Sept. 20, 2009

Box Score

MORGANTOWN - The Duquesne volleyball team finished the weekend 2-1 after their 3-2 (25-20, 25-15, 25-27, 19-25, 15-11) victory over Princeton at the 2009 West Virginia University Invitational.

Coming off a career-best 17 kills vs. West Virginia on Saturday, Sara Scheirman recorded 14 kills and a career-best 25 digs. Nicole Wright, who was named to the all-tournament team, also recorded 14 kills and had a season-best 61 attempts and 24 digs. Amy Palko also had a season-best with her match-high 26 digs. Chelsea Tillotson had a match-and-season-high 51 assists.

DU controlled the first set, breaking a 5-5 tie with a 10-4 run to take a commanding 15-9 advantage. Duquesne would see their lead grow to nine points at 20-11 before a Liz Homan kill ended the set with the Dukes winning 25-20.

The Dukes were down 9-8 early in the second set before going on a 8-1 run to take a 16-10 lead behind the serving of Ashley Buse and Katie Goss. DU would win five of the set's last six points winning 25-20 to take a 2-0 match lead.

Princeton would not bow out quietly, as they won the third set 27-25. The Tigers fought off one match point with the Dukes leading 24-23. The teams would exchange the next two points, forcing the ninth tie of the set. But back-to-back DU errors gave Princeton the third set 27-25.

The Dukes opened up an early 7-2 lead in the fourth set, but the Tigers slowly chipped away at the DU advantage and took a 13-11 lead capped by a 5-0 run. Duquesne could not mount any sort of comeback as Princeton forced a fifth and decisive set 25-19.

DU finally ended the two-plus hour match as a Homan kill gave the Dukes a 15-11 set win and a 3-2 match victory.

This was the first-ever win for the Dukes (9-5) over the Tigers (1-9) in three attempts. The teams last met in 1987.

Duquesne begins Atlantic 10 Conference play Sept. 25 when they travel to Bronx, N.Y. to take on Fordham. The following day, the Dukes will visit Rhode Island.