Friday, October 9
Boiling Springs, N.C.
7:00 PM
Liberty University
10-7, 5-0BSC
3
at
2
Gardner-Webb
9-12, 2-3BSC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 24 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Gardner-Webb | 26 | 25 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 2 |
LU Erases 2-0 Deficit to Claim 3-2 Win at G-W
10/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Trailing 2-0 at intermission, the Liberty volleyball team hit .369 during the final three sets to claim an improbable 3-2 (24-26, 21-25, 25-16, 25-15, 15-12) win at Gardner-Webb Friday evening. Freshman Loren Thomas hit .846 with 11 kills, while teammate Nicki Scripko added a match-high 17 kills, helping the Lady Flames stay unbeaten in conference play.
Liberty improves to 10-7 overall on the season, after coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win a match for the first time since Nov. 11, 2006 at Radford. The Lady Flames remain tied atop the Big South Conference standings with UNC Asheville, as both teams currently sit at 5-0. Liberty is now 5-0 all-time versus Gardner-Webb, has won five consecutive matches overall and has claimed 10 straight victories over Big South foes, dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb drops to 9-12 overall and 2-3 in the Big South, despite putting four players in double figures in the kill column. The Bulldogs had won four of their last five matches, entering Friday's contest.
The opening set provided a bit of foreshadowing for the remainder of the evening, as the lead changed hands five times and the score was deadlocked on 13 occasions. Liberty took an early three-point advantage, 11-8, when setter Kallie Corbin (Sr., Beaverton, Ore.) bookended a 4-0 burst with a pair of kills. The homestanding Bulldogs came back and claimed a 21-20 lead on Melissa Richie's kill. Richie, a freshman, later snapped a 24-24 deadlock with a kill and service ace on the stanza's final two rallies. Her efforts helped Gardner-Webb take set one, 26-24.
Liberty hit .393 during set one, as compared with a .263 team attack percentage for Gardner-Webb. However, four service aces, including a pair by Evan Moffitt, played a key role for the Bulldogs. Two of the Gardner-Webb aces came after the score was knotted at 21-21. A trio of players put down four kills for the Bulldogs, while Scripko (Jr., OH, Fayetteville, N.C.) hit .444 with a team-best four kills for Liberty.
Again, Gardner-Webb was able to come from behind during the second session. Liberty owned a 16-12 edge, before the Bulldogs reeled off seven of the next eight points. Another ace by Richie capped the run, providing her team with a 19-17 lead.
The Lady Flames quickly responded, reclaiming the advantage at 21-19, after two Chelaine McCarty (Sr., MB, Houston, Ala.) kills and a Kirstyn Sanders (R-Jr., RS/MB, Bear, Del.) ace highlighted a 4-0 spurt. Gardner-Webb then took the set, 25-21, closing the stanza with a 6-0 run. Back-to-back kills from Jessica Clayton finished it off, sending the Bulldogs to the intermission with a 2-0 lead.
Scripko paced all players with five kills during the second set. However, her efforts were not enough as Laura Wilcox contributed three kills, an ace and a solo block to Gardner-Webb's triumph.
Liberty was able to take control of set three early on, when libero Kelly Haseman (So., Three Rivers, Mich.) served during a 4-0 surge. The Lady Flames, which led 8-5 at the end of the run, never trailed again. Brittany Pacella (R-Sr., RS, Reading, Pa.) closed out a 25-16 win by serving up two aces during a set-closing, 7-0 run for the Lady Flames.
Liberty hit .385 in the third set, led by Thomas' (MB, Ocoee, Fla.) 1.000 attack percentage, three kills and solo block. Pacella added a pair of kills and three of the Lady Flames' four service aces. For Gardner-Webb, reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Carolina Solano hit 1.000 with a trio of kills, helping her team hit .259 for the stanza.
A 10-2 run midway through set four put Liberty well on its way to evening the match. Seniors Corbin and McCarty starred during the extended surge, as Corbin had two assists and two solo blocks, while McCarty notched a kill and an ace. Scripko then wrapped up a 25-15 win with her third kill of the stanza, necessitating Liberty's fourth trip to the fifth set this season.
