Marshall University Athletics
Volleyball Clinches Spot In Mac Tournament With Win Over Toledo
11/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Volleyball Clinches Spot In Mac Tournament With Win Over Toledo
11/9/2002
Huntington, W.Va.-The Marshall University volleyball team clinched a berth in the Mid-American Conference tournament for the first time since 1999 with a 3-0 (30-22,30-27,30-21) victory over the Toledo Rockets Saturday night at the Cam Henderson Center. MU improves to 19-8, 10-4 in league play, while the Rockets fall to 10-16, 2-12 in the MAC.
?We played some of our best volleyball tonight,? said Marshall coach Mitch Jacobs. ?When Toledo made a little run at us in game three, we never stopped firing and pulled through. We?ve got the toughest schedule in the league left, but we already know one thing, and that?s we?re in the MAC Tournament.?
The Herd sailed through game one and blew a close game open in the middle of the set with two unanswered runs of five points. Game two was tighter throughout, and on a kill by Toledo?s Bitsy Mayhle, the Rockets held a 21-17. Coach Jacobs called timeout, and the Herd regrouped nine points later to take a 24-23 lead. Marshall led for the rest of the match, closing out game two 30-27, and taking game three 30-21.
Senior Grace Jones (Lakeland, Fla.), who was honored along with fellow seniors Jodi Fick (Fremont, Ohio) and Heidi Kuethe (Normal, Ill.)before the match, had an outstanding match for the Thundering Herd. Jones put down 12 kills and had only three errors in 19 total attempts (.474). As a team, Marshall hit .248 (44-17-109). Isabelle Anderer (Sinsheim, Germany) had a match-high 13 kills, while Fick led the team in digs with 11. Kuethe notched six total blocks in the Herd?s win.
The Rockets were led by Natalie Mash with 12 kills, and Jessica Buck with ten. Bitsy Mayhle and Kacy Stevens led UT defensively with ten digs apiece.
Marshall takes on Kent State next Friday night at 7 p.m in the Henderson Center.