Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – New Southeastern coach
Brianna Barry opened her tenure at the helm of the volleyball program with a 3-0 victory over Union in the season opener on Friday afternoon, but finished the day 1-1 after a hard-fought 3-1 loss to Fort Hays State at the Lady Reddie College Classic in Arkadelphia, Ark.
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The tournament continues on Saturday when SE will face McMurry at 9 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m. matchup with Central Oklahoma.
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Against Union the Savage Storm offense was clicking, putting three players into double-digit kills and hitting .263 as a team for the match.
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Courtney Miller and
Megan Kunkel each turned in 14 kills to lead the way, while
Emily Gentle was not far behind with 10.
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Miller and Gentle each hit over .300 in their efforts.
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Alissa Benson turned in 43 assists in her first collegiate action at setter, while also adding a pair of kills, two aces and a block.
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Kelsey Zerkel led the defense with 15 digs, while
Julia Benford and
Ariel Sanders each added a pair of blocks.
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SE survived an extended first set with a 28-26 win and cruised to a 2-0 lead after posting a 25-15 win in the second set. They closed out the victory with a 25-23 win in the third set.
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Against FHSU Gentle bounced back in a big way with 23 kills, hitting .362 in the effort, while Kunkel added 17 kills in the team's 3-1 loss.
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Benson was just as solid in her second set with 54 assists while turning in her first double-double with 12 digs.
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Zerkel posted her first best dig performance of her career with 31 on the four-set contest, while Kunkel turned in 20 digs to post her second-straight double-double.
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Gentle chipped in three blocks, while Benford added two.
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The Storm took an early 1-0 lead after a 25-22 win in the first set, but the Tigers flipped the score and evened the match with a 25-22 win of their own in the second.
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FHSU took control with a 25-19 win in the third set and held off an SE rally attempt in the fourth for a 25-23 win to finish the contest 3-1.
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