Led by Corbin and McCarty, the Lady Flames hit a match-best .526 during the fourth set. Corbin contributed a kill, 10 assists and three blocks, while McCarty hit .571 with a set-high five kills. Solano again recorded a 1.000 attack percentage with three kills for Gardner-Webb, although her team hit .000 for the set.
Liberty never trailed during the fifth and deciding stanza, sprinting out to a 10-3 lead. However, the Lady Flames had to withstand one final comeback attempt by the home team. Gardner-Webb roared back to level the score at 11-11 on Jessica Clayton's kill. McCarty and Scripko then both notched kills during the Lady Flames' match-ending 4-1 surge, which gave Liberty a 15-12 set win and a thrilling, 3-2 victory in the conference match.
Whereas seniors had starred for Liberty during set four, freshmen took center stage in the fifth stanza. Rookies Thomas and Hannah Anderson (OH, Rocklin, Calif.) tallied three kills apiece in the set and also combined on a block. For Gardner-Webb, Molly Rhyne had two kills and a pair of solo blocks in a losing effort.
Liberty ended the match with advantages in attack percentage (.295-.172), aces (8-7) and blocks (10-8), while the Bulldogs came up with six more digs than the visiting Lady Flames, 48-42.
Scripko hit .351 on the evening, as she led the Lady Flames in kills for the third consecutive match. McCarty followed with a dozen kills and four blocks, although she hit below .300 for the first time in nine matches, finishing at .269.
Thomas reached double figures for the first time in her young career, pounding down 11 kills on just 13 attempts for an .846 attack percentage.
Corbin fashioned another strong all-around effort for coach Shane Pinder's Lady Flames, finishing the match with six kills, 47 assists, two aces, six digs and four blocks.
Pacella's match-best three service aces tied her career high. Meanwhile, Karyl Bacon (Jr., OH, Temecula, Calif.) totaled a match-leading 14 digs, while Haseman added 10.
For Gardner-Webb, Solano finished the match at .688, leading her team with 13 kills. She was joined in double figures offensively by Rhyne (11 kills), Wilcox (11 kills) and Clayton (10 kills). Regina Feagin recorded a match-high 48 assists, while Brett Wilson led the home team with 11 digs.
Liberty will remain in North Carolina for a Saturday afternoon battle between Big South co-leaders. The Lady Flames will face UNC Asheville at the Justice Center, beginning at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb will wrap up a five-match homestand Saturday at 4 p.m., when High Point visits Paul Porter Arena.
Liberty improves to 10-7 overall on the season, after coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win a match for the first time since Nov. 11, 2006 at Radford. The Lady Flames remain tied atop the Big South Conference standings with UNC Asheville, as both teams currently sit at 5-0. Liberty is now 5-0 all-time versus Gardner-Webb, has won five consecutive matches overall and has claimed 10 straight victories over Big South foes, dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb drops to 9-12 overall and 2-3 in the Big South, despite putting four players in double figures in the kill column. The Bulldogs had won four of their last five matches, entering Friday's contest.
The opening set provided a bit of foreshadowing for the remainder of the evening, as the lead changed hands five times and the score was deadlocked on 13 occasions. Liberty took an early three-point advantage, 11-8, when setter Kallie Corbin (Sr., Beaverton, Ore.) bookended a 4-0 burst with a pair of kills. The homestanding Bulldogs came back and claimed a 21-20 lead on Melissa Richie's kill. Richie, a freshman, later snapped a 24-24 deadlock with a kill and service ace on the stanza's final two rallies. Her efforts helped Gardner-Webb take set one, 26-24.
Liberty hit .393 during set one, as compared with a .263 team attack percentage for Gardner-Webb. However, four service aces, including a pair by Evan Moffitt, played a key role for the Bulldogs. Two of the Gardner-Webb aces came after the score was knotted at 21-21. A trio of players put down four kills for the Bulldogs, while Scripko (Jr., OH, Fayetteville, N.C.) hit .444 with a team-best four kills for Liberty.
Again, Gardner-Webb was able to come from behind during the second session. Liberty owned a 16-12 edge, before the Bulldogs reeled off seven of the next eight points. Another ace by Richie capped the run, providing her team with a 19-17 lead.
