University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
13-15 (6-7CAA)
James Madison
15-11 (7-6CAA)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 25 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 9 | 2 |
| James Madison | 14 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 3 |
Delaware Volleyball Clinches CAA Tournament Berth Despite 3-2 Loss at James Madison
11/7/2014 9:56:00 PM | Volleyball
HARRISONBURG, Va. -- The University of Delaware volleyball team played its second five-set match of the year with James Madison Friday night at Sinclair Gymnasium, as the Dukes controlled the fifth set to post the 3-2 victory over the Blue Hens.
James Madison took the contest by set scores of 14-25, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9 as the Dukes improved to 15-11 overall and 7-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Delaware, which had defeated JMU in five sets in Newark on Oct. 12, dropped to 13-15 overall and 6-7 in league play.
Despite the loss, the Blue Hens clinched a berth in the six-team CAA Tournament on Nov. 21-23 due to William & Mary's loss to Towson Friday night. UD has now qualified for the league tournament in eight of the last nine years.
Blue Hen junior Katie Hillman led Delaware with a season-high 21 kills, the most by a UD player this year, while sophomore Autumn Jenkins added a double-double with 16 kills and 12 digs. Julia Anderson handed out 52 assists while tying her season-high with 13 digs, while Taylor Hollingsworth led the squad by recording 16 digs.
Alexa Swann tied her career-best with eight blocks on the night, while Chandler Bryant chipped in with nine kills and a .316 attack percentage.
Kate Whitmire slammed 19 kills against just one attack error for the Dukes as she hit an impressive .474 during the match, while Meghan Niski contributed 17 kills and 13 digs. Sarah Patterson dished out 53 assists for JMU, while Sierra Hahn-Ventrell led all players with 28 digs.
UD trailed early in the first set, but after forging ahead by a point at 10-9, the Blue Hens claimed 11 of the next 14 points to win the first set going away. The second stanza was a tight battle that featured nine ties, but after the squads were knotted at 19-19, the Dukes used a 5-1 spurt to take control and even the match at a set apiece.
The third set was also close and included eight ties, but JMU eventually eased out to a 22-17 advantage. A kill from Bryant and an Erin Layne ace made it a 24-21 score, but the Dukes took the next point to capture the set. However Delaware led for almost the entire fourth set, going up by as many as nine points before holding off a late JMU rally to force the deciding set.
But the Dukes took the first three points of the fifth set, and eventually increased the margin to 7-1. The Blue Hens climbed within 12-8 after two straight kills from Hillman, but would not get closer.
Delaware plays its final regular season road match of the season on Saturday when the Blue Hens face William & Mary at 7 p.m. in Williamsburg, Va.
Match Notes:
• Delaware dropped to 4-5 in road matches this season
• The Blue Hens are just 1-5 in five-set matches on the year
• Hillman is averaging 17 kills over the last three contests
• Jenkins' 16 kills are her fourth highest total of the season
• Anderson posted her third double-double of the season and her fifth match of at least 50 assists
• Delaware held an 11-8 advantage in blocks
