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WICHITA, Kansas – Kennesaw State volleyball came up short in its first contest against a Power Four squad this season, as the Owls dropped a 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19) to Arkansas on Saturday in the second day of the Shocker Volleyball Classic from Charles Koch Arena. The Owls moved to 1-1 for the year with the setback, while the Razorbacks stand at 1-0.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU finished the game with 19 attack errors and a .256 hitting percentage, while Arkansas committed only seven, and would record a .387 hitting percentage to claim the win.
THE RUNDOWN – The lead switched back and forth in the opening of the first set, before a 3-0 run gave Arkansas the lead for good. KSU would close within 18-17, before the Razorbacks scored seven of the next nine points to close the set for a 1-0 advantage. Set two saw Arkansas go up 8-3 before the Owls scored five straight to tie the score at 8-8. It was tied again at 9-9, until a 9-2 run from the Razorbacks gave them a commanding 18-11 lead in an eventual 25-17 set win. The Owls came out strong in set three, scoring four of the first five for a 4-1 lead. Arkansas came back to tie the game, and took its first lead at 12-11. The Razorbacks extended the lead to two three times, the last at 20-18.
Kiernan Stamey then recorded a kill and followed that with an ace, part of a run of five straight points by the Owls, while
Manu Johnsen finished the set with a kill for a 25-23 KSU win, bringing the Owls within 2-1. KSU started strong again in set four, leading 8-7, but midway thought the set were trailing by a 15-14 score after a kill from Stamey. Arkansas took control with a 7-0 run for a 22-14 lead, and held off a late KSU rally for a 25-19 set win to close out the match.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"Arkansas came out cleaner and more engaged than us in the first half of today's match, which was disappointing. But we responded in the 3rd and 4th to make it more competitive, certainly a good sign. A few too many errors in the 4th by us and consistent play by Arkansas down the stretch were the difference. Overall though, a good weekend for us. We competed well overall and grew a lot. I'm fired up about our team. We have a lot of pieces and a lot of weapons. We need to continue to handle the ball cleaner for longer stretches of time. When we do that, we are awfully good."
NOTES
-Johnsen recorded a double-double for the second straight game, posting a game-high 17 kills to go along with 13 digs.
-Also in double-figures for kills was Stamey with 11, while
Olivia Burrage added nine.
-Setters
Kaeley Walz and
Kourtney Brown finished with 21 and 20 assists, respectively.
-
Leah Freeman's 17 digs paced KSU, while Stamey finished with a career-high four aces.
-This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the volleyball court.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will stay on the road as they take on in-state rival Mercer in Macon on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m.
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The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Joining The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
