Cougars Take Five Set Win Over Eagles, 3-2
11/7/2009 2:20:00 AM | Volleyball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Georgia Southern grabbed the first two sets to take a commanding lead into intermission, but College of Charleston battled back to take the next three sets for a Southern Conference win Friday night (November 6). With the conference win, the Cougars improved to 14-11 overall and 10-3 in league play, while the Eagles dropped to 18-10, 8-5.
A fast 2-0 Eagle lead in the first set was erased with a Cougar 4-0 run as the team's continued to trade points through a 10-all tie off a Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) service ace. An Elyse Chubb kill put the Cougars back on top, but Lauren Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) erased the one-point deficit with a kill. Claybaugh served up a kill knotting the score at 14-all before Danielle Graham (Cincinnati, Ohio) gave the Eagles the lead at 15-14 and Kate Van Dyke recorded a solo block awarding the Eagles a two-point lead at 16-14. A Graham kill forced a Cougar timeout as Georgia Southern held a 17-14 lead. A block assist from Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) and Kirby Monson (Houston, Tex.) gave the Eagles a 20-17 advantage. The pairs second block assist within three points forced the final Cougar timeout of the set at 22-18. A side out off a Claybaugh kill gave Georgia Southern set point, 24-21, before a Cougar error into the net closed out the set, 25-22.
Reminiscent of the opening set, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead but the Cougars forced a 6-all tie. Two ties ensued before CofC capitalized on a 5-0 run for a 13-8 advantage. A Sanford kill snapped the run as the Eagle took the helm of the court. Georgia Southern drew within two at 14-12 as the Cougars called a timeout at 14-13 following a home error. After a 14-all tie, the Cougars responded with a 3-0 run. The lead was short-lived as Eagle kills from Monson and Claybaugh and a service ace from Ashleigh Wienbarg (Monroe, Ga) tied the score at 17-all. Tossed points found three more tied scores before a pair of Sanford kills found set point at 24-22 for the Eagles. Sanford's seventh kill of the set gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage heading into intermission with a 25-23 set win.
Georgia Southern came out firing following the break, running away with an early 9-2 lead off a 5-0 run. But the Cougars fought their way back putting together a run of their own finding a 10-7 score before Graham ended the Eagle drought with a kill. CofC continued to chip away at their deficit, tying the score at 13-all. The Eagles quickly found their way back into the lead, 16-15, after two ties. After relinquishing the lead for two points, the Eagles fought back and took control at 19-18. But a battle between the two teams would continue to the last point as four ties would be seen before CofC found set point at 24-23. A service ace sealed the set for the Cougars at 25-23.
It was CofC that came away with the early 5-2 lead in the fourth set, but heightened offense from Georgia Southern drew the score to 6-5, CofC. Doubling their lead from 9-7, Georgia Southern took a timeout after the Cougars reached 11-7. CofC continued to pull away, gathering a commanding 16-9 lead. An Eagle timeout ignited Georgia Southern on 7-2 run to pull the score to 18-16. CofC reopened its lead to four points at 21-17 before Sanford added a kill for a 21-18 mark. A Small, Claybaugh block assist put the score at 22-20 as a Claybaugh kill and service ace from Cristin Haines (Palos Heights, Ill.) drew the Eagles to within one at 23-22. Monson tied the score at 23-all with a kill, while Claybaugh and Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) gave the Eagles first match point at 24-23 with a block assist. But each team fought off set points before Cole Dawley gave the Cougars set point at 26-25. Dawley's third kill of the set secured the stanza for CofC at 27-25.
CofC opened the fifth set with a 3-0 run before a trio of Sanford kills and Cougar service error tied the score at 4-all. At 6-5, the Cougars opened up with a 3-0 run for a 9-5 command, forcing a Georgia Southern timeout. The Cougars added one more before Claybaugh rejuvenated the Eagles who notched another with a CofC error, pushing the score to 10-7. Chubb gave CofC a 13-9 lead as the Cougars found match point at 14-9. Van Dyke erased the first match point but Dawley secured the win for College of Charleston, 15-10.
Sanford recorded 21 kills and 13 digs in the match, while Van Dyke tallied 50 assists. Claybaugh led the defense with 21 digs. For the Cougars, Chubb contributed 19 kills to Katie Robinson's 15 digs. Dawley totaled 49 assists on the evening.
