Griffin's Game Donations
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Volleyball played a thrilling match against Mercer on Tuesday night but couldn't overcome an early 2-0 deficit as the Owls would fall 3-1 (23-25, 27-29, 25-19, 19-25) to their in-state rivals at the Convocation Center. This was also the annual Griffin's Game for the Owls, their fund-raiser for a local family dealing with childhood cancer. Fans can still make donations for the Senat family online at KSUOwls.com.
STAT OF THE GAME: In the clinching fourth set, the Owls (2-5) hit just .000 (7-7-27), and that was enough to give Mercer (6-1) the win despite finishing with a lower overall hitting percentage for the game (.215 to .237 for KSU).
THE RUNDOWN – The Owls jumped out to an early 8-5 lead, but Mercer used a 6-0 spurt to take control and force KSU to play form behind in the opening set. The Owls stayed close, and were within 24-23 after a 3-1 run before Mercer finished off set point for a 1-0 lead.
Set two again saw KSU with an early lead, this time at 5-1. Mercer would not get its first lead of the set until 19-18, and the set would be tied seven more times. KSU held off one set point, and led at 25-24 and 26-25 before eventually falling.
The third set was just as tight as the first two, but the Owls used a strong night from their middle blockers to eventually pull ahead of the visitors, as with the score tied at 19-19, KSU scored the final six points to claim the set. Sophomore
Maggie Byrd, who posted a career-high 10 blocks in the game, notched the final two points of the set, and KSU was within 2-1.
Mercer came out strong in the fourth set, going up 6-1 at the start. The Owls closed within 11-9, and 14-13 off a
Leah Freeman ace. Five of the next six points went to the Bears, and they held on for the six-point win.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"I was pretty disappointed in our grittiness in sets 1 and 2. We were hoping for things to happen instead of making them happen. Sets 3 and 4 I thought we had a better mentality but just didn't play the entire game consistently enough. Covering off the block, stepping in for overpass digs, bettering bad passes, picking up tips and putting them on target, expecting the ball on defense. All these small ball situations were just not consistently executed or handled well enough and over the course of a match against a solid team those make the difference. We'll learn and we'll grow. But it'll be bumpy until we do.
So happy and thankful to be able to raise money for King tonight and support that amazing little guy. Thanks to all who donated and who helped us wrap our arms around that family in an incredibly hard time for them."
NOTES
-This was the 14
th-meeting between the two teams, and the all-time series is now tied at 7-7.
-KSU lost despite both teams finishing with 70 points each, and the Owls trailing in kills by a 56-52 margin.
-The Owls posted a season-high 13 blocks in the game, to five for Mercer.
-KSU lost for the first time this year while holding a higher attack percentage.
-
Manu Johnsen paced KSU with 18 kills, while
Olivia Burrage added 12 kills and a .529 hitting percentage (12K-3E-17TA).
-Both
Kaeley Walz and
Kourtney Brown finished with 21 assists each for KSU, while
Caroline Cole recorded a team-high 13 digs.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will be back on the road for the Troy Invitational on Sept. 13-14. KSU will take on The Citadel on Friday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m., and then face the host Troy Trojans on Saturday, also at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
