Saint Louis, Mo. – Playing its second consecutive five-set match, the Dukes defeated Saint Louis, 3-2 on Saturday afternoon inside Chaifetz Pavilion in Atlantic 10 action. With the win, the Duquesne University volleyball team splits the series with the Billikens, improving to 11-5 (.688) overall while jumping to 2-2 (.500) in league play.
POINT OF EMPHASIS
In a match that featured 29 ties and 14 lead changes, Duquesne used a .345 swing percentage, 12 kills, and six blocks to grab a 25-23 first set win. The two squads traded scores to begin the contest as Saint Louis took a 10-9 advantage. The Dukes would collect eight of the next 10 points, to secure a 17-12 lead. Graduate student
Elizabeth Drelling started the stint with a successful swing before sophomore
Jordan Robertson found the floor successfully. Freshman
Emersen Schrom and junior
Carsyn Henschen would each tally a point as Duquesne took advantage of four attacking errors from Saint Louis. The Billikens responded with a 6-2 run that trimmed the deficit, 19-18. After a kill from Drelling and a block from Robertson and Drelling, Henschen would register a kill before graduate student
Grace Kristofic tallied a service ace, to extend the Dukes lead, 23-19. Saint Louis would score three straight times to trail by one but Schrom carded a successful swing while Robertson and classmate
Avery Hobson sealed the opening stanza with a block.
BREAKING THE TIE
Saint Louis would even the match with a 25-21 win in set two but Duquesne responded back in set three, which featured 16 ties and nine lead changes. Neither team could get a bigger lead than one as both teams traded points and were knotted at 19-all. The Dukes would break free, registering back-to-back points thanks to a kill from Hobson and an attacking error from the Billikens (21-19). Saint Louis responded with three straight points to regain the lead, 22-21 before the Dukes netted three consecutive points of there own to take a 24-22 advantage. Juniors
Ariel Helm and Henschen registered all three points, a successful swing by both and a block. After a kill from the Billikens, Henschen secured the match by finding the floor successfully, 25-23.
HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED
After Saint Louis forced a fifth set and its second straight match in five sets, the tables had turned for the Dukes. Midway through the set, the two teams were tied at 6-6 before kills from Schrom and Helm and a block from Hobson and Helm gave Duquesne a 9-6 advantage. After trading the next eight points (13-10), Drelling found the floor successfully before Helm gave the Dukes the match with a kill 15-11. Duquesne posted a .421 swing percentage while tallying 11 kills and a trio of blocks.
THE QUARTET
For just the second time this season, the Duquesne featured four Dukes finishing with double figure kills.
Emersen Schrom paced the way with 14 kills and a .433 hitting percentage while
Carsyn Henschen ended with 13 successful swings, five total blocks, and one assist.
Ariel Helm recorded her first career kill/block double-double, finishing with 12 kills and 10 blocks on the afternoon. Her 10 blocks are a season-high while falling one short of tying her career-best.
Elizabeth Drelling was the final Duke in double digits, posting 11 kills, six digs, and three total blocks in the win. These four players combined for 50 of the Dukes 60 total kills.
INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
Avery Hobson registered 11 digs, eight kills, and three total blocks while
Chloe Wilmot and
Grace Kristofic each collected double-doubles. Wilmot tallied 28 assists and 12 digs with an ace while Kristofic ended with 20 helpers, 12 digs, and one ace. As a team, Duquesne tied its season-best in protecting the net, posting 14.0 total blocks while tallying 24 block assists
UP NEXT
It's a quick turnaround for Duquesne as it welcomes No. 23 Dayton on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for its annual Pink Out Match, with the opening serve scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
