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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Kennesaw State volleyball won three straight sets to claim a victory for the second straight day, but Sunday's victory was even move impressive than the first as the Owls trailed host UAB 2-0 before closing out with a 3-2 win. Paired with Saturday's 3-1 victory over Georgia Southern, in which the Owls lost the first before winning 3-1, KSU finished with a perfect 2-0 record in the Blazer Invitational, hosted by UAB in Bartow Arena, and improved to 3-2 on the season.
The Owls started the day out strong with a 9-2 lead, and were up 17-12 before the Blazers went on a 7-0 spurt. After KSU closed within one, UAB finished off the set for a 1-0 overall lead, and led almost the entire second set for a 2-0 advantage.
THE TURNING POINT: It was anyone's ballgame midway in the third, with KSU holding onto a 16-15 lead. Lauren Chastang then recorded a kill to start a run of three straight points, and the Owls led by as least two the rest of the set to keep KSU alive. The fourth set was KSU's the whole way meanwhile, leading by at least three or more points after the first five of the set (4-1), and the Owls led by as much as seven before scoring the final point for the eight-point win.
THE FIFTH SET: The final set was as tight as it could be, with eight ties and seven lead changes. The Blazers held a 9-8 edge when Dani Ballou took over, recording three straight kills for KSU. That put the Owls ahead 11-9, while back-to-back kills from Chastang finished off the set and the match.
OWL OF THE GAME: Chastang notched her third double-double of the season and second straight with a team-high 22 kills and 17 digs. She also paced the Owls with a .333 hitting percentage for the match.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU recorded double-digit aces for the second straight game, with Shelby Dennis leading the way with four, part of 11 overall on the day for the squad.
QUOTEABLE: "Tremendous fight by our team today. UAB has a really nice team, with some big attackers and is well coached, so that's a good early season win for us. We actually played quite well the first two sets but gave up some easy scoring opportunities and a couple of long serving runs. As the match went on, we cleaned up a little in defense and transition and got more aggressive on the offensive end. Super proud of that comeback and resilience of our group." – KSU head coach Keith Schunzel
NOTES:
- For the second straight day, Chastang was joined in double-digit kills by Ballou (13) and Emma Schurfranz (10).
- Bri Becerra finished with a team-high 21 digs, McKinley Ferguson led the Owls with 44 assists, and Claire Parsons posted six total blocks for KSU.
- This was the second five-set match of the season, and first win for KSU after suffering a 3-2 loss to Montana on the opening weekend.
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GRIFFIN'S GAME
KSU will play now three straight at home this week, capped off by their final game in the KSU Classic, Friday night at 7 pm against Clemson. That also serves as this year's Griffin's Game, the annual fundraiser to help a local family in their fight against childhood cancer. Tickets for the contest are $10, while group tickets are also available. Fans can make donations or buy T-shirts as well to help the cause by clicking here.
