Volleyball Takes Home Tri-Match
Grayson, KY - The Kentucky Christian University volleyball team hosted their first home matches of the 2022 season by bringing in Ohio Christian University and the University of Pikeville for a Saturday afternoon tri-match. The Knights opened play with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-20, 25-20) win over the OCU Trailblazers and followed that up with a 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 19-25, 25-15) victory over the Bears from UPike.
Ohio Christian
KCU jumped out early on their opponents from Circleville, OH as took the first set at 25-10 but it would not be that easy for the remainder of the match. While the VolleyKnights won the match in straight sets, the Trailblazers made it anything but simple as the last two sets were decided at 25-20 each. Overall, KCU hit an outstanding .330 collecting 43 killsand seven aces along the way. Defensively, the team was credited with 51 digs and three solo/10 assisted blocks.
Individually, Kristin Upshaw-Mendoza hit .469 (17 kills) and had eight digs and two assisted blocks. Just missing double-digit kills, Delanie Gilliland chipped in nine kills while hitting .500 for the match. Rounding out the offense, Naomi Naugler added six kills. Hannah Cron collected 22 assists and Lyndi Starky 17 as the offense ran very well under their play. Anna Cruser and Cron had 3 & 2 aces, respectively.
Ashlyn Funk led the defensive charge with 12 digs as Cron (9) and Cruser (8) finished just shy of the double figure threshold in that column. Naugler had two solo and four assisted blocks with her sister middle blocker, Emily Adkins registering a solo and assisted block.
UPike
As in the first match, the Knights rushed out to a two set lead only to see the Bears take set three. Kentucky Christian righted the ship and grabbed the fourth and final set, 25-15. KCU produced 46 kills on 41 assists and was credited with seven aces as a team. Along the front row, they had two solo and eight assisted blocks.
Upshaw-Mendoza had yet another double-double in this young season with 12 kills and 22 digs to go with an ace and two assisted blocks. Naugler had her first double-digit kill performance with 10. Adkins and Gilliland added seven kills each. Directing the offense, Cron and Starkey combined for 37 assists with 19 and 18, respectively.
Who's Up Next
KCU will host the Bulldogs of Union College next Tuesday, Sept 13th. The match will begin at 6:30 PM.
Go Knights!!!
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