Follow KSU Volleyball on Social - Twitter | Instagram
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State volleyball team remains tied for first place in the ASUN after an electrifying 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 16-25, 22-25) victory over the Stetson Hatters on Friday night from the Convocation Center. With the win over the Hatters, the Owls have tied the longest home win streak in program history at 15 games, which is also tied for the third-longest active home win streak in the nation.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Owls were strong at the net, putting up nine team blocks while the Hatters finished with just two.
OWL OF THE GAME: Freshman Manu Johnsen led the Owls through all night long with an impressive hitting performance, and she would finish with new career-highs of 20 kills and 16 digs for a double-double.
SET ONE: The Owls took a quick 1-3 lead on kills by
Jasmine Brown and Johnsen, but a six-point run from the Hatters set Stetson up to hold the lead throughout the first set. The Owls looked to come back late in the set as Brown and Johnsen went on a 4-0 kill streak to set pull ahead 20-17, until the Hatters scored five straight for a 22-20 lead on the way to the win.
SET TWO: The Owls bounced back to even the playing field at 1-1 after a back-and-forth second set. The teams were neck and neck when KSU scored four straight for a 17-13 advantage over the Hatters. Following the run, the Owls allowed only one point, securing a 25-18 win.
SET THREE: KSU took the lead early and did not turn back, leading by as much as 10 throughout the set. The Owls went on a seven-point run midway through the set to take a 13-5 lead and never looked back while claiming a nine-point victory.
SET FOUR: In a set that could have gone either way, KSU clinched a 25-22 win to take set four and the match. The Owls fell behind early, trailing 8-5, but a three-kill streak from Johnsen put the Owls back in the contest. Johnsen snuck an ace on the final serve of the match to clinch the win for the Owls.
QUOTEABLE: "That was an impressive comeback by our group tonight. We had a complete mentality shift between set one and the rest of that match. That was directly led by
Lanie Vantrease who came off the bench and competed her butt off and was nearly unstoppable attacking the ball. The work that that student-athlete has put in to develop her game and the heart that she has put into this program and her teammates is extraordinary. I couldn't be more proud of her tonight."
– KSU head coach Keith Schunzel
NOTES:
-KSU's home win streak ties the 15-game home win streak from Nov. 11, 2016-Sept. 4, 2018. The Owls' last loss in the Convocation Center was 3-0 to South Carolina on Sept. 9, 2021.
-Four Owls finished in double-figures for kills, paced by Johnsen.
Lanie Vantrease had a strong night, notching a career-best 14 kills and a .429 hitting percentage (14K-2E-28TA), while Brown posted 12 kills and
Claire Parsons 10, as well as five blocks.
-
McKinley Ferguson joined Johnsen in posting a double-double thanks to 53 assists and 10 digs.
-Another Owl having a strong night was
Shelby Dennis with 30 digs.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls return to the Convocation Center on Saturday night for a key ASUN contest at 5 pm contest against FGCU.
