Marshall Volleyball Sweeps Tulane, 3-0

Oct. 5, 2007

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall University senior outside hitter Kelly-Anne Billingy tallied a match-high 19 kills and finished with five total blocks to help lift the Herd to a 3-0 (30-25, 30-21, 30-24) sweep of Tulane in Friday night's Conference USA volleyball match at the Cam Henderson Center.

With the win, Marshall wins its sixth straight match and improves to 12-7 overall, and remains undefeated in C-USA play at 5-0.

Tulane loses for the first time in six matches and falls to 15-4 overall, and suffers its first conference setback and falls to 5-1.

The Herd built a 2-0 advantage in the match before posting a 26-22 lead on the Green Wave. From there, Marshall scored four of the next six points and used a block assist from junior middle hitter Jalicia Ross and freshman setter Elizabeth Fleming, and a kill from Billingy before Fleming teamed with senior middle hitter Uche Ndubisi for a block assist to seal a hard fought match.

"We'll take that win any day," head coach Mitch Jacobs said following the match. "It was really hot in the Cam Henderson Center tonight and that really played to our advantage."

In game one, the teams exchanged the lead seven times before tying the match at 23. From there the Herd went on a 7-3 run led by three kills from senior outside hitter Stephanie Cahill.

Cahill had five kills in that first game and hit at a stellar .556 clip, while Billingy also had five kills in the game and hit at a .571 mark.

In the second frame, the Herd cruised to a 27-21 lead and then used two attacking errors and a Billingy ace to claim the game two victory. Billingy tallied nine of her 19 kills in the second frame.

The Herd smashed nine service aces and tallied a combined 14 blocks including two roof blocks apiece from Billingy, Ndubisi and Ross, and one from Cahill.

"Our service game really got Tulane off kilter," Jacobs said. "That really was the key to the victory for us tonight."

Fleming handed out 38 helpers in the win in addition to her two block assists.

The Herd continues its five-match home-stand when UTEP comes to Huntington, Sunday, Oct. 7. Match time is 1 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center and admission is free.

The Marshall University Athletic Training Association is hosting a canned food race against University of Charleston from Oct. 1 - 31.

Please bring donations of canned goods and non-perishable items to Athletic Training office in GH 203B or GH 100. Items can also be collected at the Cam Henderson Center during the Herd's next four volleyball matches.

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)

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Players Mentioned

Kelly-Anne Billingy

Stephanie Cahill

Elizabeth Fleming

Uche Ndubisi

Jalicia Ross

Marshall University Athletics