MALIBU, CALIF. – Villanova volleyball picked up its first win of the season Saturday afternoon in dominant fashion, topping the Sacramento State Hornets in four sets (23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-16).
It was all about freshman
Chloe Kelly this afternoon as she led the way with 14 kills on the day in her collegiate debut for the 'Cats (1-1, 0-0 BIG EAST).
Cat Young also had a huge day for VU, totaling 11 kills alongside a career-high six service aces.
Campbell McKinnon tied a career high with 11 blocks, while
Ava Harris (21 assists), and
Lola Buck-Taylor (12 digs) led the team in other categories.
The first set saw the Hornets jump out to early 9-5 and 17-12 leads, forcing Villanova into timeouts. The Wildcats would battle all the way back to tie the set on two separate occasions at 21 and 23, respectively, before Sacramento State would finish off the opening frame 25-23.
The second set was a back-and-forth affair with neither team building a comfortable cushion. Villanova found its groove late when McKinnon served up back-to-back aces to pull ahead by two. A crucial service error by the Hornets set up a set point before Young closed out the frame to deliver the 'Cats a 25-23 victory.
The two sides would again go back and forth early in the third set before the 'Cats began to reclaim the momentum thanks to
Reagan McGivern's kill and three block assists to put VU up by a score of 15-9. Sacramento State would pull to within three two different times, but as the set went on, the Wildcats began to show their dominance once more, this time with the help of McKinnon recording back-to-back kills. Three straight errors from the Hornets would allow Villanova to take the set 25-16.
Sacramento State responded early in the fourth set by jumping out to a 4-0 lead, but Villanova quickly clawed back as Young dropped in two straight service aces and the Hornets would commit another attack error, which knotted the score at four. The teams traded blows in a tight middle stretch before the Wildcats broke the game open with a decisive 6-0 run. With kills from Kelly, McKinnon, and Lewis, a solo block by McKinnon, and a couple of Hornets errors, VU pushed its lead to 23-14. Kelly brought up match point, and McKinnon put away the final kill to seal the 25-16 set victory and a 3-1 match win for the Wildcats.
UP NEXT: Villanova will conclude its California trip tomorrow at 1 p.m. EDT when they face the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
