University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Volleyball Drops Opening Match of CAA Play at Towson in Straight Sets
9/23/2011 7:56:00 PM | Volleyball
TOWSON, Md. -- The University of Delaware volleyball squad dropped the opening match of the Colonial Athletic Association season to Towson, 3-0, on Friday night at the Towson Center Arena.
The loss marked the first time Delaware (6-10, 0-1 CAA) fell short in the conference opener since 2005 when the Hens dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Georgia State.
Towson (14-4, 1-0 CAA) won its second match in a row and its fifth in the last six matches. The win also snapped a five-match losing streak against the Blue Hens.
Katie Hank led the Blue Hen office once again with 13 kills on 40 swings. She narrowly missed the double-double by tallying nine digs defensively.
Renee Tomko (above right) served up 32 of the teams 35 assists on the night, but Towson's blocking unit was too much to overcome at the net. The Tigerstotaled 18 block assists and added a solo block to lead the physical charge and the play above the net.
The Tigers hit .254 as a team, led by Alysha McCreary's season high 13 kills. She committed only three errors on 23 swings for a .435 hitting percentage. Susan Gansor hit .467 to lead Towson, amassing eight kills on 15 swings with only one error.
Delaware made a late surge at the end of the first set, but couldn't complete the comeback. Facing eight set points, the Blue Hens clawed their way back to 24-21 with three straight kills by Hank, but Towson found a way to close out the game and to take the 1-0 lead.
The team had a shot at evening the match at a set apiece, holding a late lead in game two. Trailing 11-9, the Blue Hens went on a seven-point run to take the lead 16-11. The Blue Hens stretched the lead to as large as six at 19-13, but Towson closed the gap with a 5-1 run of their own.
Back-to-back kills by McCreary gave the Tigers the 23-22 lead, and the teams went on the see-saw. A kill by Kim Stewart tied the set at 24-24 before the teams traded points once again. Tied at 25-25, a kill by Dayane Van Ass gave Towson the lead, and Gansor put the finishing touch on the game with a kill at 27-25.
The third set was another close battle throughout the entire game. The Tigers made their move with the score locked at 18. A kill and a service ace by McCreary put the Tigers five points from the match. An Alissa Alker kill followed by a block by Chelsea Lawrence and Alker tied the game once again at 21-21.
Again knotted at 22, consecutive kills by Gansor gave the home squad match point. A Blue Hen attack error ended the set and the match, 25-22.
Delaware has a quick turnaround and a chance to get back on track as the Hens travel to Philadelphia on Saturday for a match against Penn. The first serve is set to begin at 4 p.m.
AGATE:
Towson def. Delaware, 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-22)
Delaware (kills-assists-digs): Hank (13-7-9); Tomko (1-32-8); Stewart (8-0-8); Alker (7-1-8); Lawrence (8-0-0); Evans (0-2-1); Rosehill (0-0-10); Reigel (0-0-0).
Towson: Buck (14-2-10); Van Ass (10-0-1); Schulz (0-1-2); Sawaniewicz (3-1-1); Gansor (8-0-1); Kirven (4-40-13); McCreary (13-0-2); Sekerak (0-5-12); Niehoff (0-1-9).
Total Team Blocks: Delaware 7; Towson 10
