NEWARK, Del. – Behind a dominating performance from Olivia Burrage and a strong defensive effort, Kennesaw State volleyball claimed its second straight road victory Friday night with a 3-1 win (25-18, 20-25, 25-18, 25-12) over Delaware at the Bob Carpenter Center.
The Owls improved to 8-9 overall and 2-3 in Conference USA, while Delaware dropped to 7-8 overall and 2-3 in league play.
Burrage led the Owls' offensive and defensive efforts, while Ashlyn Anderson and freshman Hunter Cook turned in strong performances. Kaeley Walz provided a spark off the bench, helping KSU regain control of the match over the final two sets.
OWL OF THE GAME
Olivia Burrage led the Owls with a match-high 17 kills on .500 hitting (17-3-28), while adding a match-high eight blocks. The eight blocks increased her school-record career total to 409.
STAT OF THE GAME
Kennesaw State held Delaware to a .063 hitting percentage, the lowest by an Owls opponent this season. The Blue Hens hit -.095 in the third set and -.057 in the fourth, managing just 11 combined kills over the final two frames.
THE RUNDOWN
Set One (KSU 25, Delaware 18)
The two teams traded points early before Kennesaw State began to take control with a 5-1 run that turned a 6-5 advantage into an 11-6 lead. The Owls continued to build their margin behind a strong effort at the net, stretching the lead to 18-10 before closing out the seven-point victory. Burrage finished with five kills in the opening frame, including the set winner, as KSU hit .321 while holding Delaware to just .037 hitting.
Set Two (Delaware 25, KSU 20)
KSU appeared to have the momentum midway through the second set, building a 13-11 lead before Delaware responded with nine unanswered points to take a 20-13 advantage. The Owls attempted a late rally, cutting the deficit to 23-19 behind a stretch that included two kills each from Burrage and Anderson, but the Blue Hens held on to even the match at one set apiece.
Set Three (KSU 25, Delaware 18)
With Walz directing the offense, the Owls quickly regained their composure in the third set. After Delaware rallied to take a 10-9 lead, the teams battled to a 12-12 tie before KSU responded with seven straight points to build a 19-12 advantage. Patterson, Ashley Theiss and Walz all contributed kills during the decisive stretch, while KSU's blocking continued to disrupt the Delaware attack. The Blue Hens managed just five kills against seven errors in the frame as the Owls moved ahead 2-1.
Set Four (KSU 25, Delaware 12)
Kennesaw State carried its momentum into the fourth set, jumping ahead 8-4 behind three kills from Anderson and another from Burrage. Delaware briefly cut the margin to 14-11, but the Owls answered with an 8-0 run to take complete control. Burrage delivered three kills during the stretch, while Walz added a service ace and KSU recorded three blocks. The Owls hit .333 in the final frame, with a Burrage-Anderson block sealing the victory.
QUOTABLE
Kennesaw State Head Coach Keith Schunzel
"Good night for us. Weathered a rough set 2 and stayed composed when Delaware got some momentum in different areas. I thought Walz came in and completely flipped the momentum of the match, as well as our offensive flow in sets 3 and 4. And Liv completely dominated that match attacking and blocking. High aggressive swings and being super aggressive on the block finishing way over and across. Nice win for our group tonight."
NOTES
- Kennesaw State earned its second straight road victory and improved to 8-9 overall and 2-3 in Conference USA.
- KSU held a commanding 13-4 advantage in team blocks.
- Ashlyn Anderson finished with 10 kills and six blocks.
- Haley Patterson added 11 kills, nine digs and four blocks.
- Hunter Cook posted seven kills on .429 hitting (7-1-14), giving her 17 kills on .536 hitting over the past two matches.
- Kaeley Walz came off the bench to record 22 assists, six digs, three blocks and two service aces.
- Ava Garner added six kills on .385 hitting and five blocks.
- Alexis Sowers collected a team-high 17 digs.
- The Owls hit .263 for the match and held a 54-34 advantage in kills.
- KSU recorded seven service aces, including two each from Patterson and Walz.
NEXT TIME OUT
Kennesaw State concludes its weekend series at Delaware on Saturday, Oct. 10, with first serve set for 1 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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