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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Kennesaw State Volleyball hit a rough spot in the opening game of its three-game road swing, dropping a 3-0 (24-26, 24-26, 17-25) contest at Austin Peay in ASUN action Friday night at the Winfield Dunn Center. The loss dropped the Owls out of a tie for second place in the conference, leaving KSU at 16-7 overall, 9-4 in league play.
STAT OF THE GAME: This match was back and forth the entire way, and was tied numerous times, including at 20-20, 21-21 and 24-24 after back-to-back kills from the Owls. Austin Peay would take a 1-0 lead in the match though after a kill and an attack error from KSU.
SET ONE: Austin Peay led the majority of the set, and looked to put it away with a 23-19 lead. The Owls wouldn't go away easily, reeling off five straight points, a run that included a kill and two aces from Manu Johnsen, to go up 24-23. Again the Governors scored the final points of the set, this time three straight for a 26-24 victory.
SET TWO: This time the Eagles jumped out early, going up 5-1. KSU battled, closing within 15-13 but that was also the last time the Owls were within two in the set.
SET THREE: The home team jumped out to a 7-2 and 11-4 early advantage on the way to sweeping the set.
QUOTEABLE: "In the first 10 points of that match it was very evident we either weren't ready to battle on the road or we didn't respect that team enough, or both. We are now 3-3 on the road in conference play, and that's not a coincidence, and it has absolutely nothing to do with ability. It has to do with mentality, it has to do with leadership, and it has to do with having the moxie, composure and confidence to make plays. Not just one spectacular play, but to consistently make plays in someone else's gym in front of a crowd. Until we change, this will continue to happen to us.
– KSU head coach Keith Schunzel
NOTES:
- The Owls have dropped four losses in league play for the first time since the 2015 season when KSU finished at 9-5 in the league (19-9 overall).
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Dani Ballou broke out of a slump with a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs. Also in double-figures was Johnsen with 11 kills.
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Shelby Dennis paced KSU with 17 digs and
McKinley Ferguson finished with a team-high 35 assists.
- KSU's three team blocks was its second-lowest of the season.
NEXT TIME OUT: It does not get any easier for the Owls as they are at second-place Lipscomb on Saturday in a 7 pm match in Nashville.
