| sec volleyball results |
| Georgia 3, South Carolina 0 |
| Kentucky 3, Arkansas 1 |
Mississippi State 3, Alabama 0
|
Florida 3, Auburn 0
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Tennessee 3, LSU 1
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Georgia Downs South Carolina, 3-0
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia volleyball team posted a season-high hitting percentage of .393 en route to earning a Southeastern Conference victory over South Carolina, 3-0, on Friday evening in front of a season-best Ramsey Student Center crowd of 1,062.
Georgia (6-9, 2-3 SEC) recorded the .393 hitting percentage with 54 kills on 112 attacks with just 10 errors while South Carolina (9-5, 0-4 SEC) hit .327 with 42 kills. Three Bulldogs notched season-best hitting percentages with redshirt sophomore Kathleen Luft tallying a match-best 13 kills on a .324 mark, senior middle blocker Ann Dylla providing 10 kills on a .500 clip and junior right side hitter Briana Bahr chipping in nine kills on a .533 mark.
Also contributing to the Bulldogs' season-best offensive performance were sophomore outside hitter Brittany Northcutt and senior setter Kathleen Gates. Northcutt recorded her third double-double of the season with 12 kills on a .417 clip to go along with 10 digs while Gates paced the offense to the tune of 47 assists. Defensively, Georgia was led by sophomore libero Allison Summers' 12 digs.
The opening set was tightly contested from the beginning consisting of three lead changes and 15 ties. Georgia grabbed its first lead at 7-6 following a kill from Luft and an ace from Summers. Points were traded between the teams before the Gamecocks took a two-point lead at 18-16. The Bulldogs stayed aggressive going on a 9-3 run to close the set with a 25-21 win.
The second set started out much the same as set one with the two teams trading points. Georgia put up six unanswered points after two USC errors and a block from senior Elizabeth Reid to pull ahead 10-5. The Gamecocks brought it back to a one-point deficit at 11-10 before back-to-back kills from Northcutt helped spring Georgia to a 15-11 lead. USC got it close again at 17-16, but Gates won the battle at the net and earned a kill to keep the lead. Georgia held on the rest of the contest, and three Dylla kills finished off the set at 25-21.
USC took control early in the third set. After Georgia scored the first point, the Gamecocks put up five straight to lead 5-1 heading into a Georgia timeout. The Bulldogs stayed on the attack and never let the USC lead get larger than five. Behind a great team effort, the Bulldogs put together a 10-3 scoring spree that included multiple kills from Gates and Luft to go ahead 21-19. Then with the set tied at 21, four-straight points capped off by a Luft ace gave the Bulldogs with the victory at 25-21.
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Kentucky Wins At Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Junior Ashley Frazier’s 18 kills and a stellar defensive effort led the Kentucky volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-22, 28-26, 21-25, 25-15) win at Arkansas Friday night. Frazier’s kill output is a career-high at Kentucky. Kentucky posted 51 digs as a team to help overcome a feisty Arkansas team.
With the win Kentucky improves to 13-3 on the season and 4-1 in Southeastern Conference action. Arkansas falls to 10-5 overall and 2-2 in league play. Kentucky has now captured a win in 11 out of its last 12 matches. UK remains on the road for a 2:30 p.m. ET match at LSU on Sunday.
Sophomore Whitney Billings led the defensive effort with a season-best 15 digs while adding seven kills. Junior Stephanie Klefot notched 11 scoops, and sophomore Jessi Greenberg totaled an SEC career-high 10 digs for the Blue and White. Freshman Jackie Napper added eight in the winning cause. Senior Becky Pavan led the way at the net with five blocks on the evening. Classmates Ann Armes totaled five kills and added a pair of blocks, while Gretchen Giesler notched four kills and three rejections.
Frazier led a trio of players in double-figures as Pavan totaled 11 and has reached double-figures in three straight league matches. Freshman Lauren O’Conner struck for 10 kills on a team-best .333 hitting clip. Setter Christine Hartmann passed out 45 assists and added three kills of her own.
The squads traded points back and forth in the early stages of the first frame. UK grabbed its first lead at 7-following consecutive kills from Frazier and then maintained a steady advantage for much of the opening set. UK had its largest advantage at 12-8 following a terrific defensive player from Napper finished off by a kill from Pavan. Arkansas fired back with five consecutive points to earn the lead at 14-13. Following a timeout, Frazier fired for her third kill of the early going to knot the score once again.
From there the teams exchanged points back and forth with no team earning more than a two point lead. The final tie score came at 21 apiece before the Wildcats scored four of the final five points to earn a 25-22 opening set win. UK had kills from O’Conner and Pavan to finish off the set.
Kentucky charted 14 kills on .294 hitting with Pavan leading the way with four kills. Arkansas posted 16 kills in the set, but committed seven errors. The Wildcats led the way at the net with a pair of blocks and Arkansas did not turn away any UK attacks.
