EMORY, Va. – The Tusculum University Volleyball Team (4-1, 2-0 SAC) rallied after losing the first set to defeat Emory & Henry College (1-2, 0-1 SAC) on Wednesday evening, in what was the South Atlantic Conference opener for the Wasps. The Pioneers won by tallies of 24-26, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-15.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Tusculum 3, Emory & Henry 1 (24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 25-15)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (1-2, 0-1 SAC); Tusculum (4-1, 2-0 SAC)
How It Happened
- The first set was a hard-fought affair as the two squads traded runs and refused to concede to the opposition. Junior outside hitter Sophia Kaiser (Stafford, Va.) came up big in the opening frame as she posted six kills to help the Wasps overcome the Pioneers and take the early 1-0 lead with the 26-24 set win.
- Tusculum came out firing in the second stanza and ran out to a 14-7 lead midway through the set. The Pioneers maintained a margin of at least seven throughout the set and evened the match with a 25-17 win.
- TU took another early lead in the third set as they saw their advantage balloon to as many as 9-5 in the early stages, but the Wasps would respond with a 7-1 rally to jump in front at 12-10. The third was another close set that saw the score tied on 11 different occasions. The Pioneers would settle down in the latter stages to take the set by a 25-22 scoreline.
- The visitors from Greeneville, Tennessee were dominant in the fourth as they sprinted out to a 14-5 margin early on and never looked back, taking the set and the match 25-15.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Freshman outside hitter Grace Duey (Tega Cay, S.C.) paced E&H with nine kills, nine digs, one block and one service ace. Kaiser added seven kills, six digs, one block and a service ace of her own. Sophomore middle Gracyn Miller (Lilburn, Ga.) posted six kills, two blocks, two digs, one assist and a service ace.
- Sophomore Payton Rolfsen (Fort Wayne, Ind.) had a double-double with a team-high 30 assists, 13 digs, two service aces and a kill in the losing effort for E&H.
Tusculum Individual Leaders
- Emiah Burrowes led the Pioneers with 14 kills, five digs and a block while Whitney Thompson added 12 kills, three blocks and two digs.
- Madison Adkins had a double-double with a game-high 33 assists, 11 digs, five service aces, two kills and two blocks.
Up Next
- The Wasps travel to Carrollton, Georgia this weekend for the University of West Georgia Volleyball Tournament. Game one is scheduled for Friday at 2:00 p.m. against Saint Augustine's University.
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