Liberty University
8-8
VCU
6-13
Balanced Attack Sends Liberty to 3-0 Sweep of VCU
10/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty extended its winning streak to four matches on Tuesday at the Vines Center, hitting a season-best .357 on the way to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22) sweep over VCU.
In addition to its four-match overall winning streak, Liberty (8-8) also won its seventh straight home match. The Rams fall to 6-13 on the season after sustaining their fifth loss in a row. Liberty's win was its first over VCU since Oct. 26, 2004, as the Rams had won eight straight meetings before tonight.
Liberty hit .357, its best hitting percentage since a .383 outing at Winthrop, Oct. 20, 2012. Both teams scored 43 kills, but VCU hit .162 on the evening. The Lady Flames led, 11-4 in blocks, while the Rams led in digs, 43-41 and in aces, 3-2.
Caroline Douglas led Liberty with 10 kills, also adding four blocks. Douglas passed Becky Rudnick (2001-04) into 11th place all-time at Liberty with 1,169 career kills. Sirena Vorster recorded nine kills, two aces and four blocks. Anna Willey hit 6-for-6, adding 29 assists, seven digs and three blocks. Jade Vorster scored seven kills and chipped in a season-high seven blocks, while Margaret Latchford collected a team-high nine digs.
VCU's Sahbria McLetchie sent down a match-high 22 kills, while Kalah Jones followed with nine kills. Indigo Thompson dished out a match-high 35 assists and collected nine digs. Rebekah Strange collected a match-high 13 digs.
Liberty led the opening set by one, 16-15, before staging a 3-0 run, capped by a Sirena Vorster kill. VCU narrowed the gap to two, 20-18, but another Liberty three-point run pushed the hosts' advantage to 23-18. The Lady Flames sealed set one, 25-19, on a Hannah Weidner-Jade Vorster block.
The Lady Flames' blocking game limited VCU during set one. Liberty posted five blocks, holding the Rams to a .114 hitting percentage while hitting .265. Jade Vorster assisted on four blocks, while Sirena Vorster scored five kills. McLetchie connected on six kills for VCU.
VCU surged ahead during set two, 18-17, with a 3-0 rally. Liberty then scored the next two points, including a Haley Jeffcoat kill. VCU rallied into a 21-21 tie after a McLetchie ace. Two Liberty kills and Sirena Vorster ace gave Liberty set point, and the Lady Flames won, 25-22, on a service error.
Liberty hit .407 during the second session, adding four blocks as VCU hit just .128. McLetchie scored eight set-two kills for the Rams.
The hosts staged a late four-point run in set three, turning an 18-17 deficit into a 21-18 lead on a kill by Sirena Vorster. The Lady Flames extended their lead to 24-20, before McLetchie fought off match point with back-to-back kills. Douglas then scored a kill to end the match.
Liberty outhit VCU, .405-.233 during the final frame, as Weidner hit 4-for-4. McLetchie scored eight kills for the Rams.
The Lady Flames return to the road for a pair of conference away matches, this weekend in North Carolina. Liberty will play at Campbell on Friday at 7 p.m., before taking on High Point at 2 p.m., Saturday.
