University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
7-13, 1-6CAA
William & Mary
8-12, 2-5CAA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM & MARY | 21 | 19 | 18 | 0 |
| DELAWARE | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Blue Hens Pick Up First CAA Win With Three-Set Triumph Over William & Mary
10/14/2016 9:52:00 PM | Volleyball
• Boxscore
• Boxscore (pdf)
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware volleyball team took control in the opening set and never looked back as the Blue Hens posted a three-set victory over William & Mary in front of a boisterous crowd Friday night at the Bob Carpenter Center.
Delaware, which improved to 7-13 overall and 1-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association, captured the match by set scores of 25-21, 25-19, 25-18. The Tribe saw its two-match winning streak snapped while falling to 8-12 overall and 2-5 in league play.
Autumn Jenkins tied her season-high by drilling 14 kills for the Blue Hens, while Alexa Swann added a season-best 13 kills against just one error to hit .500 for the match. Maria Bellinger chipped in with 11 kills for Delaware, which hit .225 on the night while holding the Tribe to a .156 percentage.
Senior setter Erin Layne, making her first start of the season, handed out a career-high 38 assists and added seven digs during the victory, while Taylor Hollingsworth led all players with 17 digs. Jenkins added 10 digs of her own to post her team-leading 10th double-double of the season.
Sydney Biniak and Kristen Larrick led William & Mary with seven kills, while Autumn Brenner dished out 16 assists and Sara Zumbach made 14 digs.
The first set was knotted at 7-7 early on, but Delaware reeled off six consecutive points and led the rest of the way. The Tribe eventually clawed within 23-21, but Swann answered with a kill and them combined on a block with Bellinger to put the set away.
The second set was the same story, as the Blue Hens broke away from an 8-8 deadlock with a five-point spurt and never surrendered the lead. The advantage was just 21-19 following a pair of William & Mary points, but Delaware claimed the final four points of the frame to take a two-set lead.
The Blue Hens then were in control for the entire third set, winning the first three points and leading the entire way. After the Tribe closed within 18-17, Delaware closed the match with an emphatic 7-1 run to seal the victory.
“The energy from the crowd tonight was contagious, and they really helped us play better on the court,” Hollingsworth said. “We wanted to play mini-games tonight - be the first team to 5, 10, 15 points - we did that and never let them back into the match. We didn't want to go five sets tonight, so we really focused on maintaining momentum and putting the match away in the third set.”
Delaware remains home on Sunday to host James Madison at 1 p.m. at the Carpenter Center.
Match Notes:
• Lauren Talley added six kills on the night, her second highest total of the year
• Layne entered the night with 27 assists on the season before her 38 vs. the Tribe
• Delaware snapped an eight-match losing skid, tied for the longest in program history
• The Blue Hens posted their fourth straight set victory of the season
• Delaware improved to 22-14 all-time vs. William & Mary
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
