Sept. 22, 2007
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga.--With just seven players available, the Kennesaw State Owls fought hard against the defending Atlantic Sun Conference champions, but eventually fell to the Belmont Bruins 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center in the A-Sun opener for both teams.
"I'm very proud of the resilience we showed today as a team," said KSU head coach Valerie Jones. "It would have been very easy for us to be intimidated by playing the defending conference champions; but instead, we fought hard and kept fighting even when we were down early and had a very good match."
The Black and Gold fell behind 12-2 in game one, but rallied back to make the score 16-8 after a kill by Jenny Black and a Belmont attack error. But eight points would be as close as KSU (2-14, 0-1 A-Sun) could make it in the opening frame, as Belmont kept the pressure applied to win 30-20.
The Bruins (11-5, 1-0 A-Sun) threatened to run away and hide in the second game after taking the first two points, but the resilient Owls fought back to make the middle game competitive. The Owls trailed 14-12 when a block by Asjia Stokes and Liz Schrek brought KSU back within a point. When Ginny Frederick's attack dropped into the court on the Belmont side, the Bruins asked for a timeout with the score tied at 14-all.
The Bruins would score five of the next six points, with the Owls getting their point during the Belmont run on a block by Stokes and Frederick. Sabrita Gulley notched a kill after a KSU timeout to make it 19-16, but the Bruins would get the lead up to seven at 28-21 after a KSU attack error. A Belmont service error, a block by Frederick and Rachel Odom, and an ace by Stokes brought the Owls within four at 28-24. But the rally would be stymied, as a Bruin kill and a KSU hitting error ended the game with Belmont on top 30-24.
Belmont scored the first five points of the final game, but the Owls would respond to trim the lead. Down 8-3, KSU scored four straight points thanks to a Belmont service error, an ace by Selina O'Leary, a kill by Schrek, and a block by Stokes and Black. While Belmont would extend the lead, the Owls kept the score close as a Stokes kill made the score 22-18. Belmont would end the hopes of the Owls though, as a 5-0 run made the score 27-18, and the visiting Bruins would take the final game 30-21.
O'Leary led all defenders with 11 digs, while Gulley had 10 of her own. Gulley and Black each had seven kills to lead the KSU offense. The Owls also out-blocked Belmont by a 7.0-6.0 margin.
"This gives us a lot of confidence heading into the rest of conference play," said Coach Jones. "We'll head up to Chattanooga and try to build on what we've accomplished today."
The Owls will travel to face Chattanooga this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in a non-conference match. KSU will next be in action in A-Sun play on Friday when they face North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.
