Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Ohio
@HerdVolleyball Defeats Ohio in Home Opener
8/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall volleyball team won its home opener Tuesday night at the Cam Henderson Center, defeating the Ohio Bobcats by a score of 3-2 (25-21, 24-26, 24-26, 25-18, 15-12).
The win marked the first time that the Herd defeated the Bobcats since a 3-1 win on October 2, 2002.
Leading the way for the Herd was Cassie Weaver (Huntington, W.Va.) with 18 kills and 19 digs. Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) added 17 kills and nine digs and Ally Kiekover (Grand Rapids, Mich.) tallied 12 kills. Madelyn Cole (Dallas, Texas) had nine kills, 32 assists and 14 digs.
The Thundering Herd and Bobcats started the match by trading points, with neither team holding more than a one-point lead until Ohio opened up a 10-7 lead. The Herd responded by taking 11 of the next 15 points on the strength of three kills by Walker and two kills each from Justice Craft (Kentwood, Mich.) and Weaver, forcing Ohio to call a timeout. Kills from Weaver and Kiekover coming out of the timeout extended the Marshall lead to 20-15. Ohio would come as close as three points but another Weaver kill clinched the first set for the Herd, 25-21.
The Herd started the second set by winning the first three points on kills from Weaver, Craft and Madison Hill (Rockwall, Texas). Ohio responded by taking the next four points before the teams began trading points. After a service error and another kill from Kiekover forced Ohio to call a timeout, the Herd broke out on a run on the strength of kills by weaver, Craft and Hill. The Thundering Herd had set point at 24-20, but the Bobcats responded by taking the final six points of the set to win the set, 26-24.
Ohio started the third set by winning six of the first eight points of the set, forcing Marshall to take a timeout. The Thundering Herd would go on a run of its own by winning eight of the next ten points, highlighted by a pair of kills from Walker and another kill from Weaver. Ohio responded by winning six of the next seven points to take a 14-11 lead, but the Herd would respond by taking the next five points to reclaim a 16-14 lead. The Herd and Bobcats continued to trade points until the end of the set when the Bobcats took four of the last five points to take the set, 26-24, and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Marshall opened up the fourth set by taking four of the first five points with kills from Walker and Cole. The Bobcats would score the next two points of the set to cut the Herd lead to 4-3, but the Ohio would not come within two points of the Herd for the remainder of the set. The Herd and Bobcats would trade points until kills from Walker, Weaver and Kiekover extended the Herd lead to 19-15. The Herd would take six of the final nine points of the set, finishing with another kill from Walker to take the set, 25-18, and extend the match.
Ohio started the final set by taking five of the first eight points before a kill from Weaver and a service ace from Kellerman evened the set at five. The two teams would trade points until a combined block from Shelby Conley (Paintsville, Ky.) and Hill, a kill from Walker and a service ace from Cole gave the Herd a 12-9 lead. Ohio would come as close as 13-12, but a combined block from Hill and Weaver and a kill from Weaver sealed the match for the Herd.
COACH'S CORNER
Quotes from head coach Mitch Jacobs
"Two and three got away from us. We had two and three makes four sets now that we have had good leads at 23 and have blown it. So we have to get that out of their heads and we have to finish. The key is to execute."
"I think allowing Cassie Weaver to rest made her fresh again which showed up big time, she probably hit her best balls down the stretch."
"If the player of the game is not Madelyn Cole then I don't know who it could possibly be otherwise. That girl came in when Kayla Simmons was struggling a little bit early and Madelyn ran the five-one for the first time in her college career and took us to a set one victory."
"In terms of the excitement, when your kids are playing with everything they got and they are finishing then you have to be excited, you just have to be and that's the bottom line."
UP NEXT
Up next, the Herd co-hosts the West Virginia Capital Classic in Charleston, W.Va. from Friday-Saturday. Marshall will open play Friday against Morehead State at 12:30 p.m. and West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. Marshall finishes the tournament Saturday against Indiana State at 1 p.m.
