University of Delaware Athletics
Balanced Attack Leads The University of Delaware Volleyball Team Past Temple in Straight Sets
9/13/2011 6:42:00 PM | Volleyball
NEWARK, Del. - - A balanced attack and control at the net helped the University of Delaware volleyball team notch its first victory at home in 2011, defeating Temple in straight sets on Tuesday night.
Set scores for the match were 25-17, 25-11, and 25-12.
No player for Delaware (3-8) reached double digit kills, but setter Renee Tomko dished out 33 assists in leading the evenly spread offense.
The Blue Hens controlled the play at the net, as Karina Evans (above right) finished with seven block assists. Evans had a team high .583 hitting percentage, as the team hit .294 for the match.
“I thought our blocking was really good,” head coach Bonnie Kenny said. “Chelsea and Karina really opened up our outside attack. That's something we haven't had all year. Neither one of them had a hitting error. I was proud of the way we incorporated our middle attack, and that can only help us out in the long run.”
Katie Hank (below left) led the Blue Hens with nine kills, while Kim Stewart contributed eight. Middle hitters Evans and Lawrence also added more than five kills each.
Collin Wallace led Temple (3-7) with eight kills while Chelsea Tupuola held the back line with 19 digs.
The Blue Hens jumped all over the Owls starting with the first set. Temple started out with a 2-0 lead, but that would be the only lead of the set for the Owls. Delaware settled in and scored five straight points, and 15 of the next 20 to take control of the game. Two kills by Hank, sandwiched around an attack error by Temple, ended the game, 25-17.
Delaware made an early run in the second set again to keep the momentum. Seven consecutive points, capped off by a kill by Lawrence, gave the Blue Hens an 11-2 jumpstart. After a brief timeout, Delaware continued it rout, scoring nine of the next 12 points to take a commanding 20-5 lead. They went on to take a 2-0 lead with a 25-11 set win.
The third frame was more of the same, as the home squad didn't take its foot off the gas, jumping out to a 9-4 lead. The Owls got it to 15-9, but Delaware went on a 10-3 run to close out the set, and the match, 25-12.
“I thought we played well,” continued Kenny. “We stuck to what we needed to do. I thought as a team, I thought we stayed really focused and concentrated on the things we needed to be good at. I was proud of the way we played, and the level we played at for all three games.”
The Blue Hens close out their tough nonconference schedule this weekend as they travel to Pittsburgh for their final regular season tournament. They will face New Mexico, Kent State and host Pittsburgh on Friday and Saturday.
AGATE:
Delaware def. Temple, 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-12)
Delaware (kills-assists-digs): Hank (9-1-7); Tomko (1-33-8); Stewart (8-0-10); Alker (5-1-13); Lawrence (6-0-0); Evans (7-0-2); Rosehill (0-1-15); Reigel (0-0-2); Oemcke (0-0-0).
Temple: Connatser (2-21-7); Burkert (5-0-8); Schmitt (0-0-0); Wallace (8-0-7); Frazer (4-0-1); Matautia (7-1-4); Iacobini (0-0-1); Tupuola (0-2-19); McMillen (0-0-1)
Total Team Blocks: Delaware 11; Temple 3.
