Kent State University
1-1,0-0MAC
SIUE
1-2,0-0OVC
Kent State Posts 2-0 Saturday at Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational
8/28/2021 10:49:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Kent State volleyball team closed the opening weekend of the 2021 season with wins against SIUE (3-1) and Purdue Fort Wayne (3-2) Saturday at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational.
The Golden Flashes (2-1) received balanced offensive production with four players posting at least 25 kills. Junior Savannah Matthews led the way with 33 kills. Junior Morgan Copley and senior Melissa Kolurbasi totaled 26 kills each and senior Danie Tyson add 25 kills. Redshirt senior Alex Haffner finished the day with 108 and 27 digs.
Kent State stressed its opponent with tough serving and had 19 aces on the day. Matthews led the way with five, while junior Gracey Jarecke and sophomore Bryn Roberts had four each.
Morgan Copley and Alex Haffner were named to the all-tournament team. Copley posted a team-best .397 hitting percentage and averaged 2.58 points per set over the three matches. Haffner posted double-doubles in both matches on Saturday and closed the weekend with averages of 11.33 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set.
Match 1: Kent State 3, SIUE 1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-18, 25-15)
The Golden Flashes dominated the final two sets to earn their first victory of the season.
Both offenses were clicking in the opening set as Kent State posted a .382 hitting percentage. A 9-2 run turned a four-point deficit into a three-point lead. An ace by Bryn Roberts a few points later gave the Flashes a 24-20 lead. Following a SIUE kill, Morgan Copley delivered a kill of her own for a 25-21 set victory.
Despite 11 attack errors, Kent State tied the second set 16-16 on a kill by Savannah Matthews. The Cougars scored six of the next seven points and went on to take the set, 25-20.
The squads split the first 12 points after the intermission before a serving run by Alex Haffner gave the Flashes a 12-6 lead. The lead reached nine multiple times and Danie Tyson put away a kill to end the set, 25-19.
A 12-2 run allowed Kent State to take control of the fourth set. SIUE was able to get within 18-13 but the Flashes won seven of the next nine points, securing the win on a kill by Ainsley Guse.
Kent State had four players with at least 13 kills. Savannah Matthews posted a match-high 17 kills. Morgan Copley hit .514 with 14 kills, while Melissa Kolurbasi and Danie Tyson were right behind with 13 each. Ainsley Guse added seven kills on 13 swings for a .538 hitting percentage.
Alex Haffner recorded her first double-double of the season with 56 assists and 17 digs. Bryn Roberts also had 17 digs to share the team lead. Gracey Jarecke tallied 10 digs and Taylor Heberle and Matthews had nine apiece.
The Flashes totaled 11 blocks. Copley and Tyson led the way with five each, as Tyson matched her career-high with three solo stuffs. Guse added four blocks.
Match 2: Kent State 3, Purdue Fort Wayne 1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 18-16)
Four challenges that went in favor of the host Mastodons and three unsuccessful match point opportunities were not unable to prevent the Golden Flashes from finishing the tournament with a winning record, Ainsley Guse was able to find deliver the final kill for an 18-16 win in the fifth set.
A back-and-forth opening set that included 11 ties and six lead changes saw Kent State take a 22-21 lead on a kill by Danie Tyson. Purdue Fort Wayne won the next four points, however, to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Stingy defense held the Mastodons to a .079 hitting percentage in the second set to even the match. Taylor Heberle's service run helped the Flashes grab their largest lead of the set at 17-11. The advantage was trimmed to two before a clutch swing by Morgan Copley resulted in a kill for a sideout that made it 24-21. Purdue Fort Wayne spoiled Kent State's first match point opportunity, but Copley came right back with another kill to even the contest at 1-1.
The Flashes never trailed in the third, jumping out to a 9-3 advantage and extending the lead to as many as nine. The Mastodons fought back to get within three before a big swing from Savannah Matthews put the set away, 25-21.
After erasing an early 7-2 deficit, Kent State once again fell behind by five, 17-12. Consecutive kills by Copley and Matthews got the Flashes within 21-20. However, a service error followed, and Purdue Fort Wayne forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-20 victory.
The final set was full of drama with 14 ties, five lead changes and four coach's challenges. Kent State fell behind 5-2 early but rallied for an 8-7 lead on an ace by Alex Haffner. An overturned call on the next point evened the score at 8-8. Another ace, this time by Heberle, put the Flashes ahead 10-9 before another successful challenge by the Mastodons tied it at 10-10.
Momentum appeared to be in the host's favor, as Purdue Fort Wayne took a 12-11 lead following an unsuccessful challenge by Kent State in which it was ruled that a Mastodons blocker's hair legally touched the net during the rally.
The Flashes remained composed and had the first chance at match point following a kill by Matthews that made it 14-13. Purdue Fort Wayne got a sideout to extend the match, and Tyson put Kent State back ahead, 15-14, with a kill. The Flashes hoped the game would be over a couple of points later, but a challenge was unsuccessful, and it was tied again at 16-16. Melissa Kolurbasi powered a kill off the block to make it 17-16 and Haffner made nice play to keep the ball alive at the net and allow Ainsley Guse to provide the winning swing on the following point.
Savannah Matthews had a match-high 16 kills. Melissa Kolurbasi provided 13 kills, and Morgan Copley and Danie Tyson added 12 each. Alex Haffner logged another double-double with 52 assists and 10 digs.
Gracey Jarecke tallied a career-high 16 digs to lead the floor defense. Bryn Roberts was also in double-figures with 13 digs. Tyson totaled a team-high five blocks and Matthews added four.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes will host Saint Francis (Pa.) at the M.A.C. Center for the home opener at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
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