The Eagles will look to rebound tomorrow night at The Citadel. Match time in McAlister Arena is slated for 8:00 p.m.
A fast 2-0 Eagle lead in the first set was erased with a Cougar 4-0 run as the team's continued to trade points through a 10-all tie off a Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) service ace. An Elyse Chubb kill put the Cougars back on top, but Lauren Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) erased the one-point deficit with a kill. Claybaugh served up a kill knotting the score at 14-all before Danielle Graham (Cincinnati, Ohio) gave the Eagles the lead at 15-14 and Kate Van Dyke recorded a solo block awarding the Eagles a two-point lead at 16-14. A Graham kill forced a Cougar timeout as Georgia Southern held a 17-14 lead. A block assist from Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) and Kirby Monson (Houston, Tex.) gave the Eagles a 20-17 advantage. The pairs second block assist within three points forced the final Cougar timeout of the set at 22-18. A side out off a Claybaugh kill gave Georgia Southern set point, 24-21, before a Cougar error into the net closed out the set, 25-22.
Reminiscent of the opening set, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead but the Cougars forced a 6-all tie. Two ties ensued before CofC capitalized on a 5-0 run for a 13-8 advantage. A Sanford kill snapped the run as the Eagle took the helm of the court. Georgia Southern drew within two at 14-12 as the Cougars called a timeout at 14-13 following a home error. After a 14-all tie, the Cougars responded with a 3-0 run. The lead was short-lived as Eagle kills from Monson and Claybaugh and a service ace from Ashleigh Wienbarg (Monroe, Ga) tied the score at 17-all. Tossed points found three more tied scores before a pair of Sanford kills found set point at 24-22 for the Eagles. Sanford's seventh kill of the set gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage heading into intermission with a 25-23 set win.
Georgia Southern came out firing following the break, running away with an early 9-2 lead off a 5-0 run. But the Cougars fought their way back putting together a run of their own finding a 10-7 score before Graham ended the Eagle drought with a kill. CofC continued to chip away at their deficit, tying the score at 13-all. The Eagles quickly found their way back into the lead, 16-15, after two ties. After relinquishing the lead for two points, the Eagles fought back and took control at 19-18. But a battle between the two teams would continue to the last point as four ties would be seen before CofC found set point at 24-23. A service ace sealed the set for the Cougars at 25-23.
It was CofC that came away with the early 5-2 lead in the fourth set, but heightened offense from Georgia Southern drew the score to 6-5, CofC. Doubling their lead from 9-7, Georgia Southern took a timeout after the Cougars reached 11-7. CofC continued to pull away, gathering a commanding 16-9 lead. An Eagle timeout ignited Georgia Southern on 7-2 run to pull the score to 18-16. CofC reopened its lead to four points at 21-17 before Sanford added a kill for a 21-18 mark. A Small, Claybaugh block assist put the score at 22-20 as a Claybaugh kill and service ace from Cristin Haines (Palos Heights, Ill.) drew the Eagles to within one at 23-22. Monson tied the score at 23-all with a kill, while Claybaugh and Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) gave the Eagles first match point at 24-23 with a block assist. But each team fought off set points before Cole Dawley gave the Cougars set point at 26-25. Dawley's third kill of the set secured the stanza for CofC at 27-25.
CofC opened the fifth set with a 3-0 run before a trio of Sanford kills and Cougar service error tied the score at 4-all. At 6-5, the Cougars opened up with a 3-0 run for a 9-5 command, forcing a Georgia Southern timeout. The Cougars added one more before Claybaugh rejuvenated the Eagles who notched another with a CofC error, pushing the score to 10-7. Chubb gave CofC a 13-9 lead as the Cougars found match point at 14-9. Van Dyke erased the first match point but Dawley secured the win for College of Charleston, 15-10.
Sanford recorded 21 kills and 13 digs in the match, while Van Dyke tallied 50 assists. Claybaugh led the defense with 21 digs. For the Cougars, Chubb contributed 19 kills to Katie Robinson's 15 digs. Dawley totaled 49 assists on the evening.
The Eagles will look to rebound tomorrow night at The Citadel. Match time in McAlister Arena is slated for 8:00 p.m.
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