Sept. 18, 2009
Box Score
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Three Wildcats posted double-doubles on Friday evening as the Villanova volleyball team (9-2) pulled out a 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-9) victory over Albany at the Marriott Cavalier Invitational.
Freshman Krista Andersen tallied 18 kills with a .351 hitting percentage and collected 17 digs, while Senior Amy Gulyas posted 12 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Courtney Oertli dished out 54 assists and notched 17 digs as she tallied her second double-double of the season.
Sophomore Maggie Mergen also hit .351 with 16 kills, while senior Elysse Studzinski connected on 13 kills and sophomore Kim Maroon collected 20 digs.
Set on was close as Albany called timeout with Villanova leading 18-17. Studzinski found the floor to keep the `Cats in front and Albany used its final timeout trailing 21-18. After the break VU served for set point at 24-19, but Albany stayed alive before a kill by Mergen sealed the set one victory, 25-21.
Villanova called a timeout in the second frame trailing 18-16 and could not jump ahead of Albany using the last timeout still down by three points, 23-20. Andersen connected on a final kill, but Albany won the set, 25-21.
The Wildcats trailed 12-8 in the third set after Albany scored four unanswered points, but stormed back after the break on serving from freshman Kristina Bither to tie the game at 13 apiece and send Albany to the sidelines to regroup. A kill from Mergen put `Nova in front 16-14, but a kill from Albany forced a 17-17 tie. Back-to-back kills from Studzinski and Andersen sent Albany into its last timeout as Maroon served for the final four points, including two aces to take the third set, 25-19.
Albany won the fourth stanza, 25-23 to force a deciding fifth set as three aces from Maroon and kills from Gulyas and Mergen gave Villanova a quick 5-0 lead. Trailing 10-3 Albany used its second timeout, but back-to-back kills from Andersen after the break kept VU ahead, 12-4. Albany closed to within five points, 13-8 and the Wildcats took a timeout to regroup. After Studzinski found the floor to send Maroon to serve for match point, Mergen slammed down the winning kill on an assist from Oertli and Villanova grabbed the 15-9 victory.
The Wildcats are back in action at the Marriott Cavalier Classic on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. to face host squad Virginia before seeing Virginia Tech at 4:30 p.m.
