Follow KSU Volleyball - X | Instagram
MACON, Ga. – Kennesaw State volleyball got the ball rolling in its first contest in the state of Georgia this season, as the Owls commanded a 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16) win on the road at Mercer on Tuesday night from Hawkins Arena. The Owls moved to 2-1 for the year with the victory, which marked their second road win of the year over a team they lost to at home in the 2024 season.
OWL OF THE GAME: Haley Patterson had a strong overall night with 10 kills and a .318 hitting percentage while adding four blocks and three digs and a pair of assists.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Owls ended the game with 16 attack errors and a .286 hitting percentage, while Mercer accumulated 25, and finished with a .163 hitting percentage.
THE RUNDOWN – The opening of the first could not have started off stronger for the Owls as they won the first eight points of the night. KSU recorded four aces in the opening set, two from
Kiernan Stamey, one from Kaely Walz and one from
Leah Freeman., and would finish with a 10-point win. Set two switched back and forth until the Owls were able to jump to a 5-3 lead and score the next seven points putting them at 12-3. As the rally continued, KSU mastered a 25-18 set win. Set three saw the Owls at an 8-2 lead before the Bears came back to battle and force a 10-10 tie. Mercer continued with the momentum to grab its first set win, 25-19. KSU returned back on the court for set four, again scoring the first eight points of the set.
Olivia Burrage started off with a huge kill from over the net, while Patterson followed with a kill and the run was on. This extended lead carried throughout the set making it easy for KSU to maintain control before closing out the win.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"Overall it was a nice match by us. We came out really focused, really sharp and clean. We had two really good strong sets at the start of the game where we were really starting to control the play. I thought we let the foot off the gas a little in the third, gave them some confidence and when you do that on the road you end up losing sets. That's something we had to learn, hopefully tonight is when we learned that lesson and we responded well in the fourth set which is a good and mature sign. Overall a good night for us, it's always good to beat Mercer, and now we're moving onto the next game."
NOTES
-Johnsen recorded a season high of 18 kills, 21 points and five blocks.
-Also in double-figures for kills was Patterson with 10.
-Setters
Kaeley Walz and
Kourtney Brown finished with 17 and 13 assists, respectively.
-
Leah Freeman led the Owls with 11 digs.
-This was the 15th match-up between the two schools, and the Owls now lead the series 8-7.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will host the first home game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 6th at 2 p.m against South Carolina in the KSU Convocation Center.
The Owls Fund
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.
