By: by Jason Hanes
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Chelsey Denesha had 18 kills while Sabrita Gulley had 17 kills and 11 digs to lead the Kennesaw State volleyball team to one of the biggest wins in program history; a 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 31-29) win over Belmont in an Atlantic Sun Conference match Saturday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center.
"We played incredibly hard from first serve until last point and that was the highlight of the day. We really had a big test today because Belmont is such a good team," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "After the loss last night, I'm extremely proud of the effort the team put out today."
"I know we have times where we don't believe in ourselves but a match like today is a great example that we can do more than we think we can," Gulley said after the win. "Yes it was a tough match, but if we push ourselves we're capable of doing anything."
Gulley took over the fourth set for the Owls (11-9, 6-7) , getting six kills without an error. If one play defined the effort of Gulley and her teammates in the match, it came with the Owls trailing 20-18 in the fourth set. A KSU attack was blocked back by Belmont (11-12, 7-6), and with the Owls scrambling, Gulley found herself down on the court with the ball coming towards her.
"I don't remember how the play started out; I just know it was a cover ball and it was coming at my face," Gulley said. "I just tried to get it up and back over the net."
The junior was successful getting the ball back on Belmont's side with a one-handed swipe at the ball, but the Bruins were quickly setting up for an attack. "In my mind the whole time I'm thinking 'If I get up and block this ball how great would that be?' So I got up as quickly as I could," Gulley said.
The only blocker in position, Gulley literally rose to the occasion. The North Chicago, Ill., native blocked the attack from Belmont's Tara Blood straight down into Belmont's side of the court, touching off an explosion of emotion and bringing the Owls back within a point, 20-19.
With both teams ebbing and flowing with the momentum of the match, an attack error by Belmont tied the score, 20-20, and sent the Bruins into a timeout. The Bruins won the ensuing point, but back-to-back kills by Gulley and Denesha gave KSU a 22-21 lead. The Bruins weren't finished yet, scoring three straight points to take a 24-23 lead, sending the Owls into their final timeout.
Facing a set point against them, the Owls responded with a kill by Asjia Stokes, tying the score, 24-24. Belmont took the next point to earn another set point chance, but consecutive kills by Denesha and Chanel Davis gave the Owls a match point chance, 26-25. Belmont's Maggie Johnson had a hand in the next three points, bookending kills with an error to knot the score, 27-27. Gulley put the Owls in position to win again with a kill, giving the Owls a 28-27 win, but the Bruins again answered with a kill to tie the score, 28-28. The Bruins committed an attack error to give KSU another match point, 29-28, but another kill by the visitors tied the score, 29-29.
That would prove to be the final point of the match for Belmont. An attack error by the Bruins gave KSU another match point, 30-29. In the longest set of the 25-point era for the Owls, Stokes brought the match to an end, putting home a ball passed over the net by the Bruins on serve reception to give the Owls a 31-29 win in the set.
"In a set like that, it can come down to who makes the last mistake, and thankfully for us, we were able to capitalize when Belmont made the mistake," said Coach Weatherington. "At this level of Division I, you play the set and after point 20, you have to be able to raise your level mentally, physically, and emotionally. That's what we reinforced and that's what we did, especially Sabrita. Our team rallied around her and Chelsey, playing with passion, poise, and excellent passing."
Gulley, Denesha, and Stokes combined for 17 of KSU's 21 kills in the fourth set, as the Owls set a program record for kills in a set. Gulley also added six of her 11 digs in the final set.
Johnson led all attackers with 19 kills, including 10 in the fourth set as the Bruins also had 21 kills as a team.
Wearing pink as a team for the first time in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Owls overcame an early 7-2 deficit in the first set to take a 16-15 lead. The Owls would earn a set point opportunity at 24-21 after the fourth kill of the set by Denesha. Belmont would fight off the first two chances the Owls had, but a kill by Ginny Frederick gave the Owls the set, 25-23.
Even though the Owls lost the second set, 25-22, a special moment in the KSU program happened in the early stages. With the Owls leading 5-3, senior libero Selina O'Leary dug up her fifth attack of the match, giving her 1,000 digs for her career.
"I'm so proud of Selina. She is a sparkplug for us, not only defensively but emotionally. She plays the game with a passion that is unmatched. When you get to a milestone like 1000 digs in a career, that says a lot about you as a player," said Coach Weatherington.
The third set saw the KSU triumverate of Stokes, Denesha, and Gulley combine for all 14 of KSU's kills, leading the Owls to a 25-20 win, the biggest margin of victory in any set of the match.
The Owls will return to action this Friday at 7 p.m. when KSU travels to Buies Creek, N.C. to face Campbell in another important A-Sun match.
Notes: The win was the first for the Owls over Belmont after five previous losses...Prior to the match, Carolyn Frederick, the mother of Ginny Frederick, was recognized as the Honorary Coach for the day...The elder Frederick is a breast cancer survivor...
