COLUMBIA, KY.- St. Thomas (0-4) went 0-2 on the first day of the NAIA Southeastern Challenge in Kentucky, with losses against Union and Lindsey Wilson.
The first match against RV Union College (5-2) was a hard fought match as one of the four sets went to 36-38 final in favor of the Bulldogs.
The Bobcats jumped in front with a first set win by a score of 25-21. After going down early in the set, a quick exchange of points between the teams brought STU level at 10-10. St. Thomas went on a 9-to-3 run, that started with a block assist from Carli Bastel and
Victoria Philpot. Multiple kills came from
Courtney White,
Whitney Battoe and
Carly Durr.
The second set brought intense action as STU and UC took the score to 36-38, as Union took down the Bobcats. There was a constant back and forth between both teams as the win by two rule was in play. Both teams ensured that this set would go the distance.
The third set proved to be a harder one for St. Thomas as UC took the set by a score of 25-19. With the fourth set imminent, the Bobcats needed to dish it all against their foe. A battle to stay alive came close as STU brought the score line to yet another win by two playoff.
Notable numbers on the night in the first match for the St. Thomas came in the form of service aces. Sophomore
Veronica Gomez brought in a match-high five services, equaling the amount of aces Union had as a team. Leading the way offensively for STU was
Carly Durr. An explosive night for the senior as she took on a match-high 22 kills.
Kimberly Martino earned a match-best 49 assists on the night.
On the defensive efforts, three Bobcats were in double digits in digs as
Kelli Kosydor (15), Martino (14) and
Haley Bannister (13) all played a big role in keeping the team in the match.
The second match of the day ended in another loss for the Bobcats as #5 Lindsey Wilson (6-0) took control from beginning to end. The final score line read 3-0 (15-25, 13-25, 12-25) in favor of the host school LWC.
In her second match of the day, Martino tallied 20 assists and nine digs, while Battoe registered eight kills in the match.
Next up for the Bobcats is day two of the NAIA Southeastern Challenge in Columbia, Ky. against Bethel College and #19 Georgetown College. Action for the Bobcats starts at 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET.
Live stats can be followed at:
http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Tournament/TournamentPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WVB&tour=2189.
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