KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State volleyball snapped its four-match losing streak Friday night, sweeping Liberty 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-22) in Conference USA action at VyStar Arena.
The Owls (10-13, 4-7 CUSA) picked up their first home conference victory of the season, while Liberty dropped to 14-9 overall and 6-5 in league play.
OWL OF THE GAME
Ashlyn Anderson finished with nine kills on a team-best .368 hitting percentage (9-2-19) among players with at least 10 attempts, while adding three blocks to help lead Kennesaw State to the three-set victory.
STAT OF THE GAME
Kennesaw State held Liberty to a .158 hitting percentage while finishing with six service aces compared to three for the Flames. The Owls also committed just 14 attack errors while Liberty finished with 20.
THE RUNDOWN
Set One (KSU 25, Liberty 23)
The teams battled through a closely contested opening stretch before Kennesaw State used a 7-2 run to turn a 10-10 tie into a 17-12 advantage. The Owls continued to build their lead, moving ahead 23-17 behind a balanced offensive attack led by Patterson and Anderson. Liberty answered with five consecutive points to pull within 23-22, but a Flames attack error gave KSU set point. After Liberty saved one set point, a service error handed the Owls the 25-23 victory. KSU hit .279 with 18 kills in the opening frame.
Set Two (KSU 25, Liberty 17)
Kennesaw State carried its momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early 6-3 advantage and extending its lead to 11-7. The Owls continued to control the frame, with a Kourtney Brown service ace pushing the lead to 14-9. KSU stretched its advantage to 20-13 before closing out the 25-17 victory on a Liberty attack error. The Owls committed just one attack error in the set, finishing with a .333 hitting percentage.
Set Three (KSU 25, Liberty 22)
Liberty opened the third set with a 3-0 lead before Kennesaw State began to battle back. The Owls used a service ace from Anna Ofenheusle to move ahead 8-7 and later built an 18-15 advantage. KSU extended its lead to 21-16, but Liberty responded with four consecutive points to pull within one. The teams traded points down the stretch before a Flames service error gave Kennesaw State match point at 24-22. Pynes followed with a service ace to seal the 25-22 victory and complete the sweep.
QUOTABLE
Kennesaw State Head Coach Keith Schunzel
"I thought our service pressure and our consistent passing in serve receive really drove us tonight against a good, physical Liberty team. Gracie Pynes set the tone from the jump in both of those areas.
"We also had an excellent offensive performance tonight. Koko ran a terrific offense and kept us in a great rhythm all game. Her tempo and location were as good as they've been all year.
"One more big one still to go this weekend."
NOTES
- The Owls recorded their eighth three-set sweep of the season and improved to 8-1 in three-set matches.
- KSU improved to 16-2 all-time against Liberty, including 10-0 at home.
- Haley Patterson led the Owls with 11 kills on .286 hitting (11-3-28).
- Olivia Burrage posted six kills and four blocks, increasing her school-record career block total to 431.
- Kourtney Brown recorded a match-high 26 assists, two kills, two blocks and one service ace.
- Gracie Pynes finished with three service aces and six digs, including the match-winning ace.
- Anna Ofenheusle contributed four kills, two service aces and three digs.
- Alexis Sowers led KSU defensively with 11 digs while adding four assists.
- Ava Garner finished with three blocks and three assists.
- Kennesaw State hit .230 for the match, including .333 in the second set, and finished with seven team blocks.
NEXT TIME OUT
Kennesaw State concludes its two-match Conference USA home series against Liberty on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. ET at VyStar Arena. The match will be streamed live 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.
