University of Delaware Athletics
Tomko Runs Balanced Offense as Delaware Volleyball Wins Fifth Straight, Defeats Georgia State, 3-1
10/21/2011 5:16:00 PM | Volleyball
NEWARK, Del. - - Renee Tomko's double-double led the University of Delaware volleyball team to its fifth straight Colonial Athletic Association victory, as the Blue Hens defeated Georgia State, 3-1, on Friday night on Viera Court.
Set scores for the match were 20-25, 25-17, 25-14, and 25-19.
Delaware (13-11, 6-2 CAA) stayed atop the CAA standings with the win, while Georgia State (10-14, 4-3 CAA) fell to a game and a half back in the standings.
The Blue Hens dropped the first set of the match, but Tomko (above right) dished out 14 assists in the second game to get the Hens headed toward the four set win. She finished with 44 assists and added 15 digs for her team leading 13th double-double of the season.
“I thought Renee did a great job running balls down even when we didn't pass well and we could get a swing,” head coach Bonnie Kenny said. “We gave very few free balls tonight. She was the difference in allowing us to get that swing on the ball.”
Sixteen of those assists went to Alissa Alker, who added seven digs and three block assists. Katie Hank led the hitters with a .387, finishing with 13 kills on 37 attempts. Chelsea Lawrence was the third Blue Hen in double digit kills, tallying 10 kills and adding three block assists.
Defensively, Cara Rosehill had a match high 21 digs, while Kim Stewart added 18, as the CAA digs leading Blue Hens upped their season average by averaging 19 digs a set.
At the net, Karina Evans collected a solo block and five block assists. Lawrence, Alker, and Hank also contributed three block assists each.
After the first set, the match was all Delaware as they rattled off the next three sets with little resistance.The Blue Hens used a 5-1 run to take the lead for good in the second set, 11-8, before a 6-0 run late in the game put it away.
“The passing picked up in the second game,” senior co-captain Tomko said. “If we aren't passing well, I can't do my job and the hitters can't do their jobs. When we are passing, everyone can do their jobs better, and the hitters were putting balls down tonight.”
Delaware stayed hot to start the third frame, picking up the first six points and nine of the first 10. The lead ballooned to as many as 11 for the home team before settling for a 25-14 finish.
The fourth set was a closer affair until late in the game. With Delaware leading 20-18, the Hens scored on three consecutive points to keep the Panthers at bay before Stewart finished them off with her fifth and final kill of the night, 25-19.
“Our passing was really bad in the first game,” Kenny said. “They are a good physical team. We knew we had to mix it up and have a good balanced attack and we knew we had to run the middle to slow Vineece Verdun down.”
Muki Kangwa who finished with 16 kills and 14 digs led Georgia State, while the CAA Pre-season Player of the Year Verdun added 12 kills on .333 hitting. Emily Averbeck paced the defense with 18 digs while Kalyee McGrew passed out 29 assists.
“We have to take it one game at a time,” Tomko concluded. “We play UNCW tomorrow, and they are going to come out fighting. Everyone plays their best game against us and we have to be ready everyday.”
Delaware returns to Viera Court on Saturday to play CAA foe UNCW, the second of five straight home matches. The game is slated to start at 7 p.m.
AGATE:
Delaware def. Georgia State, 3-0 (20-25, 25-17, 25-14, 25-19)
Delaware (kills-assists-digs): Hank (13-0-8); Tomko (2-44-15); Stewart (5-1-18); Alker (16-3-7); Lawrence (10-0-1); Evans (8-0-1); Rosehill (0-3-21); Reigel (0-0-0); Walton (0-0-5).
Georgia State: Freeman (7-2-14); Noe (3-0-2); Book (0-0-0); Verdun (12-0-2); McGrew (6-29-9); Kangwa (16-0-14); Byerly (0-0-0); Pfyl (0-1-2); Averbeck (0-4-18); Perry (0-3-1).
Total Team Blocks: Delaware 9, Georgia State 5
