PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne University volleyball team opened up its home campaign with a day-night doubleheader versus Canisius College on Friday. The Dukes took both games from the Griffins, winning in four and five sets respectively.
Game 1:
In the opening match, freshman
Avery Hobson posted a game-high 22 kills, while recording her first career double-double adding 15 digs. Graduate transfer
Morgan Gish set a new career high with 20 kills and freshman
Chloe Wilmot's 55 assists led all players.
Freshman
Jordan Robertson led the net defense with five blocks and
Madison Grimm paced the back line, which featured three players in double figures, with 17 digs.
Duquesne took the first set by a score of 25-15. The Dukes were fueled by Gish's 8 kills at a .571 hit percentage. Wilmot had 12 assists in the first set, and senior
Camille Spencer received all 8 of the balls hit her way. Duquesne's total hit percentage was just under double that of the Griffins.
Duquesne took the second set as well, this time by a 25-23 score. Canisius was much better this set, out hitting the Dukes 25.8% to 25%. The Dukes also experienced some difficulty closing out the game, as they led 18-14 at one point, and there were four lead changes in the second set alone. Spencer continued her strong showing with 8 kills of her own and 16 receptions. Wilmot recorded 14 assists in the set.
DU dropped a hard fought third set 25-21. Hobson recorded 9 kills in the penultimate set to go with her 11 receptions. Duquesne continued to slip in hit percentage, boasting a 23.8% in the third set.
The Dukes were able to take care of business in the fourth set, winning 25-18 and clinching the first match in the day-night doubleheader. Gish recorded 5 kills, and Hobson recorded 4, alongside a whopping 15 assists from Wilmot. While Duquesne's hit percentage dropped again, this time to 23.3%, the overall attack percentage rose to 72% from 56% in the third set.
Game 2:
The Dukes and Griffins met again on the court later in the evening, with the Dukes once again prevailing ... this time in five sets.
Camille Spencer's career-high 21 kills along with another strong outing from freshman
Avery Hobson (18 kills) was enough to put the Dukes over the Griffins.
Spencer added 16 digs to her 21 kills for her first career double-double. Defensive specialist sophomore
Madison Grimm ended the match with 24 digs.
Chloe Wilmot continued her strong start to her college career with a second straight 50-plus assist outing, charting a new early-career best 55 in the win and added 16 digs.
Morgan Gish blocked a game-high seven Canisius attacks and
Jordan Robertson added six stuffs at the net.
The first set ended with the Dukes winning 25-19, strengthened by balanced scoring with four players: Gish, Spencer, Hobson, and Robertson, all recording at least three kills.
The second set was a much more back-and-forth showdown, with three lead changes and eight tie scores. It was the Griffins who came out on top, taking the set 25-23. The Dukes were unable to keep up with Canisius, as the Griffins hit percentage went from .182 to .343.
The third set was the inverse of the second, with Duquesne winning 25-23, again with three lead changes and eight tie scores throughout, including a tie at 22 apiece late in the match.
In the fourth set, Canisius won by a score of 27-25, but only after Duquesne was able to rally late to force the extra play. Spencer continued her strong two-way play with seven kills, three digs, and three receptions in the set.
In the winner-take-all fifth set, Duquesne put itself ahead 14-10, and, despite a late run from the Griffins, took the set and the match 15-12. With the set win, Duquesne took the game, sweeping the doubleheader and moving to 4-1 on the year.
UP NEXT
Duquesne will be right back at it tomorrow in Moon Township against Robert Morris, at 6 pm. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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