Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Binghamton
Volleyball Sweeps Binghamton in Season Opener
8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 28, 2009
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - The Marshall volleyball team registered five players with five-or-more kills in a 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-22) sweep of Binghamton in the team's first match of the season at the 2009 Hofstra/Asics Invitational on Friday afternoon.
Marshall (1-0) hit at a .330 attacking percentage for the game, connecting for 43 kills on 94 attempts, while committing just 12 errors. The Herd defense kept Binghamton (0-1) from generating much on the offensive side. The Bearcats were held to 20 kills on 86 attacks and made 20 errors for a .000 attacking percent.
In the first set of the contest, MU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a kill by Kristin Marcum, followed by back-to-back kills from Katy Schad. Binghamton was able to cut the deficit to one point, 5-4, but MU was able to rally off five straight points to own a 10-4 lead, forcing a Bearcats timeout.
Following the timeout, the Herd went on a 15-7 run to close out the first set, 25-11. In Marshall's first played set of the season, the team collected 15 kills on 26 attempts with only two attacking errors for an impressive .500 hitting percentage. Schad registered six of her game-high 13 kills in the first set.
"We came out sharp and our serving and passing was fantastic tonight," head coach Mitch Jacobs said.
MU continued to control the match in the second set. The teams were knotted at 3-all, when Marshall utilized a 10-2 run, capped off by Elizabeth Fleming setting up Schad for a kill and causing Binghamton into a timeout, trailing 13-5. MU pushed its lead to the largest of the set, 20-8, on a service ace by Ryanne Milligan. The Herd would hold on and take the second set, 25-13.
Binghamton fought back against MU in the third set, and never trailed by more than five points. The set consisted of five ties, after the Bearcats fell behind early on, 7-2. Leading 24-22, Elizabeth Herman collected her sixth kill of the set on an assist from Fleming to take the set and the match against the Bearcats.
Schad finished her first collegiate match with 13 kills on 25 attempts and only two errors for a .440 attacking percentage. She also added six digs, two assists and a block assist on the evening.
Milligan, also playing in her first collegiate match, recorded a team-high 11 digs and tallied three assists and two service aces.
"It was a great start to the careers of Milligan and Schad," Jacobs said. "Milligan had 11 digs in her first ever start as the libero in her life and played great."
"Schad did an outstanding job as an outside hitter. The biggest thing she showed me in her first collegiate start was not just the team leading 13 kills, but only having two errors in 25 attacks. That is very impressive in her first collegiate game."
Fleming dished out a match-high 29 assists, and registered five kills and three digs.
Herman finished the match with 10 kills and seven digs, Marcum recorded nine kills and eight digs and Cameron Yoho tallied six kills on eight attempts for a .750 hitting percentage.
"Liz (Herman) had a very big impact tonight in her first match at the opposite position for us," Jacobs said.
Binghamton was led by offensively by Anna Lejina and Michelle McDonough, who each recorded nine kills. Brianna Stong recorded a match-best 12 digs for the Bearcats.
MU returns to the court tomorrow at 11 a.m. against Rhode Island, followed by a match against tournament host Hofstra at 7 p.m.
Live stats for the matches can be found at Hofstra's athletics website: www.gohofstra.com
