BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Despite two terrific performance from outside hitters
Keyaira Stevenson and
Turea Jones, the Kennesaw State volleyball team took a 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 24-26, 21-25) loss at East Tennessee State, dropping the season series, 2-0, as well.
Even with the loss, KSU is still in the running for postseason contention, falling to 5-12 in the Atlantic Sun standings and back to .500 overall for the first time this season at 16-16. ETSU picked up its 20
th win of the year while grabbing sole possession of third place in the A-Sun with an 11-5 record.
Jones (Santa Rosa, Calif./Santa Rosa JC) made it 13 double-doubles for the season after earning 17 kills and 17 digs while Stevenson (Columbia, S.C./Ridgeview HS) slammed 21 kills, the most individual kills for any Owl this season.
“Keyaira and Turea had awesome offensive determination,” said Kennesaw State head coach
Karen Weatherington. “They were tough to contain and Keyaira played amazing volleyball and equaled the A-Sun’s best hitter swing for swing.”
Senior
Baylee Strachan (Sioux City, Iowa/Winthrop) gave the Owls a 1-0 lead in the match as she picked up the opening set winner with a service ace, 25-20. KSU overcame a 5-0 disadvantage early on to come back and tie the set up with an attack error by the Buccaneers, knotting things up at nine midway through the set. Stevenson gave Kennesaw State its first lead of the match at 11-10 shortly thereafter before Strachan put things away.
KSU again fell behind in the early goings of the second set, 8-3, before battling to knot things up at 10 with Stevenson capping off a 4-0 run for the Owls. But the ETSU offense outpaced the black and gold down the home stretch, taking a 25-18 win on the KSU attack error.
ETSU squeaked by with the 26-24 win in set three after the Owls led the majority of the way. With a 23-22 lead, the Bucs tied things up at 23 on a Bethany Gesell kill before Jones put the Owls back up by one. But three straight points by ETSU put the home team on top in the extended set to take a 2-1 match advantage.
The Owls kept things interesting in the fourth set, battling back as they did all match to climb back from a 16-11 deficit. Five straight points on four Stevenson kills tied it up at 16, but a 4-0 run from the Buccaneers to end the set gave ETSU the 25-21 win.
Libero
Camille Pedraza (Marietta, Ga./Kell HS) had another 19 dig game, making it 59 digs in the last three matches alone for the senior. Setter
Sara Metroka (New Castle, Ind./New Castle Chrysler HS) chipped in with 44 assists as well during the loss.
“I am so pleased by the way the team is playing,” added Weatherington “We knew this road swing was going to be a challenge. It's never to a team’s advantage to play the top five teams in the conference on the road to finish the season. We set our goal to play with discipline and execute our game plan and I know we accomplished that. I am encouraged that we will continue to fight on.”
Chade Martin (Augusta, Ga./Grovetown HS) put up four block assists and a pair of solo blocks while
Aneisha Christie (Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial HS) and Strachan combined for nine block assists.
The Owls will play their final game of the 2012 regular season this Thursday as the team heads to Macon, Ga. to take on rival Mercer at 7 p.m.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State volleyball news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsVB or by liking Kennesaw State
University Volleyball on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
Around the A-Sun
Mercer 3, USC Upstate 0
