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KENNESAW, Ga. – Freshman Kelly Marcinek made it eight straight matches with double-figure kill totals, but the effort fell short on Friday night as the Kennesaw State volleyball team fell at home to Lipscomb, 3-0 (20-25, 23-25, 21-25), in Atlantic Sun Conference action.
 
The loss was just the third all season for the Owls at the KSU Convocation Center where the team has won eight games so far this season.
 
KSU, now 10-14 overall and 5-9 in the A-Sun, put up 20 or more points in each set, making for a competitive ballgame against second place Lipscomb, who improves to 17-6 on the year and 11-2 in the league.
 
"The volleyball was at a really high level tonight," Kennesaw State head coach Keith Schunzel said. "Both offenses executed well, but I think ultimately theirs executed just a little better. Every set came down to one or two key plays and that's what happens in high level volleyball. We got over 20 in every set and it's frustrating to not pull any sets out, but the execution was great and that's encouraging."
 
In a first set that saw 11 ties and a pair of lead changes, the Owls rallied from an 8-7 deficit to go up by a pair after a 3-0 run that saw two Marcinek kills to set the score at 10-8 KSU. Lipscomb then went on to tie it up just four points later at 11-all before ending the set on a 4-0 run to win the match opener, 25-20.
 
During the second it was the home team that jumped out to an early 7-3 lead after a kill from Megan McGuinness. A 6-1 offensive stretch in favor of the Bison then tied things up at 11, but the Owls held strong, regaining the lead at 16-15 after a Cierra Royster kill before the two teams played to a 23-23 tie. After a Lipscomb timeout it was the Bison who again came out on top, this time scoring the final two points of the set for the 25-23 win.
 
KSU led just once in the third at 4-2 after a Royster kill off of a Sara Metroka set. LU then took control of things with seven straight points before going up by as many as six at 12-6. The Owls then made things interesting, coming all the way back to within three points at 21-19. KSU kept close but it was ultimately Lipscomb who took the set and the match with the 25-21 win.
 
Marcinek was tops for both teams with her 19 kills and .406 attack percentage, her fourth straight match hitting over the .300 mark as the Owls hit .245 as a team.
 
Metroka aided in the effort with her 34 assists while McGuinness collected a pair of blocks.
 
KSU will be back on the court tomorrow, Nov. 2, as the team hosts Northern Kentucky in a 3 p.m. ET match.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State volleyball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsVB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
 
Fans are reminded that tickets to all 2013 home volleyball contests are free throughout the year.

 

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