By: by Jason Hanes
Box Score
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Sabrita Gulley had 16 kills and Sara Metroka tacked on 36 assists to lead Kennesaw State's volleyball team to a, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-16), win over South Alabama in the opening match of day two at the Southern Miss/LaQuinta Inn Invitational.
"We had a wonderful performance [today] against South Alabama," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "We played against a much more efficient South Alabama team today, but we really stepped up our game today."
The Owls trailed, 16-13, but a 5-0 run spurred the Owls into an 18-16 lead. Leading by just one at 19-18, kills by Grace Hoyt and Holly Knight put the Owls up by three, 21-18. After a USA point, Hoyt tallied another kill off the USA block to put the Owls ahead by three and send the Jaguars into a timeout.
After the teams traded points off the timeout, a block by Hoyt and Emily Bean gave the Owls set point, 24-20. One point is all the Owls would need to close the set, as an ace by Eman Burns gave the Owls the win, 25-20.
In the second set, the Owls jumped out to an early lead, 18-12, before a 7-0 run by the Jaguars gave South Alabama a 19-18 lead. The Owls would come back, tying the set off a kill by Ceci Mattei, and the teams would trade points. With the Owls needing a stop, a solo block by Hoyt gave the Owls a 21-20 lead. An attack error by the Jags pushed the lead to two, and a net violation gave the Owls a three-point edge.
Two points from the set, a Gulley kill inched the Owls closer. The first try went awry, but a kill by Hoyt off the Jaguars block gave the Owls the second set, 25-21.
The finale was almost all Owls. With the score even at 12-all, a kill by Lang gave the Owls a 13-12 lead. A USA attack error and a block by Gulley and Baylee Strachan forced the Jaguars into a timeout, down 15-12.
After a Jags kill off the timeout, back-to-back Gulley kills pushed the lead up to five. A USA kill stopped the momentum momentarily, but kills by Gulley and Knight sent the Jaguars into their last timeout of the match with KSU up 20-14. The teams traded the first two points after the timeout, with Gulley stepping in to give KSU a seven-point lead again. Hoyt brought KSU to within two points of the match after a kill, and a USA attack error gave the KSU match point, 24-15. The first try would be fought off by the Jags, but a strong kill by Knight through the South Alabama block gave the Owls the win, 25-16.
Lang had 12 digs in two sets for the Owls, while Turea Jones led the Owls with 13. Hoyt and Knight combined for 11 kills without an error, with Knight adding a career-high 10 digs.
The Owls will try to run their record to 3-0 when they face Southern Miss in the finale of the Southern Miss Invitational
