Sept. 10, 2011
Box Score | Steinbach Post-Match Interview
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova volleyball team (7-3) had its six-match winning streak snapped on Saturday evening in the final match of the 2011 Villanova Classic as the Wildcats dropped a 3-1 (21-25, 16-25, 25-16, 21-25) decision to TCU.
Freshman Allie DiBernardo tallied a double-double as she dished out 37 assists and collected 12 digs.
Junior Krista Andersen recorded 15 kills in the match, while classmate CeCe Twitty connected on 12 kills. Senior Maggie Mergen tallied nine kills with just one error and had three blocks.
Senior Kim Maroon had her third 30+ digs match of the season and collected a match-high 30 digs, while junior Morgan Petkovich posted 12.
After two back-to-back errors in the first set, the Wildcats trailed TCU 13-6 and used their first timeout. Andersen and Mergen connected on kills out of the break and closed the gap to four points, 16-12 and the Horned Frogs called a timeout. Mergen found the floor for a kill and TCU committed an error as `Nova pulled to within two points, 18-16. The Horned Frogs earned set point, 24-19, but Villanova held them off for two points before falling 25-21.
Villanova trailed 8-3 quick in the second frame and called an early timeout. TCU continued to connect on kills out of the break and the Wildcats burned their final timeout after an error had them trailing, 14-7. Mergen hit connected on three consecutive kills and Andersen found the floor for one to close the gap at five points, 19-14, but TCU scored four unanswered points to extend the lead to 23-14. The Horned Frogs won the set, 25-16.
The Wildcats came out strong in the third set as Andersen slammed two kills and Mergen one to lead 14-10 at the first timeout from the Horned Frogs. Twitty notched back-to-back kills, which kept Villanova in front, 18-14. Maroon served an ace and sophomore Carly Edwards recorded a kill to lead 23-15 as an error on TCU gave Villanova the victory in a 25-16 decision.
DiBernardo served an ace with two TCU errors following to take an 8-7 lead in the fourth stanza. Sophomore Mariah Henley served three points in-a-row to extend the lead to 12-8, but the Wildcats committed errors which let TCU back in, 15-14. The Horned Frogs tied the set at 15-15 out of a Villanova timeout and both teams traded points. The score tied five times before TCU took a 22-20 lead after consecutive kills. Andersen found the floor for a kill, 22-21, but the Horned Frogs connected on three final kills to win the set, 25-21 and take the match victory.
For their performance over the weekend Mergen and Maroon earned all-tournament honors.
The Wildcats will play in their final pre-conference tournament next weekend. Villanova travel to American and will face, American, Missouri and Western Kentucky.
