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DELAND, Fla. – In its second closely contested match in as many days, the Kennesaw State volleyball team rallied late but again fell short, this time falling in four, 3-1 (27-29, 24-26, 25-23, 22-25) to Stetson University in the historic Edmunds Center on Saturday evening.
 
The Owls enjoyed a trio of individual standout-performances during the match including freshman Kelly Marcinek's 20 kills, senior Emily Bean's first double-double of the season with 16 digs and 11 kills and a career-high 31 assists from sophomore Michelle Witt.
 
KSU now sits at 6-8 overall with a 1-3 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a pair of home matches on the way for the Owls in the next week.
 
Even with a lead most of the way through the opening set against the Hatters, KSU couldn't hold off Stetson as the home team took an extended-points win, 29-27. The Owls rallied around a pair of early service aces to go up 8-6, forcing a Stetson timeout before the Hatters came back to tie it up at 17 on a KSU error. The Owls served for set point twice before SU took the win on an Owls service error.
 
In the second set it was again KSU that jumped out to the early edge as a Cierra Royster block gave the Owls a 12-8 lead before going up 16-12 on a Kelly Marcinek kill. Stetson again rallied late, however, knotting it up at 20 and taking the second extended set of the match to go up 2-0 with the 26-24 win.
 
Stetson started off set number three with an 11-4 lead over the Owls but this time it was KSU that climbed back, cutting it to just a one-point lead after a Hatter attack error. Toure Hopkins then tied it up for the Owls with a kill to put the score at 19-19 as Marcinek brought home the win on back-to-back kills, 25-23.
 
KSU went up by as many as four points in the decisive final set, taking an 8-4 lead after a tandem block from Bean and Royster. A 3-0 run from the Hatters then tied it up at nine before the Owls snapped off a 6-0 run to go up 17-14. With the set tied at 20-20 it was SU that came out on top, outscoring the Owls 5-2 down the stretch to take the 25-22 set win as well as the match.
 
On the defensive end, the Owls put two players in double-figure digs for the first time this season, libero Camille Pedraza leading with 23 to go with Bean's 16. Bean also tied for the team lead with Royster in Blocks, each earning four for the match.
 
The Owls return home this Friday, Oct. 4, for a 7 p.m. ET contest against Jacksonville in the KSU Convocation Center, where KSU is 5-1 so far this season.
 
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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