotti solo block. With the match tied at 7-7, the Red Foxes turned a Bryant error into a four-point run highlighted by an Emily Brosky (Whitehall, Pa.) service ace. Ahead 11-9, Schultze put down a kill that would spark a 5-1 run that would put Marist ahead 16-10. Bryant only got as close as four the rest of the set as Marist pulled away late for a 25-16 win to go ahead two sets to none.

The two teams traded points early in the third set, playing to a 6-6 tie. Foss broke the tie single-handedly as she followed up a solo block with back-to-back aces to give the Red Foxes a 9-6 lead. Marist held the lead at three for a good majority of the set. Bryant would put a scare into the Red Foxes late in the set as a Stoner kill got the Bulldogs within two at 21-19. Marist would put away the set as kills by Harridsleff and Hanna Stoiberg (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) gave the Red Foxes match point at 24-21. Foss wasted no time in putting away the match, as her fourth ace gave Marist the set 25-21, and the match 3-0.

Marist hit .278 as a team for the match, holding Bryant to a .229 mark. The Red Foxes also held a 36-30 advantage in digs. Marist also had nine service aces to Bryant's one. Stoner led the Bulldogs with nine kills as Scocca added eight kills of her own.

Marist returns to action Wednesday, Sept. 2 at Hartford. First serve is at 7 p.m.