Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Houston
Volleyball Falls at Houston, 3-1
10/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 30, 2009
HOUSTON, Texas - The Marshall University volleyball team dropped a Conference USA match to Houston, 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 23-25, 21-25) on Friday night at the Athletics/Alumni Center.
The loss drops the Thundering Herd to 19-6 overall, 7-4 in the conference. The Cougars upped their season slate to 4-8 in C-USA and 8-19 overall.
Houston took command of the match in the first set, owning a 9-4 advantage over the Herd into the visiting squad's first timeout. MU clawed its way back into the frame, evening the score at 15-all when seniors Kristin Marcum and Emily Sullivan teamed up on a block.
The two teams jockeyed for position during the next few points, with the Herd holding its first lead of the match, 17-16, when Sullivan spiked down a kill from Elizabeth Fleming. However, the Cougars closed out the set on a 9-4 rally to claim the opening frame, 25-21.
The second set featured 12 ties, which brought the score to 19-all, after a kill from Jasmine Terry of Houston. The Herd would then burst out on a 6-2 spurt, started by a kill from Sullivan and capped off with a spike from Cameron Yoho to even the match with a 25-21 win.
In another extremely close set, the Herd took its largest lead of the third frame, 11-8, after a kill from Fleming, block from Elizabeth Herman and Yoho and a Houston ball handling error. MU held a lead or was tied until the Cougars scrapped past the Herd, 20-19, from a kill by Ingrida Zauere.
Trailing 24-21, MU scored two-straight points on a block from Sullivan/Herman and a kill from Kristin Marcum. Houston was able to stave off the Herd with a kill from Terry to earn the victory, 25-23.
Momentum followed the Cougars into the fourth set, who led early, 7-2, as MU would fall behind as much as seven, 13-6. The Herd fought its way back to knot the score at 20-all, but the rally was not enough as the Cougars scored five of the last six points, to win 25-21 and earn the four set victory.
Fleming, Herman and Katy Schad all tallied double-doubles for the Herd. Fleming was the match-medalist in assists with 50 along with 10 digs. Herman recorded 14 kills and 13 digs, while Schad chipped in with 16 digs and 10 kills.
Sullivan connected for a team-high 17 kills and hit at a .371 attacking percentage (17K-4E-35TA), along with three digs and three block assists.
Houston received double-doubles from Tara Roenicke (45 assists, 12 digs) and Zauere (12 kills, 12 digs), while Terry totaled a match-high 19 kills. Amanda Carson recorded a match-best 24 digs in the victory.
The Herd remains in Houston, Texas, with a C-USA match against Rice, Saturday night at 8 p.m.
