Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
Ladyjacks Stuff Cowgirls In 3-1 Win
10/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 18, 2012
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NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks rejected a season-high 16 shots and hit .254 in shaking off a sloppy first set to run past McNeese State, 3-1 (21-25, 25-12, 25-15, 25-18), on Thursday at Shelton Gym.
With the win SFA (16-8, 7-4 SLC) sweeps the season series from the Cowgirls (6-18, 1-10 SLC) and will have a chance to do the same with Lamar on Saturday when they host the Cardinals.
SFA got 14 of its 16 blocks in the first two sets, helping to hold the Cowgirls to just .051 hitting, including negative hitting in both the second and third sets. It was also the seventh time this season SFA has managed to hold an opponent under .100 hitting.
Sabrina Burns led the way with nine blocks and 10 kills, while Paige Holland had 33 assists and scored eight kills on 14 swings from her setter spot. Tori Bates led all players with 11 kills and picked up her second straight double-double with 11 digs and four blocks. Jill Ivy had 10 kills and five blocks as well, while Madison Hanlan had 14 digs.
The Ladyjacks had 14 blocks by the half, but only went into the locker room tied at a set apiece. SFA only hit .073 in the first set and despite four kills from Ivy, surrendered a dozen Cowgirl kills and dropped the first set, 25-22. One set later the Ladyjacks registered nine blocks and swung at a .400 clip, getting four more rejections from Burns and three more kills from Ivy to roll to a 25-12 win and square the match.
SFA continued to swing well in the third set, going ahead 2-1 in the match after hitting .222 and holding the Cowgirls to -.056 in the set. The Ladyjacks used a 7-2 run to open up a 14-7 lead and did not let McNeese State within five points the remainder of the way, scoring the last four points of the set.
The Ladyjacks then put together their best offensive frame of the night, scoring 17 kills in the fourth set, five from Bates and three from Holland, Ivy and Keeley Kainer. McNeese hit .310 itself in the fourth, but could not keep pace with SFA, falling behind 10-7 early on a kill from Ivy and eventually trailing by as much as seven at 22-15 on another kill from Ivy. A kill from Burns put SFA in position to close it out, which it did one point later when it forced a Cowgirl attack error.
SFA will try to back up Thursday's win with another on Saturday when it hosts Lamar at Shelton Gym in a match scheduled for 6:30 p.m. as part of SFA's homecoming weekend.
-SFA-
