By: by KSU Sports Information
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Justine Young had 21 kills and Alyssa Lang had a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs as the Kennesaw State volleyball team fell, 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-11) to Belmont at the KSU Convocation Center in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener for both teams.
"Belmont has a very disciplined team and an experienced coaching staff that worked very hard as a unit to make adjustments between sets to make things more difficult for us," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "We got off to a good start, but we have to keep a sustained effort throughout the entire match. The effort by our team in in the latter stages was not acceptable by any means."
The Owls (5-11, 0-1) broke a 19-19 tie in the first set with six consecutive points to pull ahead in the best-of-five. Consecutive kills by Lang and Young started the run, and after a pair of Belmont attack errors, the lead had built to four, 23-19. The eighth kill of the set by Young gave the Owls set point, and after a Belmont ball handling error, the Owls had the first set in hand, 25-19.
The Owls hit an impressive .325 in the second set, but the Bruins (10-6, 1-0) did the Owls even better with a .394 clip. Much like in the first set, a team went on a run to close out the frame as the Bruins scored the final four points to pull away for the victory.
A 7-7 tie in the third set would be the last time the teams were even in the frame. The Bruins scored the next three points and never led by fewer than two the rest of the way. In the final set, Belmont took the first two points and eight of the first 10 in all, never looking back for a 25-11 win.
Sara Metroka joined Lang with a double-double, as both earned their team-high fifth double-double. The sophomore setter had 40 assists and 10 digs for the Owls. Young's 21 kills were only topped by Bruins senior Maggie Johnson's 23. Jen Myer of the Bruins had 11 kills, as four players total cleared the 10-kill threshold.
Kennesaw State's three-match homestand will conclude Saturday at 3 p.m. as Lipscomb visits the Convocation Center in an A-Sun match. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a gold Owls Towel.
