Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Charlotte
Herd Snaps Skid; Strikes Gold Against Charlotte 3-2
10/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-- Marshall volleyball snapped a four match skid and improved to 10-13 (4-4 C-USA) on the season after a five set battle with conference foe Charlotte (13-13, 2-7 C-USA) on Sunday afternoon. Many members of the Herd turned in noteworthy performances in the 3-2 victory.
The Herd pounded out a 25-15 victory in the opening stanza, dropped game two 25-18, resurfaced from intermission to take game three 25-23, fell in game four 26-24, and battled back to take the match after a 15-12 set five win.
Junior Lauren Legge (Pliny, W.Va.) remained a force to be reckoned with, posting a match-best 18 kills and falling just one shy of her personal best (19), which she recorded on Friday. Legge performed at a .316 hitting efficiency, while sophomore Ally Kiekover (Grand Rapids, Mich.) tied her season high with 17 slams to accompany her match-best .500 hitting percentage.
Senior setter Sammie Bane (Brownstown, Ind.) turned in 53 assists, four kills, and a solo rejection, and sophomore Elyse Panick (Chicago) picked up her fourth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 17 digs. Fellow sophomore Allie Kellerman (Louisville, Ky.) turned in a career-high 23 digs.
"Today, the team found a way," head coach Mitch Jacobs began. "Outside of set one, it certainly wasn't pretty, but I was proud that they kept coming back and finding a way to get it done."
"Nice to see Lauren [Legge] put another nice match together," Jacobs continued, "And Kiko [Kiekover] really came up big both offensively and defensively. I feel for our girls, the way we have been struggling to finish, and saw it again at the end of set four. But, to have them respond as they did in set five is hopefully the confidence they need as we move forward."
Marshall attacked quickly in the opening frame, going up by as many as ten points before proceeding to take the set 25-15.
In game two, Charlotte remained on the Herd's heels until a three point rally from the 49ers boosted their lead and allowed them to take the set 25-18.
Marshall and Charlotte continued to battle in set three, forcing 12 ties and four lead changes before the match went in favor of the Herd 25-23.
Charlotte responded by taking the fourth game 26-24. Marshall won the first three points of the final set before falling behind. A three point run, courtesy of kills by Bane an Kiekover, brought the Herd back in striking distance, and a solo rejection from Panick sealed the set and gave the Herd the 3-2 win.
Junior Ashley Arnold (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) recorded a career high (at Marshall) six kills, combating her .500 hitting percentage.
Marshall will remain at home and welcomes two Texas teams to the Henderson Center next weekend, as conference leader UTSA stops in Huntington on Friday, Oct. 24 and UTEP faces the Herd on Sunday, Oct. 26.
