NEWARK, Del. – Kennesaw State volleyball completed a weekend sweep of Delaware with a 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-16, 25-21) Saturday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center, extending the Owls' Conference USA road winning streak to three matches. KSU controlled the first two sets before overcoming a seven-point deficit in the third, closing the match on a 12-3 run to complete the sweep.
The Owls (9-9, 3-3 CUSA) have now won three consecutive matches overall, while Delaware dropped to 7-9 overall and 2-4 in league play.
OWL OF THE GAME
Haley Patterson led the Owls with a match-high 13 kills on .357 hitting (13-3-28), while adding five digs, two service aces and one block.
STAT OF THE GAME
Kennesaw State hit .265 for the match while holding Delaware to a .071 hitting percentage, the second-lowest by an Owls opponent this season behind Friday's .063 performance. KSU also held a commanding 47-22 advantage in kills, more than doubling the Blue Hens' total.
THE RUNDOWN
Set One (KSU 25, Delaware 18)
Delaware jumped out to a 9-5 lead before the Owls answered with five straight points to move ahead 10-9. After the Blue Hens tied the score at 10, KSU responded with a 7-0 run behind two service aces from Gracie Pynes and three kills to take control at 17-10. KSU extended its advantage to 21-12 before closing out the set on a kill by Ava Garner. Patterson collected seven kills in the opening frame as the Owls finished with a 15-6 advantage in kills.
Set Two (KSU 25, Delaware 16)
The Owls took control early in the second set, building a 6-2 advantage before Delaware closed the margin to one at 6-5. KSU answered with a 6-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Patterson, to extend its lead to 12-5. The advantage grew to 18-7 following consecutive aces from Alexis Sowers, and the Blue Hens would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way. KSU limited Delaware to just five kills and a .000 hitting percentage in the frame.
Set Three (KSU 25, Delaware 21)
Delaware threatened to extend the match in the third set, using an 8-2 stretch to turn an 8-8 tie into a 16-10 lead. The Blue Hens eventually stretched their advantage to 18-11 before KSU began its comeback. The Owls scored seven of the next eight points to pull within one at 19-18, then used a kill by Hunter Cook to take their first lead since early in the frame at 21-19. Delaware pulled within one at 22-21, but KSU answered with a Patterson kill, an Ashley Theiss service ace and another Patterson kill to complete the sweep. The Owls hit .333 with 18 kills in the final set.
QUOTABLE - Kennesaw State Head Coach Keith Schunzel
"Really proud of our team and the weekend we just had. It was a long trip up to Delaware against a talented, athletic team that plays really hard, and we came away with two wins, winning six of seven sets in the process and playing some really nice volleyball. I sense some confidence and belief from this group, which is cool to see.
"Our group had good responses early in set one and late in set three today. I thought our two left sides, Hunter and Patterson, took a bunch of brave, high swings all day. Walz ran an excellent offense all weekend, and then Koko came in late in the third and shifted the momentum to finish the match."
NOTES
- Hunter Cook continued her strong play with nine kills, giving her 26 kills over KSU's three-match winning streak.
- Olivia Burrage added 10 kills and two blocks, increasing her school-record career total to 411.
- Kaeley Walz finished with 29 assists, three kills on five attempts, four digs and two service aces.
- Ava Garner recorded five kills on .333 hitting.
- KSU recorded nine service aces, including two each from Patterson, Pynes, Walz and Sowers.
- Alexis Sowers led the Owls with nine digs, while Ashley Theiss added six.
- The Owls have now won all four meetings against Delaware since the Blue Hens joined CUSA in 2025.
NEXT TIME OUT
Kennesaw State returns home for a two-match Conference USA series against Missouri State on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. at VyStar Arena. Friday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.