Billings began the scoring in the second set that was dominated early by the home team who stretched a five-point lead to 9-4 in the early going. UK strung together an 8-4 run to tie the score at 13. Arkansas recaptured its lead and earned set point at 24-20. Kentucky then saved set point four times behind three kills from Pavan and one from Frazier. Kentucky earned set point following another kill from Pavan, but Arkansas kept the match alive by forcing UK into an erroneous attack. Kills from Frazier and Billings propelled the Wildcats to a 28-26 come-from-behind win and a 2-0 edge.
Frazier paced the offensive attack with six kills in the set, while Pavan contributed five. UK as a unit struck for 18 hammers in the set on a .244 hitting clip. Arkansas charted 15 kills on .314 hitting.
Giesler led a charge to break free for a four-point edge at 10-6 in the fourth frame. The senior was in on three blocks and added a kill in the run. Kentucky then expanded its lead to a 19-11 advantage following another kill from Frazier. UK capped off the win with a kill from Pavan and an attack error by the Razorbacks for a 25-15 final set win.
UK had a match-high 20 digs in the final set led by six from Greenberg. Frazier led the offensive effort with four kills in the set. Kentucky also posted a match-high five blocks in the stanza with three coming from the hands of Giesler.
Arkansas captured the third set by a 25-21 score to force the match into extra frames. The Razorbacks forced Kentucky into 11 attacking errors to claim the set.
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State Sweeps Alabama
TUISCALOOSA, Ala. --- Mississippi State closed out its September volleyball schedule in impressive fashion Friday night, sweeping Alabama (8-8, 2-4 SEC) 25-16, 25-23, 25-21 at UA’s Foster Auditorium. It was the Bulldogs’ first win in Tuscaloosa since 1998, MSU head coach Jenny Hazelwood’s junior season at State, and MSU’s first shutout of the Tide in Tuscaloosa since 1997.
Caitlin Rance tallied a match-high 12 kills and added 10 digs for her team-leading sixth double-double of the year. Faith Steinwedell registered her first double-double of the year with 12 kills and a match-high 15 digs. Freshman Lainey Wyman added 10 kills while senior middle Hannah Wilkinson paced MSU at the net with four blocks.
The Bulldogs travel to Oxford, Miss., Sunday afternoon for a program-first nationally-televised (ESPNU) match against in-state SEC rival Ole Miss (5-8/1-4 SEC). First serve at the Gillom Sports Center is set for 4:02 p.m.
MSU held a 46-37 edge in kills, out-hit the Tide .223 to .198 and edged the Crimson Tide in digs 59-54.
Rance and Steinwedell registered five kills each as State claimed the opening set 25-16. A pair of Alabama miscues broke a 6-6 deadlock and State never trailed the remainder of the opening stanza.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 7-3 advantage in the second set. Alabama, led on the night by Kayla Fitterer’s 10 kills, went on a 6-0 run to take a 16-13 lead midway through the period. The Bulldogs battled back, pulling even at 21-21 on a kill by Wyman and then out-pointed Bama 4-2 down the stretch to overcome 11 attack errors and take a 25-23 win.
State trailed only briefly in the early going of the third set but put together a pair of 5-0 runs midway through the third stanza to seal the win. Wyman registered five kills and a pair of blocks to pace State in the match-clincher.
Junior Hillary Parker started at libero for State and led all defenders in the match with 18 digs.
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Gators Sweep Tigers
AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 13 Florida volleyball team used stellar offensive performances from its senior outside hitters, Stephanie Ferrell (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.), to complete a 3-set sweep of the host Auburn Tigers, 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-23). The Gators move to 10-3 on the season and 3-1 in SEC play, while the Tigers drop to 8-7 overall and 2-3 against conference opponents. Florida has now swept eight opponents in 2011, including both of the Gators' SEC road matches.
Ferrell hit .542 with 14 kills on 24 swings and only one error for the entire match. Jaeckel led all hitters with 15 kills, hitting at a .400 clip for her highest offensive percentage in 2011. Redshirt freshman libero Taylor Unroe (Muncie, Ind.) led Florida with nine digs and two service aces, and senior right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) contributed a team-high 20 assists.
The teams battled throughout the first set, with Auburn leading by as many as three points, including late in the first set. As the Tigers closed in on taking set one, senior middle blocker Cassandra Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif.) stepped behind the service line for six straight points to give Florida an edge at set point, 24-21. The serve of Auburn’s Camila Jersonsky put the Tigers right back in the thick of things, tying the set at 24-24. A kill by junior right-side Tangerine Wiggs (Seattle, Wash.) put Florida back on top and a ball handling error by Auburn gave the Gators the first set, 26-24.
The second stanza was a different story, as Florida was able to gain momentum early and keep the lead for the entire set, leading by as many as six and keeping the lead at five throughout most of the set. A block by Anderson and Murphy solidified Florida’s dominance in the second set, giving the Gators a 19-14 edge. The block party continued later in the set, as Anderson and Wiggs teamed up against Auburn’s Sarah Bullock for a 22-16 Florida lead. An Auburn service error cemented the Gator lead in the match, handing Florida the second set, 25-20.
