CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College
volleyball team put forth a tremendous effort in front of the most enthusiastic
crowd of the season, but suffered a 3-1 heartbreaking defeat to Furman
Wednesday night. Game scores were 23-25, 25-17, 23-25, 22-25.
The Blue Hose now stand at 8-15 on the season while the Paladins improve to
16-3.
Leading the way for PC was junior Lisa Shelley, who touched up the visitors for
21 kills and 14 digs. Rookies Allison Brown and Presley Mabrey added 11 and 10
kills, respectively. Junior Kilee Ruppe dished out a match-high 42 assists.
Defensively, Elizabeth Heineman posted a match-best 21 digs while Ashley Dunlap
had eight and Alesia Paul notched eight. Dunlap also spliced up the defense for
a match-high five service aces.
In the first set, PC fell behind 5-0, forcing a time-out by head coach
Chris Belshe. The team quickly responded, pulling within three on a kill by
Kettles, putting the score at 8-5. The Paladins widened the margin again to
five before PC sliced into the lead again.
Trailing by eight, 22-14, Brown's kill started a small run by the Blue Hose.
With Dunlap back to serve, she served five straight times, pulling PC within
three, 22-19. An attack error gave the Paladins back the ball.
The Blue Hose got back into the set with an attack error by Alexis Shaffer to
put the score at 23-22. A miscue by PC gave Furman set point,
but the team did not give up. A service error pulled the team within one, but
Shaffer slammed home a kill to secure the 25-23 win.
PC fell behind 4-0 in the second set, but once again
responded admirably. With the score at 7-2 in favor of the visitors, Belshe
called a time-out. The team, behind Dunlap's tremendous serving and all-around
standout play, the Blue Hose embarked on an 18-2 spurt to take a commanding
20-9 lead.
During the run, Dunlap's pin-point serves forced Furman to take both of its
time-outs for the set. She served 10 straight times for the Blue Hose, tallying
three aces while Brown delivered three kills of her own during the spurt.
Furman
scored some points the remainder of the set, but PC easily closed out the 25-17
win, tying the match at one set apiece heading into the intermission.
In the
third set, PC took an early 4-3 lead on Haley Thurmond's kill. The teams
battled back-and-forth, but the visitors took a 12-9 advantage after the first
21 points. PC fought back, tying the set on a kill from Kettles at 12-12.
Furman took a 17-14 lead, but Shelley slammed home a kill. It was followed by
an ace from Kettles to pull the team within one. However, the Paladins inched
away for a three-point lead, 23-20, forcing Belshe to call a break in the
action.
PC responded with a kill from Kettles and another by Mabrey. An attack error
knotted the contest at 23 apiece. However, two straight points for Furman ended
the set with the visitors taking a 25-23 win.
The Blue Hose came out strong in the fourth set, taking a solid 11-7 lead on
Mabrey's kill, forcing a break in the action. Immediately following the
time-out, Ruppe notched an ace for a 12-7 lead. PC went up 16-10 on Shelley's
kill.
After that, Furman slowly got back into the set, tying the contest at 20-20.
PC responded with a kill from Shelley, but Furman scored two straight points.
The Blue Hose tied the set at 22-22, but back-to-back kills and an ace finished
off the match as the Paladins took the fourth set 25-22.
The Blue Hose return to action Saturday night when they host Charleston Southern at 6 p.m., in a Big South Conference contest.
