.png&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
Liberty University
3-6
Davidson
4-6
Davidson Holds Off Liberty, 3-1
9/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Liberty volleyball team took on Davidson on Saturday in the finale of the Davidson Wildcat Classic. The host Wildcats pulled away for a 3-1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20) victory over the Lady Flames at the Belk Arena.
With the win, Davidson (4-6) earns second place in this weekend's invitational after a 2-1 showing. Liberty (3-6) went 1-2 during the weekend event at Davidson. USC Upstate won the invitational, going 2-1 and defeating Davidson.
Liberty's Casey Goodwin was named to the all-tournament team, representing Liberty, while Davidson's Emily Franklin and Mason Rooney also received all-tournament honors.
Davidson outhit Liberty for the match, .218-.126, while also leading, 12-8 in blocks. Both teams served well, with the Lady Flames holding a 10-8 edge in aces. Liberty led in digs, 50-48.
Rooney recorded 21 assists and 11 kills, while Ciera Cockrell scored 11 kills for the victors. Mikayla Derochie registered 25 assists, 11 digs, three aces and six blocks, while Sabrina Shepherd posted five blocks and Elise Edman collected 11 digs.
Sydney Morris tied for the match high with 11 kills for the Lady Flames, while Anna Willey dished out a match-high 42 assists. With 1,509 assists, Willey is the 10th player in program history to record 1,500 or more career assists. Goodwin scored nine kills and added five aces. She is the first Lady Flame with five aces in a match since Kendle Rollins, Aug. 31, 2012 against Jacksonville. Margaret Latchford and Michelle Melendez collected 11 and 10 digs, respectively.
The Lady Flames used a strong serving game during the first set, serving up six aces. However, Davidson extended its lead to 20-14 with a 6-1 run. Liberty then responded with a 5-0 rally, featuring two Gabrielle Vess aces and two kills from Morris, to draw within 20-19. The Wildcats led, 22-21, before closing out the 25-21 victory with three straight points.
For the first set, Davidson outhit Liberty, .310-.027, while the Wildcats also posted five blocks.
Liberty built a 16-14 set-two lead after a Morris-Sirena Vorster block. Davidson scored the next four points, and Goodwin then recorded a kill and two aces during a 4-0 Liberty run that made it 20-18. Davidson battled to within one point at both 20-19 and 23-22, but the Lady Flames put it away on a Voster kill and a Willey-Vorster combo block.
During set two, Liberty hit .300, compared to .079 for the Wildcats.
Davidson scored the first eight points of the third session, before the Lady Flames began a comeback attempt. Liberty went on a 9-3 run, trailing, 11-9 after a Morris kill. The Wildcats began to rebuild their lead, all the way to 24-19. After a block and a Sirena Vorster ace, Rooney scored the set-clinching kill. The Wildcats outhit Liberty, .241-.100, in set three, led by four Kelly Friers kills.
The Wildcats led set four, 21-19, after a Cockrell kill. Anna Gragg then sent down a kill, slicing the deficit to 21-20. Davidson then raced to the finish, scoring the final four points of the match to win, 25-20.
The hosts held a .286-.105 advantage in hitting percentage in the fourth set. Cockrell and Liberty's Gragg both posted four set-four kills.
The Lady Flames return to the Commonwealth of Virginia, and will compete in the VCU Invitational, Friday and Saturday in Richmond, Va. Liberty is scheduled to face Morgan State, Middle Tennessee and the host VCU Rams.
