DAVIDSON, N.C.- The La Salle volleyball team captured their first A-10 victory of the season against Davidson on Friday, Oct. 6 in a 3-2 thriller. The team edged the Wildcats with set scores of (25-15, 17-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-9).
The Explorers tore through the first set using a 9-1 run after the teams were knotted at 11-11 to secure a lead. La Salle sealed the first set after a pair of kills from
Madison Kuch and a block from
Maya Barton ended the contest in a 25-15 score.
The Wildcats charged back to take the second set in a 25-17 final to even the match at 1-1. After La Salle got off to a slow 6-10 start in the third set, they used a pair of kills and an ace from
Bryanna Davis to come within striking distance. Once the score was equalized at 18-18, the Wildcats jumped ahead, using a pair of La Salle fumbles to capture a two-point lead. Scoring ran out as Davidson clung to their lead to finish the set 25-22.
La Salle jumped out to a stunning 7-2 advantage to open the fourth set. The team maintained their lead until the Wildcats used a seven-point run to equalize the score at 18. The Explorers would not let up, finishing the set on three Kuch kills and one from Davis to force a fifth set.
Using the momentum from the 25-20 fourth set finish, the Explorers pushed through the final set, leaping out to as high as a four-point advantage. While the Wildcats attempted a late set rally, it was too late to catch up to La Salle, who took the tiebreaker set 15-9.
Kuch paced the team with 24 kills, while Davis chipped in 20, as La Salle totaled 65 kills altogether to best Davidson's 49. Davis added two aces, while Kuch and
Hannah McGary posted one each.
Kuch led the team defensively, with four total blocks, while Barton matched her teammate with four as well.
Kathryn Wood added two blocks, to go with 50 total assists in the five sets.
Three Explorers posted double-digit dig performances against the Wildcats.
Jensen Sharrits led with 33, while Davis posted a double-double with 19 of her own. Wood contributed 13 of La Salle's 97 total.
With the first A-10 victory of the year, the team improves to 1-4 in league play while splitting their overall record 10-10. La Salle will be back in action on Sunday, when they face VCU in Richmond, Va. at 1:00 p.m.