The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead out of intermission and held on to the advantage for much of the third set. Florida attempted to chip away at the Auburn lead but would only come within two points until a Gator timeout shifted the momentum towards the Florida bench. The Gators went on a 6-3 run to tie the set at 20-20 behind the serves of Anderson and sophomore setter Chanel Brown (Tempe, Ariz.). Auburn regained the edge with two quick points but another Florida timeout once again changed the tide. Jaeckel slammed a kill down the line to begin the Florida rally and tied the set at 22-22 behind her serve. A kill by Vesela Zapryanova handed Auburn the 23-22 edge but aggressive serving by Unroe, including a service ace to set up match point, put Florida back in control. An Auburn overpass landed right within striking distance of Ferrell and she slammed the ball home to put away the set and the match for the Gators, 25-23.
The Gator defense held five of the Tigers’ starters to four kills or less and Jersonsky, Auburn’s leader in hitting percentage, only hit .143 with four kills on the evening. The Florida block combined for 10 total blocks, including 18 block assists, tying Florida's season high for block assists in a 3-set match.
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Lady Vols Down Tigers
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Tennessee Lady Vol volleyball team continued its great start in Southeastern Conference play, downing LSU in four sets, 25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14, on Friday evening at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
The win improves the Lady Vols overall record to 12-2, while the squad also stays perfect in the conference at 5-0. The win also marks Tennessee’s first victory over LSU since 2008 and the first time the team defeated LSU in Baton Rouge since Oct. of 2000.
By topping LSU Friday and Florida last Sunday, it is the first time in school history that Tennessee has beaten both the Gators and Tigers on the road in the same season.
Offensively, sophomore Kelsey Robinson led the charge, registering her 10th double-double of the season after recording 20 kills and 10 digs. By having 20 kills against LSU, she now has eight matches where she has blasted at least 20 kills.
Juniors Leslie Cikra and DeeDee Harrison were also a vital part to the offense, as both also tallied double digits in kills. Cikra finished the match with 16, while Harrison added 10 of her own. The duo also proved to be tough for the LSU offense, as Harrison and Cikra combined for 12 blocks, as both notched six each.
For the eighth time this season, freshman setter Mary Pollmiller dished out at least 50 assists, as she distributed 50 helpers against the Tigers. Sophomore Carly Sahagian notched a team-high 23 digs to go along with six kills.
Sophomore Shealyn Kolosky just missed notching double digit kills, as she finished the match with nine and also had three block assists.
In the opening set, Tennessee cruised, aided by a strong surge early. With LSU up 2-1, UT scored the next three points and six of the following seven to grasp a 7-3 lead. During that span, Robinson had a pair of aces. Tennessee would never trail again in the set.
LSU would pull within two twice, 10-8 and 13-11, but the Lady Vols extended their lead to five by going on a 4-1 rally, capped off by a Sahagian blast that made the score 17-12. Tennessee closed the set out on a 5-2 run, winning the opening frame by a score of 25-17.
LSU responded early in the second set, jumping out to a quick 5-2 lead. The Tigers used runs of 4-0 and 3-0 to increase the lead to 17-10, which forced Tennessee to call a timeout. The break seemed to wake the Lady Vols up, who then went on to score five of the next six points to cut the deficit to three, 15-18.
A 3-0 rally by the Big Orange made the score 19-18 in favor of LSU, but Tennessee could not surpass Tigers. Late in the set, Tennessee cut the lead to one three more times, 20-21, 22-23 and 23-24, but LSU ended UT’s hopes of winning the set when Madie Jones’ kills notched the final blow, giving
LSU the second set, 25-23, and evening the match at 1-1.
After the break, the third set was a back-and-forth affair from beginning to end. Tied at two, Tennessee would score the next two points by way of a Cikra kill and an Ellen Mullins ace to make the score 4-2 in favor UT. The score would be tied again at six and seven before UT would rattle off the next three to grab a 10-7 lead.
LSU answered the call and evened the match at 12 apiece. The teams then went on to trade the next 16 points, knotting the score at a 20-20 deadlock. Back-to-back kills by Robinson broke that streak and Tennessee would also score the next two points off of an LSU error and another Robinson kill, pushing its lead to 24-20. An LSU attack error gave the Lady Vols the set, 25-21, as UT also regained the match lead, 2-1.
LSU would lead in the fourth set once, 1-0. After the Orange and White took the lead at 2-1, a kill by Cikra and a blast from Harrison was followed up by a 4-0 run to propel the Lady Vols to a 7-2 advantage. With the score at 18-14 in favor of Tennessee, the Big Orange went on a 5-0 run and scored six of the final points in the set to grab the win, 25-14
Cikra, Robinson and Harrison were all dominate in the final set, as Cikra smashed seven kills, while Harrison and Robinson each hit down five. For the frame, Tennessee hit a whopping .594, which was easily its best percentage in any set of the match.