By: by KSU Sports Information
BOONE, N.C. - Alyssa Lang was one of three players with seven kills for the Owls as the Kennesaw State volleyball team fell, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-17), to Appalachian State in the fourth match of the Appalachian Invitational.
"We absolutely cannot afford to get off to beginnings like we did today and expect to win matches," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "Credit Appalachian State for playing a solid match, but we put ourselves in too many bad positions throughout the contest to be successful."
The Owls (0-2) dropped dropped 15 of the first 18 points of the match to fall behind by 12. The problems continued for KSU, as the Owls hit in negative numbers for much of the set. However, KSU mounted a rally in to get back in the set on Holly Knight's serve. Trailing 17-5, Knight had a kill and a pair of service aces to get the Owls back in the set, 17-10, and send ASU into a timeout.
The teams swapped points off the timeout, as the Owls tried to chip away at the lead. A kill by Lang sparked another KSU rally, as KSU scored four points in a row to pull within three, 19-16. Three would prove to be as close as KSU would get in the opening set, as a mini-run by the Mountaineers got the lead back up to six, 23-17. While Knight's third kill of the set brought KSU back within five, ASU would score the last two points of the set to take the opener, 25-18.
Set two started much differently for the Owls as KSU scored five of the first six points to send ASU into a timeout down 5-1. The Mountaineers cut the lead to two, but KSU stretched the lead back up to five, 9-4, after a block by Keyaira Stevenson and Young. The lead would bounce to seven after a Bean kill and an ASU attack error sent ASU into its second timeout down seven, 12-5. The timeout paid off for ASU, as four straight points sent KSU into a timeout with the lead down to three, 12-9.
The Mountaineers (2-0) continued to rally, taking their first lead of the set, 14-13. Stevenson evened the set up with a kill, then a block by Sara Metroka and Knight pushed KSU back up by a point. The teams swapped points back and forth, with neither team winning a point on its serve to take a two-point lead. Finally, a block by Bean and Knight gave KSU a two-point edge, 20-18. ASU came back, as three straight points gave the Mountaineers a one-point edge, 21-20, and sent KSU into its second timeout of the set.
ASU gained a two-point lead off the timeout, but a Stevenson kill brought the Owls back within a point. That would be as close as the Owls would get as back-to-back hitting errors by the Owls gave ASU the set, 25-21.
The teams split the first 14 points of the third set, but ASU took advantage of three Owls attack errors to build the first substantial lead of the set, 11-7. ASU would eventually stretch the lead as high as nine, 22-13. The Owls would get as close as seven, but that would not be enough as the Owls fell, 25-17.
Playing in her first match of the season after missing the opener due to a death in the family, Lang had seven kills to go with seven digs. Young had seven kills without an attack error for a .436 hitting percentage. Bean was the third Owls starter with seven kills, also getting a match-best 15 digs in the process.
Kelly Rhein had 16 kills for ASU, as the home squad hit .301 for the match, compared to just .090 for the visitors. Courtney Rhein had 13 digs to lead ASU.
The Owls will be back in action at 4:30 p.m. when they take on N.C. State.
