Crusaders open SCAC Divisional 0-2 on Saturday
SHERMAN, Texas – The University of Dallas volleyball team went 0-2 on Saturday in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) opener. Dallas opened conference unable to keep up with third-ranked Colorado College, as they were swept in straight sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-12). The Crusaders followed with a 3-1 setback to Centenary College in the later tilt, which dropped them to 5-9 on the year.
Despite posting their most kills in the first set (10) against Colorado College, the Crusaders only garnered 12 points after falling behind as many as 10 points (12-2) to start. UD followed the sluggish start with a set-high 17 points in the second frame. The team also hit the best in that set with a .188 mark.
Behind 3-0 from the first serve, the Crusaders got on the board thanks to a service error and then stayed within two on another CC miscue. A pair of points stretched the gap to 6-2, before Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) – who tied a game-high 10 kills – got a successful attack to make it 6-3. Dallas remained within three over the next couple points, but never came closer that set. Trailing 13-9, the Tigers scored 12 of the next 17 points to gain a 2-0 edge overall.
Dallas started out ahead the only time of the morning in the third set with Krystyn Pua (Escondido, Calif.) notching a service ace. After earning the first two points, the top three ranked opponent went on a 14-1 run and secured the triumph to remain unbeaten overall.
The Tigers combined for 43 kills and were paced by Aria Dudley and Marguerite Spaethling with 10 apiece. They posted 18 kills in the second set and hit .354 overall.
In the second match of the day, Dallas fell 25-10 in the opening set. The Crusaders responded with a win in the next frame 25-22.
It was a back and forth set that featured 11 ties and eight lead changes. A kill by Scholz knotted the score 19-all. Samantha Garza (Richmond, Texas) clobbered the go-ahead kill and then UD's leader in that category capped the 4-0 run after the Ladies' error.
The Maroon and White got the next point to pull within a pair (22-20), but Scholz responded with a kill and followed with an ace to give the Crusaders the momentum in evening the match. Kennedy Bradley (Groesbeck, Texas) recorded the final point on a kill. The sophomore notched all six of her kills in this set.
Centenary answered with two wins in the next sets to secure its first conference win after falling in three to Austin College earlier. The third set score was 25-14 and fourth set reflected a 25-16 result. The Ladies leaped out to a 5-1 edge in the third. Dallas responded with a trio of points in a row that included consecutive aces by Rylee Davis (Lampasas, Texas). Centenary pulled away with eight straight points after UD narrowly trailed 12-10. In the deciding set, another large run (9-0) gave CC an edge too wide for Dallas to overcome.
Davis finished with a personal-best six aces. That is the second highest individual total this year behind Diana Hassinks' (Tulsa, Okla.) seven at home versus Brooklyn College on September 15th. Scholz finished with a team-high seven kills, while a trio of players collected six. Bradley, Garza, and Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) formed the unit. Hassink, Smith, and Sarah Hughes (Fair Oaks, Calif.) compiled double-digits in digs with 18, 16, and 12, respectively. The team finished with 67 digs altogether.
Three players eclipsed double figures in kills for the Ladies. Michaela Brantley (18), Desiree Frey (16), and Hailey Lawson (10) achieved the mark. Lawson added five aces and Allison Lazewski notched a game-high 26 assists.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays Austin College at 1 p.m. to conclude the SCAC Divisional.