SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –The Explorers began their west coast expedition with a sweep of Harvard on Friday night. Junior
Samantha Graver and sophomore
Elizabeth Osborn (11 and 10 kills respectively) combined for half the team's total in that category. Graver also went for eight digs, while senior
Kathryn Wood tallied 32 assists and three aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Harvard started with a 5-3 advantage, but La Salle quickly erased it via a 6-2 run. It would be a set of runs thereafter. The Crimson retook the lead at 11-10, but the Explorers rattled off four points—Wood with two aces and an assist in that span. The established lead wouldn't be surrendered until later, when Harvard tied things at 21-21. Senior Devin Corah would come up clutch with two late kills to give the set to La Salle.
- The second frame was the most dominant for the Blue & Gold. Harvard began slowly and La Salle took advantage, jumping out to a 10-5 lead. The Ivy League team would close to a three-point margin at 15-12, but that would be the closest it would come. An 8-2 stretch for the Explorers put things at 23-14 and inevitably a compelling two-set lead for La Salle.
- The third was tightly contested to begin; neither team had a lead greater than two until Harvard was up 13-10. The Explorers refused to let the frame get away from them, however, and embarked on a crucial 7-1 stretch in which Osborn tallied three kills and senior Catherine Edgington a kill and two assisted blocks. The Explorers held their opponent at arms-length, although Harvard came close when La Salle led 24-22, but Graver's kill sealed the sweep for La Salle.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Neither side had too great an advantage in combined stats; perhaps the most telling disparity was La Salle's 42-34 advantage in kills. The Explorers were far better finishers of plays, with a .250 hitting percentage compared to the Crimson's .155 mark.
- Game-high Explorers: a handful of La Salle players led in certain categories: freshman Rachel Hess in digs with 20, Graver in kills, and Wood in assists and aces.
- Corah and Edgington particularly had effective offensive games. The pair combined for 17 kills on 40 attempts and only three errors for a hitting percentage of .350.
UP NEXT
- The Explorers face the host team, UCSB, tomorrow at 3 p.m. followed by San Diego at 7 p.m.
