Oct. 5, 2004
Box Score
NEWARK, Del. - In the fourth and final game, host Delaware (14-3) withstood six Wildcat game points and won the final three points of the match to defeat Villanova (4-9) 3-1 in a non-conference match on Tuesday evening from Barbara Viera Court. The Blue Hens won their seventh consecutive match by scores of 30-22, 28-30, 30-26, 33-31.
After falling behind 2-1 in the match, Villanova built a 19-13 lead in the fourth frame, but Delaware surged ahead with a 10-3 run and led 23-22. Undeterred, the Wildcats scored seven of the next nine points and led 29-25 with a chance to even the match at two games apiece. The Blue Hens, however, scored four straight points, two on Villanova errors, and tied the match at 29-29. Villanova had two more chances to take the fourth game with leads of 30-29 and 31-30, but each time Delaware found the equalizer. In a game that featured 11 ties and six lead changes, a kill and a block by the Blue Hens broke a tie at 31-31 and improved to 8-0 on their home court this season.
Sophomore middle blocker Adrian Semrau had 16 kills to lead the team for the sixth time this season, and junior outside hitter Celine Nguyen notched a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore setter Jen Lalli dished out a career-high 41 assists and freshman outside hitter Kacy Sellers hit .412 while pounding 10 kills and producing a team-high five block assists.
The close game scores in the match were representative of balanced play between the two teams, but Delaware's ability to go on long runs proved to be the difference. The Blue Hens took a six-point lead in the first game with a 10-2 run, and closed out the frame by scoring five of the final six points. Delaware scored the first four points of the third game en route to building leads of 8-1 and 20-8, and held on for a narrow victory after the Wildcats fought back to within two points at 28-26.
After dropping the first game, Villanova evened the match by rallying from a 17-13 deficit in the second game to tie the score at 21-21. Later, the Wildcats took their first lead of the game at 24-23, and turned around a 26-25 deficit before a kill by Semrau and an ace by Lalli ended the game.
Delaware registered 12.0 total blocks and served up 11 aces in the win. Allison Lutz had a team-high four aces in addition to handing out 53 assists, and Niecy Taylor led the team with nine blocks.
Villanova begins the BIG EAST regular season schedule with a pair of matches on the road this weekend. The Wildcats will visit Connecticut on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then travel to Boston to face Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m.
