Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLEARWATER, Fla.- Fire volleyball started their season with a 1-1 mark in the Clearwater Christian Labor Day Tournament, scoring a 3-1 win over College of St. Mary, and falling 3-2 to Columbia College.
Despite a quick 3-0 lead in the first set against St. Mary, the Flames rallied back to score a 25-19 win. However, the Fire bounced back with a 25-19 win of their own in the second set. The third set was a nail-biter, which featured nine ties, until the Fire ripped off the final six points of the set to claim a 25-23 win. They closed the match with a 25-22 win in which they recorded 15 kills.
"I was proud of the girls and their determination to not lose another set to St. Mary," said Coach Audrey Gilbert. "They realized the errors they were making, and they cleaned it up."
Senior Carol Reis led the way with 16 kills and an eye-popping .750 attacking percentage. Sophomore Lydia Rooth added14 kills and nine digs. Senior Madeline Hanshaw had 14 digs, and sophomore Alyssa Prescott had a match-best 30 assists.
Against Columbia, the Fire again got off to a slow start, falling 25-17 in the first set, totaling just six kills, and a .095 attacking percentage. In the second set, they trailed 9-4, but rattled off 11 consecutive points, taking advantage of six attacking errors by the Koalas, and adding in a pair of aces by Hanshaw. They scored a 25-18 win in the set. Momentum swung back the Koalas' way with a 25-23 win in the third set. The Fire forced a fifth set with a 25-22 win in the fourth, falling 15-12.
"We were basically a roller coaster, and when we were high, we were high, when we were low, we let the lows overcome the high points."
Reis added 15 kills on 34 swings and Rooth had 14 kills and 11 digs. Hanshaw recorded five kills and 17 digs. Alyssa Prescott had a team-best 24 assists.
The Fire return to Clearwater on Saturday to take on Florida Memorial and the host Cougars.
