NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The King University women's volleyball team won a battle with Christian Brothers University Saturday morning, prevailing 15-10 in the fifth and decisive set to earn their first win of the season, 3-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 3, Christian Brothers 2
LOCATION: Trojan Fieldhouse; Nashville, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 1-2; Christian Brothers 1-2
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- The Buccaneers took an early 3-2 lead, which didn't last long, as Zephanie Snyder and Abigail Belcher teamed up for a block that tied the set at 3.
- That started a 5-0 run for the Tornado that saw them jump out to a 7-3 lead.
- King was able to stretch the lead to 16-9 before the Buccaneers scored three consecutive points to get to within four, 16-12.
- The Tornado eventually pulled ahead 24-21, but back-to-back points for CBU brought them to within 24-23.
- King held on to win the set thanks to a kill by Bailey Fersner that handed the Tornado a 25-23 win.
Second Set
- Christian Brothers led throughout the majority of the second set, with the Tornado battling back to tie the set at multiple points.
- The Buccaneers were up 19-18 when Fersner picked up another kill, tying the score at 19 before an attack error gave King a 20-19 lead.
- CBU would go on to score six consecutive points to take the set 25-20.
Third Set
- Set 3 was similarly close, with the teams trading the lead throughout.
- Christian Brothers started to pull away, taking an 18-15 lead on the Tornado.
- The Tornado fought back, tying the match at 22 on a service error before taking a 24-22 lead on back-to-back service aces from Kylie Love.
- After the Buccaneers scored a point to stay within one, the Tornado ended the set on a solo block from Izzy Krick to take the set 25-23, going up 2-1.
Fourth Set
- Christian Brothers took an early 3-0 lead in the fourth set, though King came back and tied it at 7-7 on a kill from Krick.
- A service ace from Abigale Jayne would hand King their first lead of the set, 9-8.
- The Buccaneers took the lead at 12-11 and never looked back, holding onto the lead for the rest of the set.
- A service error got the Tornado to within 18-17, but the Buccaneers would score seen of the final 10 points to take the set 25-19 and force a fifth set.
Fifth Set
- The Tornado took control early, taking an early 2-0 lead off a kill by Belcher.
- The Buccaneers kept things close early, getting to within 8-7 before a pair of kills from Fernser and a block from Snyder and Belcher gave King a 11-7 advantage.
- After three points for CBU got them to 11-10, the Tornado scored the final four points of the set, with Fersner recording a pair of aces, including on the final play to ice a 15-10 set win, and the first win of the season for the Tornado.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Fersner was one of two Tornado to have 10+ kills, finishing with 16. Jayne had 11, along with a team-high three service aces.
- Belcher had a match-high nine blocks, with Krick contributing six and Lydia Buchanan providing four.
FOR THE FOES
- Maddi Rowley finished with 26 kills to lead the Buccaneers, while Maysen Bruschke and Madison Spiva both had 14.
- Tia Rizvi handed out 57 set assists.
UP NEXT
- King will close out the tournament at approximately 2 p.m. against Carson-Newman.
- Christian Brothers will face the Eagles at 5 p.m.
