Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Rice
Marshall Volleyball Outlasts Rice, 3-1
10/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 26, 2007
HOUSTON, Texas - Marshall University senior outside hitter Kelly-Anne Billingy tallied a match-high 26 kills and recorded 12 digs to help lift the Herd to a 3-1 (28-30, 32-30, 30-24, 30-25) win over Rice University in Friday night's Conference USA volleyball match in Houston.
With the win, Marshall improves to 17-8 overall and is 10-1 in the conference, while Rice falls to 10-13 overall, 5-6 in C-USA.
"This was by far the most competitive our team has been this season," head coach Mitch Jacobs said following the match. "Rice played fantastic defense, and was the best defensive opponent we have faced in the conference this season."
Leading 2-1 in the match, the Herd posted an early 3-0 lead in the fourth stanza before the Owls scored three consecutive points to even the contest at 3. The teams fought to five more ties before the Owls posted an 11-8 lead. The Herd then used an 8-5 run capped by a block assist from freshman setter Elizabeth Fleming and junior middle hitter Jalicia Ross to send the game to a 16-16 tie. With the score tied at 18, Marshall tallied four of the next six points and used a kill by sophomore outside hitter Kristin Marcum, a kill by senior middle hitter Uche Ndubisi, and a block assist by Ndubisi and Billingy to bring the score to 22-20 in favor of the Herd. Marshall then scored eight of the next 13 points finished by a Billingy kill to seal the match.
With the match tied at a game apiece, Marshall stormed out to an 8-2 lead. The Owls then posted a 15-9 run to knot the game at 17 and on the ensuing play, took its first lead of the game. The Herd then used a 5-1 run that included a block assist by Ndubisi and freshman middle blocker Kelley Bugler, and two Billingy kills to post a 25-19 lead before the Owls responded scoring five of the next seven points to climb to within three at 27-24. The Herd put the game away with a kill apiece from Marcum, senior outside hitter Stephanie Cahill and Billingy to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Down 1-0 in the match, Rice jumped out to an early 12-7 lead before the Herd received two kills from Billingy and an ace from Cahill as part of a 5-1 run to pull to within one at 13-12. From there, the Herd knotted the game at 14 with a kill by Ross. With the score at 20-17 in favor of Rice, the teams battled back and forth as Marshall pulled to within two eight separate times to bring the score to 27-27 capped by an Arias ace. The Herd then took its first lead of the match and built a 29-27 lead. The Owls fought off two game-point opportunities and forced a sixth tie of the game before the Herd used a kill by Cahill and a roof-block by Billingy to seal the victory.
In game one, the teams fought to three tie scores before Rice broke a 26-26 deadlock to take its first lead of the match. Fleming and Ross teamed for a block to even the score at 27, and the teams fought to a fifth tie at 28-28 with a Cahill kill. From there, the Owls were able to cap their comeback and take the game 30-28.
Cahill tallied 18 kills (in addition to 13 digs) in the match and is nine shy of becoming Marshall's second all-time leader in kills.
Arias finished with a team-high 16 digs while Marcum added 14 for the Herd, while Fleming dished out 62 assists.
Ross finished with eight kills and had two solo blocks and three solo.
The Herd returns to C-USA action when it faces the University of Houston, Sunday, Oct. 28. Match time is set for 2:00 p.m. E.T. in Houston.
Marshall will host the 2007 Conference USA Championship on Nov. 15 to the 18th at the Cam Henderson Center and ticket prices are as follows:
Adult Advance:
$8/Day
$25/Tournament
Adult Walk-up
$10/Day
$30/Tournament
Youth Advance:
$6/Day
$20/Tournament
Youth Walk-up
$8/Day
$25 Walk-up
$15 Tournament Pre-Sale Group Rate (Groups larger than 10)
