By: by Jason Hanes
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Alyssa Lang had a match-high 14 kills and Sabrita Gulley pulled within one kill of 1,000 for her career as the Kennesaw State volleyball team swept Presbyterian, 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-13), Friday morning in the opening match of the 2010 Owls Invitational at the KSU Convocation Center.
"It was good to come out and establish our presence on our home court," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "We don't get to play here much this year, so we value our opportunities to perform well in front of our own fans."
The Owls trailed the opening set, 11-8, before a 5-0 run gave KSU its second lead of the set. That would prove to be the final lead change of the opening frame, even though the Blue Hose kept the score tight. Leading 19-18, a Blue Hose attack error and a kill by Baylee Strachan were bookended by kills from Grace Hoyt to give KSU the 23-18 advantage. Presbyterian would roll off four straight points to pull within one, 23-22, before the Owls asked for time. Off the 75-second stoppage, a Blue Hose attack error and a kill by Lang gave KSU set one, 25-22.
The next two sets would prove to be slightly different. In the second set, the Owls scored 16 of the first 19 poitns of the set, taking a 13-point lead. Thirteen points would prove to be the margin of victory in the set, as the Owls moved ahead 2-0 in the best-of-five going into intermission.
In the finale, the Owls led 10-7, but quickly saw the lead expand. A kill by Emily Bean sparked a 7-0 run, fueled mostly by Presbyterian miscues. The Owls soon led 17-7 and would never look back.
As a team, the Owls hit .422 for the contest, the second-best percentage for a match in program history. A week after setting a career-high in kills with eight, junior Grace Hoyt had nine kills and a .500 attack percentage. Lang's 15.5 points led KSU, with Gulley scoring 14 and Hoyt 10. Emily Bean had a career-best three service aces.
The Owls (5-6) will be back in action this evening at 7 p.m. against Coastal Carolina. Presbyterian (4-5) will face No. 25 Ohio State at 5 p.m.
