Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UCF
Volleyball Sweeps UCF, 3-0
10/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 24, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Marshall University volleyball team swept the UCF Knights, 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21) in a Conference USA match on Saturday night at The Venue.
MU (19-5, 7-3 C-USA) received double-digit kill performances from Kristin Marcum (13) and Emily Sullivan (12) to lead the offensive charge for the Thundering Herd.
UCF (11-13, 3-8 C-USA) also posted a pair of players with 10-or-more kills in Kristin Fisher (11) and Evija Vilde (10) in the loss.
The win gives the Herd a sweep of the season series with UCF, as MU knocked off the Knights in a five-game match on Sept. 27.
The opening frame of the match featured 16 ties as the score teeter-tottered back and forth. After a timeout by head coach Mitch Jacobs with the Herd trailing 22-21, MU went on a 4-0 surge, capped off by an Elizabeth Fleming solo block to claim the first set victory, 25-22.
"We were very good tonight from points one to 18 and we had leads, but we relaxed and got sloppy," Jacobs said. "You have to hand it to UCF for keeping themselves in each game to make them all tight down the stretch."
In the beginning stages of the second set, seven ties brought the score to 13-all. A kill from Elizabeth Herman gave the Herd its largest lead of the set, 20-15. The Knights fought back within two points, 20-18, which forced a MU timeout.
An Abby Tomas service ace pushed the Herd advantage back to five points, 23-18. UCF would get within two, 24-22, but suffered a service error to put MU up 2-0 in the match.
In the third and eventual final frame of the match, MU held an early 7-3 lead on a kill by Katy Schad and would later hold a five-point cushion, 17-12, when Sullivan connected for a kill. The Knights evened the score at 19-all, but MU utilized a 6-2 spurt to take the set and the match.
Along with their kill totals, Marcum added nine digs and Sullivan hit at a .381 (12K-4E-21TA) hitting percentage.
Fleming dished out a match-high 38 assists along with eight digs and three block assists. Schad and Ryanne Milligan registered 15 and 11 digs, respectively, to take charge of the Herd defense.
"I'm very proud of our girls," Jacobs said. "We made the plays we needed to down the stretch in each game to come out on top tonight," Jacobs said.
MU is off until next Friday night, Oct. 30, with a trip to Houston, Texas, to play the Cougars at 8 p.m. ET.
