Kent State University
Blue vs. Gold (Scrimmage)
Competitive Blue-Gold Scrimmage Concludes Volleyball Preseason
8/23/2019 8:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio — After dropping a close first set, Gold earned a 2-1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-23) victory in Kent State's annual Blue and Gold Scrimmage Friday evening at the M.A.C. Center.
The competition provided the Golden Flashes with their second opportunity to play in a game-like setting, after beating Findlay, 3-0, on Tuesday night.
"I think there was a high level of competition overall tonight," stated head coach Don Gromala. "Both sides executed pretty well, with a run of tough serves giving Gold the advantage. It's good to see much of what we've worked on during our training transfer to the competitive environment. With just a week until our first match, I feel this team is in a good place."
Junior Natalie Tagala notched a double-double with a match-high 36 assists to go with 11 digs in leading Gold to victory. Sophomore Melissa Kolurbasi was the top point scorer (18.5) with 17 kills and three blocks. Kolurbasi hit at an efficient .350 clip from the right side. Freshman Savannah Matthews added eight kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Erin Gardner led the Gold back row with 16 digs.
For the Blue squad, redshirt sophomore Alex Haffner tallied 32 assists and five kills. Senior Ashley Makruski had a team-high 13 kills and freshman Morgan Copley added eight. Junior Kaeleigh Stang posted a match-high 25 digs.
The Flashes' middle blockers rotated in for both teams throughout the night. Junior Ezri Edwards and sophomore Danie Tyson had nine kills apiece.
Kent State opens the regular season at the Charlotte Invitational Aug. 30-31 before returning to the M.A.C. Center for the Golden Flashes Classic the following weekend.
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
