By: by Jason Hanes
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio -
Sabrita Gulley and
Asjia Stokes were named to the All-Tournament Team of the Staybridge Suites Rocket Classic as Kennesaw State fell 3-1 (23-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-23) to Toledo Saturday night in the championship match of the tournament at the Savage Center.
"We had a tremendous debut," said KSU head coach
Karen Weatherington, who saw her team win two matches in a row to start the year for the first time in program history. "Even though the match tonight didn't go the way we wanted it to go, especially set two, we battled a Toledo team that is incredibly strong offensively. We were able to handle their transition game, but we really got out of system in game two."
Down 2-1 in the opening set, the Owls raced to the next seven points to take an 8-2 lead. A balanced attack in the run saw a pair of kills by Stokes, a block by Stokes and
Holly Knight, a Knight kill, and an ace for Selina O'Leary.
Toledo would battle back, taking a 20-19 lead over the Owls until a run sparked by a Gulley kill gave the Owls a 22-20 lead. A kill for O'Leary gave KSU its 23rd point, and an ace by Gulley gave KSU set point at 24-21. Toledo fought off the first two, but the third time would be the charm for the Owls as a block by
Chelsey Denesha and
Callie Churchwell gave KSU the set, 25-23.
The second set would be different. Even though the Owls forced a lot of long rallies, thanks in part to seven digs by O'Leary and six by Burns in the second set alone, KSU couldn't get anything going offensively. KSU committed 10 attack errors and had just eight kills as the Rockets blasted past KSU, 25-12.
"Toledo has great size and they were consistent with the way they were attacking our defense," said Coach Weatherington. "We had lots of long rallies, which is the type of game that we want to play against a team like that, but we just couldn't capitalize offensively."
The Owls played Toledo evenly for the first 16 points of the third set, but the Rockets scored three straight points to lead 11-8. KSU refused to fold, using well-timed blocks and kills to keep the margin close. The Rockets eventually built the lead up to six, 23-17, before the Owls could pull closer again after a kill by Knight and an ace by Stokes. A Toledo kill gave the Rockets set point at 24-19, but the Owls kept fighting as Knight pushed home an attack. That would be the final point of the third set for KSU, as a Rockets kill gave the home team the third set, 25-20.
The final set was tighter, as the teams split the first 20 points. Toledo went on a 4-0 run to open a 14-10 lead, but the Owls kept coming back. Trailing 22-18, three consecutive kills by Gulley, Stokes, and Knight pulled KSU within a point, 22-21, and Toledo asked for time.
The teams traded service errors off the timeout, but after a kill by Stokes, the Owls had tied the set, 23-23. Unfortunately on this night, that would be the last time KSU would get on the scoreboard. A blocking error gave Toledo match point, and a Rockets kill gave the home team a 25-23 win in the fourth set and 3-1 win in the match.
O'Leary tied a career-high with 22 digs, while Burns had 17 for KSU. "Selina was huge defensively," said Coach Weatherington. "She's made a commitment to really directing our defense this year and we saw that come to life in the first two matches, but especially against Toledo. Eman also played very well for us on the back row. She made a lot of impressive plays for us."
Gulley completed her first double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs. Amber DeWeert led Toledo with 17 kills.
The Owls will return to action Friday night when it begins play in the Great 8 Volleyball Challenge Presented by Residence Inn - Kennesaw. The Owls will face Alabama A&M in their first match at 7:30 p.m. in the KSU Convocation Center.
