Volleyball handles Randolph College; Swept by host Washington & Lee
LEXINGTON, Va. – The University of Dallas volleyball team (11-14) made its first trip to Washington & Lee University on Saturday. In a triangular match, the Crusaders prevailed with a straight set sweep of Randolph College (3-19) in a neutral match to push their winning streak to a season-high four games. The last time UD held such a stretch was the end of 2014 that carried from October 26 – November 7 including the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Quarterfinals.
Dallas also matched 2015's win total with its dominating sweep that kept the Wildcats under 15 points in all three sets. The Crusaders would fall later to host school Washington & Lee in three sets to end the winning stretch.
MATCH VS. RANDOLPH COLLEGE
Set Scores: W 3-0 | (25-12, 25-13, 25-14)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dallas came out clicking on all cylinders and scored eight of the first 10 points to force an early timeout by the Wildcats. After a service error by UD to stop the 5-0 run, another big stretch helped the Crusaders advantage balloon to double-digits (17-5). Consecutive kills by Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) lifted UD to its first lead in double figures (15-5). Scholz etched a trio of kills and then a positive attack by Kyndal Miller (Crockett, Texas) capped another 5-0 outburst. The Crusaders finished off the set handily with the team boasting 18 of the team's 45 kills that span.
It was another quick start in the middle set, as the first three points went to Dallas and eventually 6-of-7. A kill by Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) rounded out that stretch. The Crusaders got to double-digits on a service ace by Stephanie Janysek (Sinton, Texas). The freshman sent another ace on the next ball to lift UD to its largest edge of that set at the time by seven (11-4). Randolph College had a kill from Taylor Webb to switch the servers, but Dallas rattled off a 7-1 run to go up by 10 (15-5) for the first time that set. Despite the Wildcats closing the margin to six, it was a 9-3 run to close the frame out that pushed Dallas ahead 2-0 in the match score.
Another lopsided set in the third notched the Crusaders their first win away from the Maher Center since two weekends ago against Schreiner University and Texas Lutheran University at a hosted conference cross-divisional at Austin College. The first five points were tight, as UD clung to a 3-2 lead. From there a trio of opponent miscues sparked a 7-0 run for the Crusaders. Mairin Guilfoyle (Roanoke, Va.) had a kill and Merit Paramo (Wasilla, Alaska) added back-to-back kills before Sarah Hughes (Fair Oaks, Calif.) joined the fun with one of her own to conclude that early stretch. It was the longest unanswered stretch in the set and only one over five besides six in a row from 17-11 to 22-11.
Dallas never trailed in this match, which is the first time that has happened this year. The last time the Crusaders had an instance this close occurred on this date three years ago versus Dallas Christian College at home. UD only had one lead change happen in that match and the same situation had been recorded 10 days prior on Oct. 5 against Rust College. Both matches were played at the Maher Center.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Dallas smacked a season-high .274 kill percentage overall. This included a .350-clip in the 1st set.
- Guilfoyle was the lone Crusaders in double-digits for kills with 10. She posted eight in the second set when she first came into the match.
- Paramo broke a personal best nine kills and added three blocks.
- Scholz and Hughes each tallied eight kills and hit six apiece in the opening frame.
- Smith led the team with 28 assists.
- Jessie Koster (Sherwood, Ore.) and Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) were the two players above double figures in digs with 23 and 14, respectively.
- Dallas tied a season-high 10 blocks for the third time.
- Randolph was led by Autumn Troxell with six of the teams 16 kills. Kennedy Webb and Brooks Gillerlain added 12 digs each.
MATCH VS. WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY
Set Scores: L 3-0 | (17-25, 19-25, 22-25)
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first set, Dallas grabbed an early lead on three occasions, but the Generals countered each time before soaring to a 6-3 lead on four straight points. After the road team earned a point on a service error, another big run (7-0) gave W&L control of the set 13-4. That edge extended to as many as 14 (23-9), before the Crusaders furiously came back with an 8-2 run, including five straight while facing set-point. Krystyn Pua (Escondido, Calif.) served during that stretch and notched a pair of aces.
The next set witnessed back-to-back kills by UD's Paramo and Guilfoyle, but a countered 13-0 spurt lifted the home squad ahead for good. Dallas chipped away throughout again but never closed the margin to closer than five points on the final two exchanges – including the final tally.
Dallas made its last set the closest on the afternoon, and despite seven ties were only able to be on top twice in that frame. Both occurrences were at the start with a service error and bad set by Washington & Lee to give the Crusaders respective leads of 1-0 and 2-1. Three straight points on the strength of latter pair of kills gave the Generals the edge and they never trailed from there. This set was evenly fought until UD trailed a final time by one (21-20). But four of the last five points as part of a 6-3 run completed the setback for Dallas.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Guilfoyle had a team-high seven kills and Hassink followed with six.
- Koster led with 22 digs and was lone player in double figures as the Crusaders only collected 49.
- Smith produced 17 assists.
- The Generals hit .368 (17-38) in the third set.
- Allison Webb and Meg Guignon paced the team in kills with the highest two respective marks at 12 and 11.
- Anna Soroka notched 20 assists and Elena West set 12 balls that led to kills.
- Elly Cosgrove and Ashleigh Meade anchored the defense in digs with 17 and 15, respectively.