Nov. 14, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

PITTSBURGH - After splitting the first two sets, Charlotte opened up a 9-1 lead en route to a 15-8 win in the fifth and decisive set to steal a 3-2 victory over the Duquesne volleyball team in the regular season finale on Sunday afternoon.

Duquesne closed out its most success regular season since the team was elevated to Division I status in 1986 with a 22-9 record and ties the most Atlantic 10 Conference wins with 10.

The Dukes won the first set 25-23 and the fourth set 25-23 while the Niners won the second and third sets 25-23 and 25-19 in addition to the final set.

Sara Scheirman (game-high 18 kills, 11 digs) and Allison Foschia (11 kills, game-high 20 digs) recorded double-doubles for DU.

Seniors Katie Goss (2 digs, 2 assists), Kristen Hammergren (season-high 10 kills) and Amy Palko (15 digs) played on the Palumbo court for the final time.

Bianca Rouse had a team-high 17 kills and Kathleen Hicks recorded 17 digs for Charlotte, who qualified for the Atlantic 10 Championship with today's victory.

With the first set tied at 20-20, the Dukes won the next three points on kills from Kristen Hammergren and Scheirman sandwiched between a Rouse error. The teams would exchange the next two points, but an Amanda Videmsek service error closed out the set in favor of Duquesne, 25-23.

After 10 second set ties, the last coming at 23-23, a Hicks kill followed Videmsek ace knotted the set at 1-1 after the 49ers took the set 25-23.

Charlotte used 17 kills and a .279 hitting percentage to take the third set 25-19. Although the Dukes committed only four errors, they only recorded nine kills in the set to fall behind 2-1 in the match.

The fourth set was tight from beginning-to-end. With the teams deadlocked at 23-23, a Nicole Wright kills followed by a Sheri Davis error gave the Dukes a 25-23 win which tied the contest at 2-2.

Duquesne hit -.083 in the decisive set and only got as close as six points after giving up nine of the set's first 10 points.

Up next for the Dukes will be the A-10 Championship. Official seeds and times will be announced by the conference.

Charlotte (16-14, 7-8 A-10) at Duquesne (22-9, 10-5 A-10)