Nov. 2, 2005
Box Score
Philadelphia, Pa. - Villanova University (19-8, 6-4 BIG EAST) lost a heartbreaker to host Temple University (17-9) tonight in McGonigle Hall, the Wildcats' second close, five-set loss in three matches.
The game scores were 30-26, 18-30, 21-30, 30-26, 15-17.
Villanova won the first point of the last game after freshman Alona Cherkez (Crimea, Ukraine) connected on a cross-court kill. Temple's Zhen Jia Liu answered with a kill off the block. `Nova and Temple knotted the score at 3-3, 4-4, 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8 before the `Cats took the largest lead of the game, 10-8, after Temple's Yue Liu made two attack errors off the antenna. The Wildcats and the Owls played point-for-point until a kill by Temple's Patricia Vernon gave the Owls match point. Zhen Jia Liu hit a cross-court kill to the right to end the match.
Villanova opened up a 5-2 lead in the first game after an attack error by Temple's Jessica Waybrant. The Owls climbed back in and tied the set at 9-9 on a put back kill by Zhen Jia Liu and then again at ten apiece on a Christina DeMarco kill which used the net cord. From there, Temple opened up a 16-11 lead using a 6-1 run.
Villanova chipped away and tied the set at 17-17 on a solo block by Cherkez. The score was tied once more, at 18-18, but the Wildcats re-took the lead with a kill on the left by Cherkez. Temple stayed close through the rest of the game, saving two game points at the end. Villanova earned game point with a Cherkez kill. The Owls saved one, 29-27, with a kill from Liu off the block. An attack error by Cherkez saved another for Temple, but a cross-court kill by Cherkez sealed the win for the `Cats.
Temple got out to a quick start in the second set, taking an 8-3 lead on a service ace by Yue Liu. The Owls never relinquished the advantage and ran out to 16-8 on a kill down the center by DeMarco before Villanova called a time out. Temple went on a 6-1 run to take a 22-14 lead after a kill by Yue Liu. `Nova called another time out, and sophomore Kacy Sellers (Battle Creek, Mich.) put down a kill after the break to kill the Owl rally. But VU couldn't mount a a rally, and Temple took the set on another kill by Yue Liu.
The two teams stayed much closer through game three. Temple and `Nova tied seven times before either team reached ten points. The `Cats and Owls tied at each point after until Temple's Zhen Jia Liu put down a cross court kill to give the Owls a 17-16 edge. Temple used a ten-point run to stretch its lead to 28-17 on another Zhen Jia Liu kill. Villanova saved one game point, 29-21, after Cherkez used the block for a kill.
`Nova and Temple traded points at the start of game four, tying the score four times early. The `Cats took the lead for good at 5-4 on a cross-court kill by Sellers. Villanova moved out to a 10-6 lead on a service ace by senior Celine Nguyen (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif.) and maintained at least a three-point lead the rest of the way. The closest the Owls got was 17-14 when Nguyen made an error attacking down the line.
The Owls did stave off game point three times with a tipped kill by Zhen Jia Liu and then capitalizing on two `Cat errors before a cross-court kill by senior Dana Kabashima (Santa Monica, Calif.) ended the set.
Villanova's Cherkez led all players with 23 kills. She also had a team-best .333 hitting percentage, seven digs and three blocks. Nguyen turned in a double double, her fourth of the year, with 11 kills and 18 digs. She also added three service aces. Sellers was the other Wildcat in double figures for kills with ten. Sellers posted a team-high five blocks.
