Southern Miss
9-18,5-10Sun Belt
Marshall
14-14,5-10Sun Belt
Volleyball Drops Match to Marshall
11/14/2024 9:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Southern Miss Golden Eagles fell to Marshall in a 3-1 match against the Herd Thursday night in Huntington. While both teams finished with 51 kills, Marshall maintained a higher hitting percentage to secure the match.
Set one began with both teams earning a four-point run, tying the score at 4-4. Sadie McAda and Francesca Panunzio connected early to add another four-point run, advancing the score to 8-4. While Marshall capitalized on a service error and a few blocks, Aysu Dalogullari and Torrey Tkach each picked up a solo block and kill to keep the lead at 13-8. The Herd then found their groove in the set's second half to take the lead at 21-18. Although Dalogullari and Lillie Johnson scored at the net, Marshall used a three-point run to close the set at 25-20.
Dalogullari scored a service ace to open the second set, but Marshall used their net connections to take a 9-5 lead. The Golden Eagles pushed back, with blocks from Dalogullari, Tkach, and Hayden Riddle and a pair of kills from Dalogullari to tie the score at 9-9. Both teams traded points up to 15-15 and kills from Johnson and Izzy Kronenberg gave Southern Miss a 17-15 lead. Despite a service ace by Kronenberg and a kill from Brynn Botkin to maintain a 23-21 lead, the Herd used a four-point run to win the set 25-23.
With Marshall needing only one more set, both teams came out strong in the third, posting kills to tie the score early at 8-8. Remaining competitive, they tied the score three more times up to 14-14. A kill and two consecutive service aces by Johnson helped the Golden Eagles take the lead for good at 17-14, adding kills from McAda and Tkach to close out the set at 25-19.
Set four opened with a Marshall kill, followed by an ace from Sunni Sheppard and two errors from the Herd, giving Southern Miss an early 3-1 lead. Both teams capitalized on each other's errors, with a service ace from Riddle and kills from McAda and Johnson tying the score at 7-7. Marshall responded, trading points until they scored a run to take a 19-14 lead.
Refusing to give up, the Golden Eagles earned a block, kill, and ace by Kronenberg, along with defensive plays by Sheppard and Kaylee Lowther, to narrow the gap to 21-19. Despite efforts from Johnson and McAda, who earned a block and kill, the Herd pushed through to take the final set 25-23, finalizing the 3-1 match.
McAda notched a double-double with 18 kills and 13 digs, tying with Tkach and Johnson for three blocks apiece. Sheppard led the defensive charge in the back row with 26 digs, while Riddle led the offense with 35 assists. Johnson, Kronenberg, and Riddle each recorded two service aces in the match.
The Golden Eagles will face Marshall again tomorrow, Nov. 14, for the final match of the regular season at 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET) in Huntington.
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