Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Memphis
Seniors Lead Volleyball Past Memphis, 3-1
11/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 8, 2009
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Seniors Kristin Marcum and Emily Sullivan recorded 10 and 12 kills, respectively, in the pairs final home match of their careers as the Marshall University volleyball team rounded out its home schedule with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19) victory against Memphis on Sunday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.
The Herd now stands at 21-7 overall and 9-5 in Conference USA play and concluded its home schedule with an 8-1 record on the season.
Memphis dropped to 7-23 and 3-12 against conference opponents.
Along with her 10 kills, Marcum added 11 digs to total her 11th double-double of the season. The senior added a match-best four services and one block assist on the afternoon. Fellow senior Sullivan hit at a .310 (12K-3E-29TA) attacking average and chipped in with two solo blocks and four block assists.
"Kristin has learned how to be a player that puts it away when she's got the swing and doesn't hurt us when she doesn't have the kill," head coach Mitch Jacobs said. "I think she is one of the best passers and ball control players in the entire league. She has to handle that for us and she does a good job."
Leading 3-2 in the opening set of the afternoon, MU utilized an 8-3 rally to hold an 11-5 lead into the Tigers first timeout of the match. Memphis would close the gap to three points (19-16) on a kill by Altrese Hawkins, causing the Herd to call a timeout. The Herd would score four-straight points, three of which were service aces by Marcum, as MU won set one 25-17.
The Herd came out charging in the early goings of the second set, owning a 9-4 early advantage. During the early run, Kelley Bugler picked up a pair of kills, while Marcum added a kill and a service ace.
After a timeout from the Tigers, the MU lead grew to as much as seven, 18-11, thanks to a pair of kills from Sullivan and Abby Tomas. After Memphis burned its second timeout, the Herd advantage shrunk to three, 21-18. A timeout by Jacobs calmed down his team, as the Herd closed out the set, 25-22.
In the third set both teams hit at an extremely high percentage, with Memphis posting a .692 (19K-1E-26TA) attacking average, while MU hit at a .517 (17K-2E-29TA) clip. In the frame, a total of 16 ties occurred, with the last being at 24-all, thanks to an Elizabeth Herman kill. The Tigers tallied back-to-back kills to close out the set and send the match into a fourth frame. Herman connected for eight of her team-high 18 kills in the third set.
The Herd bounced back after dropping the third set, to hold a 10-3 cushion. Memphis went on a 6-0 run to get within one point, 10-9, but an Emily Sullivan kill and four errors by the Tigers offense put the Herd back up six, 15-9.
Memphis got within five at 23-18, but Emily Sullivan sandwiched two kills around an attacking error to close out the set and match, 25-19.
Elizabeth Fleming helped orchestrate an efficient MU offense on the afternoon. The setter dished out a match-high 45 assists, while the team hit at a .328 (55K-16E-119TA) attacking percentage.
Hawkins totaled a match-high 19 kills for the Tigers, while Marija Jovanovic just missed a double-double with nine kills and nine digs.
"We are a team that knows we didn't have the depth going into this year, but we are doing a great job just playing and giving ourselves an opportunity to win," Jacobs said.
MU is slated for two more matches in the regular season. The first will be a trip to Birmingham, Ala., to play the UAB Blazers on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m.; followed by a match against East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on Saturday Nov. 14 at noon.
