Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Florida Atlantic
@HerdVolleyball Upended At Florida Atlantic, 3-0
10/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
BOCA RATON, FLA. - Marshall volleyball suffered a 3-0 (20-25, 20-25, 15-25) set back against Florida Atlantic on Sunday afternoon.
The Herd moves to 11-7 (2-3 C-USA), while the Owls improve to 11-6 (3-2 C-USA).
In a set that featured seven tied scores and two lead changes, it wouldn't be until the 22-18 mark in the first game that a team had a lead larger than three points. With the edge in favor of FAU, the Owls closed out the set by taking three of the final five points to clinch a 25-20 set win.
The Herd opened up to an early 6-2 lead that forced a Florida Atlantic timeout in the second set. Out of the stoppage, FAU quickly rallied to tie the set at 7-all and eventually give itself a three point lead at 10-7. From there, Marshall had to play catch-up. The Herd trailed until it knotted the match at 16 from a service ace by freshman Kassidy Lemons (Prichard, W.Va.). The two teams battled to be tied at 18, but a strong performance by the Owl's offense propelled them to take the set, 25-20.
Coming out of the break, Florida Atlantic continued to control the tempo of the match. After Marshall held a 6-4 lead, the Owls responded with eight consecutive points to hold a 12-6 advantage. The Herd tried to mount a comeback by bringing the set within four points, but that's the closest it would get as it fell in the third set, 25-15.
Leading the way for Marshall was junior Ally Kiekover (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who recorded eight kills with a .429 hit percentage and two blocks. Sophomore setter Kayla Simmons (Gainesville, Fla.) had 26 assists, while junior libero Allie Kellerman (Louisville, Ky.) led the Herd in digs with 10.
COACH'S CORNER
Quotes from assistant coach Taylor Strickland
On today's match:
"The girls had a challenging day today and it didn't work out in our favor. FAU played with a lot of fire and we didn't match it at the end of set two. We saw some great things out of the girls and know what we need to work on to move forward."
UP NEXT
The Herd will return home for a Friday matinee (Oct. 9) against UAB at 11:30 a.m. Huntington schools are invited to Marshall volleyball's annual Education and Field Trip Day. This year's theme is Anti-Bullying and will include an educational presentation and awareness for students followed by the game.
