Sept. 13, 2008
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--Kennesaw State had more digs than Jacksonville, but Jacksonville scored more points as the Owls dropped a 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-18) decision to the Dolphins on Saturday afternoon at Swisher Gym.
KSU (1-8, 0-3 Atlantic Sun) opened by taking the first point of the match on a kill by Maja Kostic. JU (4-4, 2-1) would then score 12 of the next 13 points to open up a 12-2 lead. The Owls would work the lead down to nine, 15-6, after a kill by Sabrita Gulley. KSU kept chipping away, but could never get the lead below nine. After a kill by Aidan Yeager, JU had won the first set, 25-14.
The second set was the most competitive set of the match as a couple of breaks went against the Owls, preventing them from taking the set. The Owls took an early 3-2 lead on a service ace by Asjia Stokes. Rachael Albright dumped an attack in the court for the Owls to extend the lead to two. The Dolphins tied the score at 4-all, but a block by Kostic and Chelsey Denesha gave the Owls the lead back. After a JU three-point spurt, the Owls fought back with a four-point run of their own to lead 9-7. The teams battled back-and-forth with JU taking the lead 12-11 after a KSU attack error.
JU took a two-point lead as the teams traded points. The Dolphins eventually opened a three-point lead, 17-14, and the Owls asked for time.
Gulley drove home an attack for the first point off the timeout, and after a JU attack error, the Owls were back down a point. When Callie Churchwell's attack dropped in the opposition court, the Owls had the score tied, 17-all.
The teams traded the next four points, but a block by Churchwell and Kostic gave the Owls a one-point lead, 20-19. The teams swapped points again, with KSU taking a 22-20 lead after a block by Denesha and Kostic. The Dolphins took the next three points though, tying the score at 23-all. After a block by JU, the Dolphins had a set point opportunity. A Stokes kill fought off the opportunity, but an attack error by KSU gave JU another chance. The Owls seemed to fight it off with a block that appeared to drop on the line, but the ball was called out, giving JU the set, 26-24.
The Dolphins opened up an 11-4 lead in the third set, sending the Owls into a timeout. A kill by Gulley gave the Owls the first point off the timeout, and a kill by Kostic made it two in a row for the visitors. Stokes and Churchwell notched a block to extend the run, and a service ace for Gulley made it a 4-0 spurt, pulling KSU within three, 11-8. JU took two points in a row, but a kill by Stokes ended the run. The teams traded points, with JU using a spurt to open a seven-point lead, 17-10. Denesha recorded consecutive kills to bring KSU back within five, but a kill for the Dolphins made it 18-12 and the Owls took their final timeout.
Denesha recorded her third straight point for KSU with a kill after the timeout, and a block for Gulley and Churchwell brought KSU within four. JU responded with three straight points, but two errors by the Dolphins and a KSU block brought the Owls within four again, 21-17. Churchwell and Stokes teamed for a second straight block to pull the Owls within three, but the Dolphins ran off the next three points to earn match point chances. One chance would be all JU would need as a kill by JU gave the home team a 25-18 win in the set and 3-0 win in the match.
Sabrita Gulley had seven kills to lead the KSU attack. Selina O'Leary had a match-high 19 digs for KSU. Churchwell had a match-best five total blocks to spark the KSU front row defense.
The Owls will return to action this Tuesday when they host Wofford in a non-conference tilt. Match time at the KSU Convocation Center is set for 7:00 p.m.
