This weekend, September 4-6, Shepherd University traveled to Misenheimer, NC to compete against Georgia College, Slippery Rock, and Pfieffer University. The Rams returned with two regional wins and were named champions of the tournament.
Friday afternoon at 3 PM, Shepherd and Georgia College took the court. (Senior middle hitter Katie Beecher was unable to play due to an ankle injury. Christine Jackson played in her place.) SU set the pace, staying several points ahead well into the set. Georgia caught up with the Rams at 20-20, and Shepherd fell just a little short in the end, losing 27-25.
Shepherd won the first point of the second set, but struggled to find a rhythm and take the lead. With Georgia leading 11-6, SU took a time out to gather themselves. With renewed focus, the Rams got themselves back in the game, only trailing GA by one point (15-14). However, they struggled to maintain rhythm and get the ball to the middle attackers, which cost them the second set (25-19).
The Rams began set three slow, having to come back from behind. However, reenergized, the ladies pulled ahead to eventually lead 18-11, and put away a win at 25-20, keeping them in the game.
With the score back at 0-0, Shepherd and Georgia faced off one more time. The Rams faced difficult serving and struggled with receive, allowing GA the opportunity to run a strong offense. Shepherd could not hold off the attack, and Georgia topped Shep 25-19 in the end.
The final score was Shepherd 1, Georgia 3.
Valerie Bour had 19 kills and Kayleigh Helgesen added 11 and a hit on a rough day for the Rams. Although Samantha Scroggins, Bour, and Kelsey Anderson each had 10 digs, defense was weak and contributed to the loss.
However, one loss did not keep the Rams from coming out strong Saturday. New head coach Camilo Guerci marked down his first win with Shepherd Volleyball against host team Pfieffer University. The Rams topped Pfieffer 25-15, 21-25 (Pfieffer), 25-15, and 25-19.
Shepherd also took Slippery Rock 3-0 later in the day.
"The next day we had a HUGE bounce back," says Coach,"Defensive production doubled and was the difference. It allowed us to turn that defense into a much more balanced offense."
In the match against Pfieffer, the Rams overcame a small hiccup in set two and took the other three sets with a strong lead and point differential. Four players had eight or more kills, led by Taylor Allen with 11 kills and 8 digs, and Valerie Bour with 9 kills and 9 digs. Sam Scroggins totaled 16 digs, and Taylor Belella tallied 37 assists and 6 kills.
Shepherd took their rhythm into the second match, vs. Slippery Rock University. Defensive intensity again set the tone for the win. All five hitters finished with 7 or more kills. Kayleigh Helgesen led with 9 kills and a hitting percentage of over .500. Belella, having finished with 24 assists on Friday, averaged 36 assists per game on Saturday. Allen and Bour had 8 kills and 13 digs apiece. Both middles (Jackson and Motheral) totaled 7 kills and at least 3 blocks each. Motheral led with 5 blocks, and the team finished with 8 in 3 sets.
Defensively, Allen, Bour, and Scroggins each tallied 10 digs. Christine Jackson was huge for the Ram's success, coming up with NO errors on 12 attempts. Jackson stepped in for Katie Beecher and really performed for Shepherd while Beecher suffered an ankle injury.
The Rams were named champions of the tournament, and three players placed on the all tournament team: Kayleigh Helgesen with 28 kills and 9 blocks for the weekend, Sam Scroggins--voted best defensive player--with 38 digs and 7 aces, and Val Bour--named tournament MVP--finished with 36 kills, 32 digs, and 5 aces.
Spirits are high after Saturday's high performance. Team and coaching staff consider the tournament a great success, taking home two key regional wins. The Rams have put a strong foot forward this season, showing potential for great success in the Mountain East Conference, and have shown the great depth of the team in their ability to adjust under pressure--or, in this weekend's case, injury.
Rams will play again on Wednesday at 5:30 in the Butcher Center, their home court.
For more information, visit the Rams website: http://www.shepherdrams.com/index.aspx?path=wvball
**Thanks to assistant Faisal Hallaj for updating me, as I was unable to travel with the team. Also, thanks to Pfieffer for hosting and streaming the tournament live online.
No comments:
Post a Comment