NOTRE DAME, Ind. –Women's volleyball bounced back from its opening-night loss to defeat Bowling Green on Saturday, giving head coach Andrew Kroger his first win at the helm of the team. The Explorers then dropped their afternoon contest against Wright State. In both games, senior Kathryn Wood tallied above 50 assists. Meanwhile junior Samantha Graver stuffed the stat sheet, going for a combined 27 kills, 27 digs and three aces over the pair of contests.
 
La Salle 3, Bowling Green 2
HOW IT HAPPENED

• It seemed like it was all Falcons in the beginning, with the team from Ohio surging to a 9-4 advantage in the first set. La Salle, however, went on a pair of five-point runs and eventually sit at 23-17. La Salle staved off a Bowling Green comeback for a 27-25 win.
• In the second frame, both teams were locked at 6-6 to start. La Salle started on a run that would see them maintain leads of 12-7, 13-8 and 17-10. The latter would be its biggest lead. The Falcons closed to three, the Explorers extended to 20-14 before Bowling Green would decisively surge for a 6-1 closing run. 
• Again La Salle started brightly in a set, beginning the third with a 9-6 lead. However, the Falcons scored nine to La Salle's three and claimed a 15-12 scoreline. The Explorers battled back but Bowling Green kept them at arm's length, claiming the set 25-20.
• With their backs against the wall, the Explorers started off brightly in the fourth, speeding out to 6-1. Bowling Green answered back briefly, but La Salle continued its momentum, pushing the line to 14-5. From there on, the Falcons never flew close, coming within seven twice but ultimately surrendering a 25-15 set.
• La Salle continued its hot start to sets, jumping to 3-0 in the fifth. Bowling Green closed to a 5-4 deficit, but La Salle powered to 11-6 and never looked back. An ace from freshman Rachel Hess sealed it and the Explorers won 15-12.

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Wood came close in this game to setting a career-high in assists, with her 57 falling two short of that mark. Her 14 digs were four away from another career best.
• Hess continued her statistical spike, tallying 26 digs and two aces against the Falcons.
• Senior Devin Corah proved lethally effective in this game, registering 22 kills on a .386 kill percentage. She also chipped in defensively with seven total blocks—a game high.
• Junior Samantha Graver also had a well-rounded match, striking for 19 kills and 18 digs.
• La Salle led in all major categories except blocks, notably out-killing Bowling Green 67-59 and out-assisting its opponent 64-56.

Wright State 3, La Salle 1
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams tested their strengths and remained level for half of the first set, balancing at 10-10 each. After which, La Salle flexed some muscled and pushed ahead, outscoring the Raiders 9-4. Wright State answered back with a run of its own and tied things up at 20-20. La Salle responded well, however, with a four-point stretch that won them the first frame.
• In the second, the Explorers didn't start as well and fell behind 13-6. That deficit deepened to as much as 21-13 before the Explorers showed life, going on a 5-2 run, before eventually conceding the set.
• La Salle again began a set slowly, this time putting itself in a 5-2 hole. They battled more in the third frame, leading as much as 17-12 at one point. A kill by senior Catherine Edgington put them up 22-20 in the late stages, but the Explorers conceded a five-point streak thereafter.
• The final frame saw both teams trading blowing and allowing neither to jump out too far. The largest lead was three and remained so as the Explorers held a 15-12 advantage. They then extended to 18-13, but Wright State showed life by going on the longest run of the game—a seven-point surge. The teams then resumed trading blows, eventually squaring at 25-25. Both teams stood their ground admirably until the Raiders rattled off two straight to claim a 34-32 win.

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Corah again led all players in kills with 18. She was followed by Graver on 16 and three Explorers—Edgington, sophomore Elizabeth Osborn and freshman Marisa Guisti—with 10.
• Guisti had her best attacking game to date, recording a season-high in kills and points (12.5). Classmate Hess improved on her individual numbers yet again, tallying 27 digs to set a personal best in blue and gold.
• Wood dished up 53 assists in this contest to go along with 22 digs. Graver slotted in second with 19 digs. The pair have started the season with double-doubles in every game.
•  La Salle won the battle of kills (65-56), assists (64-51) and aces (5-2) against the Raiders. 

 WHAT'S NEXT

• The Explorers return east for the Seton Hall Tournament next weekend. There they'll play Binghamton and Northern Arizona in addition to facing the hosts.