Volleyball defeats Sul Ross State; Split Day 1 of Austin College Invitational
SHERMAN, Texas – The University of Dallas volleyball team split the first day of the Austin College Invitational on Friday. After dropping three sets to McMurry University, the Crusaders edged Sul Ross State University 3-1 immediately following the last match. Dallas (2-4) has won two of its last three contests.
Despite a sweep to the Warhawks (5-0) in the weekend opener, UD battled the unblemished opponent to a thrilling 30-28 total in the first set. Trailing 16-11, Merit Paramo (Wasilla, Alaska) produced a kill that started a stretch of five straight points to knot the game.
McMurry's Verlyncia Nelson ended the run with a kill and the next three points went to the opposition. It appeared the Warhawks had the opening frame with a five-point advantage on the set point, but Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) swung for a kill and then got on the serve to help orchestrate a 6-0 outburst that put the team in navy in front 25-24. Scholz nailed a pair of aces – including the first one on that string of serves – and got the go-ahead kill. Theresa Schramm (Plymouth, Wis.) and Sarah Hughes (Fair Oaks, Calif.) also had positive attack results in the span. Things went back-and-forth as both squads had opportunities to win by two. Finally, Justice McGowan smashed two kills that were the game-tying and winning points for the Warhawks in the first set.
The Crusaders were encouraged by the late run and saw it carry into the early stages of the second set. UD got out to a five point lead on two occasions and led by as many as 11-6 before its opponent clipped the margin to one on four consecutive scores. A few miscues by McMurry pushed the lead back to three, but eventually it got in position to have a narrow 16-15 edge. After another lead exchange, Kennedy Bradley (Groesbeck, Texas) notched a kill and then an attack error by the WarHawks made it 21-18. UD surrendered the remaining seven points in the set.
A 25-21 final set ended the match in favor of McMurry.
Scholz captured another double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs. She officially surpassed 500 kills for her career and has 525 after both games today. Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) led the team in digs with 19. Stephanie Janysek (Sinton, Texas) and Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) combined for 23 assists with 13 and 10, respectively. Hassink added five as the team finished with 30 overall.
McGowan paced the offense with 12 kills and hit a 52.2 kill percent. Jordyn Burnell and Madison Reed each had nine kills while Baylie Barnes added eight. Emarie James posted 22 assists and Lauryn Davis passed 18.
In the next match following, the Crusaders took advantage of wide margins in the beginning and end sets to defeat Sul Ross State (1-5). The scores for each frame were 14-25, 25-21, 22-25, and 11-25.
The first 12 points were dead even, but then two errors gave UD a chance to move in front the remainder of the frame. Up 10-9, the Crusaders benefited from five straight errant attacks that propelled them to a 15-9 margin. That advantage widened and Dallas claimed a 1-0 lead by winning the final five points of the set later. Krystyn Pua (Escondido, Calif.) won the 25th point on a service ace.
Sul Ross State evened things with a win in the next frame. The scoring was balanced throughout, but four-of-six points at the end gave the Lobos a triumph after staking a 22-19 lead.
The Crusaders countered by winning the third set in even closer fashion with a three-point margin. Samantha Garza (Richmond, Texas) scored a kill to double the lead (8-4) early on. That distance of a gap existed until the Lobos grabbed the edge with three unanswered points while down 17-15. Kills by Stephanie Diaz on back-to-back serves knotted things, and then a kill by Priscila Serrano lifted SRSU ahead.
Garza's kill ignited five points in a row for Dallas and was enough to push the team to a 2-1 edge in the sets. The Crusaders won the neutral site match with their widest difference in a set on the scoreboard by 16. The team was 12-of-33 in kills to boast a 30.3 percent in the fourth set.
Scholz remains perfect in double-doubles this campaign with six total. Her 11 kills and 18 digs went for game-highs. Skyler Doty (Mesquite, Texas) matched the game-high amount of digs with a personal-best. Hassink, Paramo, and Garza formed a trio that all swung for seven kills. Janysek earned 29 assists, which was her third highest of the year and three shy of a season-best. UD's assists leader joined Pua for an individual high of three aces apiece. The Crusaders combined for 15 blocks, which ties a season-high for the third time this fall. Paramo and Rylee Davis (Lampasas, Texas) each had three.
The Lobos were led offensively by Emily Campos with seven kills and Stephanie Diaz with six. Autumn Gamez tossed over five. Alyssan Lanahan anchored a quartet of players with double-digits in digs with 20. Mirella Thomas and Alesi Hernandez shared time setting on the floor with 15 and 13 numbers respectively in assists.
SOCIAL MEDIA
.@UDallasVball prevailed in four sets over Sul Ross State later on Friday afternoon! Split day 1 of Austin College Invitational #GoUD #UDVB pic.twitter.com/nmZEEBfx9U
— UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports) September 9, 2017
UP NEXT
Dallas rematches with LeTourneau University at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Austin College Invitational ends for UD with a 3 p.m. scheduled tilt against Concordia University.