KEENE, N.H. – Sometimes stats lie, and sometimes they do not. Tonight at Spaulding Gymnasium was very much the latter scenario, as the Keene State College volleyball team outhit Nichols College by nearly 300 points while compiling 31 kills against just six attacking errors as the Owls picked apart the Bison in a 3-0 (25-10, 25-18, 25-17) sweep in non-conference action at Spaulding Gymnasium.
Highlights
Postgame Interview presented by GFA Credit Union (Coach Girard)
Postgame Interview presented by GFA Credit Union (Colleen Fraser)
KSC (3-2) came out firing, opening an 8-3 edge that included kills from three different people (two from
Colleen Fraser). Elizabeth Mullen served three straight aces to help Nichols (0-5) answer as part of a run of four straight points, but that proved to be what was likely the visitors' last highlight of the first set, as the Owls fired down three straight kills as part of a 5-0 run to go in front 13-7. That was only the start, as by the time the damage was done, KSC outscored the Bison 17-3 over the final 20 points. The Owls got three kills and three
Bella Bacon aces to polish off the frame with an 8-0 run. It was a picturesque set for Keene State, who had 11 kills without an error and hit .524.
The visitors lingered around a little longer in the second and third sets, getting within one at 12-11 on a block in the second after facing another early hole, this time 8-4. But that was as close as they would get, as the home team pulled away slowly from there, going up 19-14 after a kill by
Colleen Fraser and an ace by
Ava Harkins. KSC led by as many as seven late in the frame while locking up a 2-0 match lead that was never threatened.
The Bison never led in the third and surrendered eight of the opening 10 points right away to fall behind by six, with their only two points in that span coming off KSC serving miscues.
Delia Ryan did dial up three aces herself in the opening surge, after which the Owls kept Nichols at an arm's length the rest of the time. Leading 14-9, spikes by
Katie Taylor and
Marina Miller that sandwiched an errant set allowed KSC to open a sizable eight-point lead. It eventually grew to double-digits (21-11) on a Miller ace, and the Owls made it to match point at 24-14 after a swing by
Sarah Bartels. Nichols scored three in a row before serving too long to end the match.
KSC, hitting .232 as a team so far this season, had another efficient night offensively, as Fraser finished with seven kills on 18 attempts and hit .389, not committing any attacking errors. Bartels and
Aiya Dottin each had six kills with just one miscue, while Miller, Taylor, and Bacon each had four. Harkins led with 14 assists and
Alexis Small 12, while Ryan finished with four aces and Bacon three.
The Owls are back in action Saturday when they travel to take on Mount Holyoke College (3-1) at 12:00 p.m. KSC swept the Lyons 3-0 on Halloween at Spaulding Gymnasium last year.