The Lady Flames quickly responded, reclaiming the advantage at 21-19, after two Chelaine McCarty (Sr., MB, Houston, Ala.) kills and a Kirstyn Sanders (R-Jr., RS/MB, Bear, Del.) ace highlighted a 4-0 spurt. Gardner-Webb then took the set, 25-21, closing the stanza with a 6-0 run. Back-to-back kills from Jessica Clayton finished it off, sending the Bulldogs to the intermission with a 2-0 lead.
Scripko paced all players with five kills during the second set. However, her efforts were not enough as Laura Wilcox contributed three kills, an ace and a solo block to Gardner-Webb's triumph.
Liberty was able to take control of set three early on, when libero Kelly Haseman (So., Three Rivers, Mich.) served during a 4-0 surge. The Lady Flames, which led 8-5 at the end of the run, never trailed again. Brittany Pacella (R-Sr., RS, Reading, Pa.) closed out a 25-16 win by serving up two aces during a set-closing, 7-0 run for the Lady Flames.
Liberty hit .385 in the third set, led by Thomas' (MB, Ocoee, Fla.) 1.000 attack percentage, three kills and solo block. Pacella added a pair of kills and three of the Lady Flames' four service aces. For Gardner-Webb, reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Carolina Solano hit 1.000 with a trio of kills, helping her team hit .259 for the stanza.
A 10-2 run midway through set four put Liberty well on its way to evening the match. Seniors Corbin and McCarty starred during the extended surge, as Corbin had two assists and two solo blocks, while McCarty notched a kill and an ace. Scripko then wrapped up a 25-15 win with her third kill of the stanza, necessitating Liberty's fourth trip to the fifth set this season.
Led by Corbin and McCarty, the Lady Flames hit a match-best .526 during the fourth set. Corbin contributed a kill, 10 assists and three blocks, while McCarty hit .571 with a set-high five kills. Solano again recorded a 1.000 attack percentage with three kills for Gardner-Webb, although her team hit .000 for the set.
Liberty never trailed during the fifth and deciding stanza, sprinting out to a 10-3 lead. However, the Lady Flames had to withstand one final comeback attempt by the home team. Gardner-Webb roared back to level the score at 11-11 on Jessica Clayton's kill. McCarty and Scripko then both notched kills during the Lady Flames' match-ending 4-1 surge, which gave Liberty a 15-12 set win and a thrilling, 3-2 victory in the conference match.
Whereas seniors had starred for Liberty during set four, freshmen took center stage in the fifth stanza. Rookies Thomas and Hannah Anderson (OH, Rocklin, Calif.) tallied three kills apiece in the set and also combined on a block. For Gardner-Webb, Molly Rhyne had two kills and a pair of solo blocks in a losing effort.
Liberty ended the match with advantages in attack percentage (.295-.172), aces (8-7) and blocks (10-8), while the Bulldogs came up with six more digs than the visiting Lady Flames, 48-42.
Scripko hit .351 on the evening, as she led the Lady Flames in kills for the third consecutive match. McCarty followed with a dozen kills and four blocks, although she hit below .300 for the first time in nine matches, finishing at .269.
Thomas reached double figures for the first time in her young career, pounding down 11 kills on just 13 attempts for an .846 attack percentage.
Corbin fashioned another strong all-around effort for coach Shane Pinder's Lady Flames, finishing the match with six kills, 47 assists, two aces, six digs and four blocks.
Pacella's match-best three service aces tied her career high. Meanwhile, Karyl Bacon (Jr., OH, Temecula, Calif.) totaled a match-leading 14 digs, while Haseman added 10.
For Gardner-Webb, Solano finished the match at .688, leading her team with 13 kills. She was joined in double figures offensively by Rhyne (11 kills), Wilcox (11 kills) and Clayton (10 kills). Regina Feagin recorded a match-high 48 assists, while Brett Wilson led the home team with 11 digs.
Liberty will remain in North Carolina for a Saturday afternoon battle between Big South co-leaders. The Lady Flames will face UNC Asheville at the Justice Center, beginning at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb will wrap up a five-match homestand Saturday at 4 p.m., when High Point visits Paul Porter Arena.
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Team Stats
LIBERTY
GWU
Kills
59
60
Errors
20
34
Attempts
132
151
Hitting %
.295
.172
Points
77.0
75.0
Assists
53
54
Aces
8
7
Blocks
10.0
8.0
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
2
Blocks
4
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