MACON, Ga. - Behind Lisa Shelley's 17 kills and Amanda Kettles' 14 kills,
the Presbyterian College volleyball team rebounded from an early 1-0 deficit,
knocking off The Citadel by a 3-1 score (19-25, 25-13, 25-20, 26-24).
The Blue Hose improve to 2-1 on the year while the Bulldogs fall to 0-6.
Shelley hit a solid .295 on the day, notching 17 kills on 44 attempts. Kettles
hit .226 by posting her second consecutive double-digit game with 14 kills on
31 attempts.
Kilee Ruppe dished out 41 assists to go along with eight digs. Defensively,
Ashley Dunlap led the way with 12 digs while Carolyn Fabros chipped in 10. The
Blue Hose posted 18 total blocks, including eight of the solo variety.
Kettles stuffed four shots by herself in addition to adding two block assists.
Freshman Andrea Barman had just three kills, but chipped in with five blocks
(two solo, three assists). Shelley and Haley Thurmond also had a solo block.
PC found itself down 12-2 in the early going of the first set. Despite not
being able to come back and pick up the first set victory, head coach Chris
Belshe's team put itself in fine position by carrying momentum into the second
set.
The Blue Hose raced out in front of the second frame, taking a 4-0 lead behind
a solo block from Kettles and a block assist from Kettles and Ruppe.
The Blue Hose increased their lead to seven when Shelley found the court off a
pass from Ruppe, making the score 12-5. The kill also forced The Citadel to use
its first of two time-outs of the period. After the break, the teams traded
points until Barman stuffed a shot and an attack error by The Citadel made it
17-10.
The Citadel pulled within six after a time-out, but could get no closer the
rest of the way. The Blue Hose used an 8-3 spurt to end the set and tie the
score at 1-1 heading into the intermission.
Belshe's team continued its firepower in the third set, taking an identical 4-0
lead. However, The Citadel tied the contest at 13 and eventually took a
one-point advantage, 15-14. An attack error by the Bulldogs evened the score.
Tied at 16, Kettles slammed home a point. She then ensured PC's third-set
victory by recording three straight aces just prior to a time-out. Although the
Bulldogs pulled within one at 20-19, Presley Mabrey's kill widened the lead,
which the team would not relinquish.
PC would not win the match without a fight by The Citadel. In what turned out
to be the final set, the score was tied 12 times. Ahead 17-14, The Citadel
chose to call a time-out. This allowed Belshe's team to regroup. Out of the
break, Mabrey powered home a pass from Ruppe, sparking a 4-1 run.
With the set at 19 apiece, an error gave PC a 20-19 lead. Kettles then added a
kill for a 21-19 advantage. Shelley's kill gave the Blue Hose an opportunity
for the win, but The Citadel ran off back-to-back points to knot the contest
for the final time at 24.
A service error by Kathryn Johnston and an attack error by Kaona Mercer allowed
PC to prevail 26-24.
The Blue Hose return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m., for their final match of the
Bear Brawl. PC will take on UT-Martin in the neutral-site affair.
