Emily Sullivan blasted a match-high 14 kills in the victory.
CINCINNATI, Ohio - Marshall University's Emily Sullivan notched a
match-high 14 kills and added four assisted blocks to lift the Thundering
Herd to a 3-0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-23) sweep of Tennessee Tech in Friday
afternoon's season-opening volleyball match at the Fifth Third Bank Arena
in Cincinnati.
With the win, Marshall moves to 1-0 overall, while Tennessee Tech falls to
0-1 on the season. The victory also marks the 133 for head coach Mitch
Jacobs while at Marshall. He is now just five away from tying the program
record for most wins held by Linda Holmes (138).
"It's good to be 1-0," Jacobs said following the match. "We did some good
things tonight, especially on offense. An overall hitting percentage of
.336 is a pretty good way to start out."
Leading the match 2-0, the teams fought to a 23-23 deadlock in the third
set before a kill apiece from junior Kristin Marcum, and Sullivan sealed
the match for the Herd.
Marcum finished the contest with 12 kills, nine digs, a solo block and a
.476 hitting percentage (12K 2E 21TA).
Marshall started off the match at a rapid pace, building a 12-5 lead in
the first set on the strength of four kills by Marcum. From there
Tennessee Tech stormed back scoring 13 of the next 21 points to even the
contest at 18-18, before the teams tied again 24-24. Senior Jalicia Ross
then came through with a pair of her nine kills on the evening to seal the
set one victory.
"Ross was pretty much unstoppable, and we need to continue to find ways of
getting her involved," Jacobs continued. "Sullivan had a great first match
on the right side taking over for Kelly-Anne Billingy."
Leading the match 1-0, Marshall forged a 20-13 lead in the second stanza
and did not look back. Marcum contributed a pair of kills, while Sullivan
and sophomore Elizabeth Herman added one each to bring the Herd lead to
24-16. Marcum then thwarted a Tennessee Tech attack with a solo block to
end the frame.
Freshmen Megan Carlson and Jessica Dhoore made their collegiate debuts in
the contest. Carlson contributed six kills and a team-best 11 digs, while
Dhoore chipped in nine digs. Sophomore setter Elizabeth Fleming racked up
a match-high 39 assists while Sullivan distributed four.
The Herd also hit .336 as a team and recorded eight blocks in Friday's match.
"Defense is something we focus really hard on," Jacobs stated. "We blocked
almost three balls per set, that's a pretty good start. Now we need to get
right back and ready to go first thing tomorrow morning against Wright
State."
Tennessee Tech's Caitlin Bullock registered a team-high 13 kills, Kappy
Lang added 35 assists, while Leah Meffert and Katie Kenline each added a
match-high 12 digs.
The Herd returns to Cincinnati Tournament action Saturday, August 29 with
a match against Wright State. First serve is slated for 10:00 a.m. at the
Fifth Third Bank Arena.
