Pittsburgh, Pa. – Fueled by 13 service aces and a dominant performance from sophomore
Emersen Schrom, the Duquesne volleyball team extended its winning streak to four with a 3-1 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Dukes' record to 15-10 (.600) overall and 7-7 (.500) in Atlantic 10 play.
POINT OF EMPHASIS
It was a hot start for Duquesne to open the match, hitting .343 and recording five service aces en route to a 25-14 first-set victory. The Dukes jumped out to a 7-3 lead, fueled by four kills from sophomore
Emersen Schrom and a pair of successful swings from senior
Carsyn Henschen. Saint Louis briefly trimmed the deficit to two, but Duquesne responded with a commanding 12-4 run to extend the lead to 20-10. Junior
Jordan Robertson and Henschen each notched two kills during the surge, with Robertson also contributing a block. The Dukes added three service aces in the stretch, one apiece from seniors Maggie Collenbrander and
Hanna Wilson, while junior
Chloe Wilmot added an ace and a pair of blocks. Down the stretch, senior
Ariel Helm put away a kill before classmate
Madison Grimm delivered an ace, and freshman
Karli Jordan closed the set with a decisive finish.
ACE YOU VERY MUCH
Duquesne carried its momentum into the second frame, racing out to an early 12-3 advantage. Schrom and Helm led the charge with three and two kills, respectively, while Schrom capped the run with three consecutive service aces. The Billikens countered with a 7-3 stretch to trim the deficit, but the Dukes regained control by taking six of the next nine points to build a 21-13 lead. Henschen sparked the sequence with a kill before the teams traded points. Helm added another successful swing and later teamed up with Wilmot for a block. Anna Alexander momentarily halted the run with a point for Saint Louis, but Duquesne closed the set on a 4-1 run to secure a 25-15 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match. As a team, the Dukes posted an impressive .500 hitting percentage, adding five service aces and three blocks, while holding Saint Louis to just nine kills and a .192 attack percentage.
FOUR IN A ROW
After dropping the third set 25-20, Duquesne responded emphatically, posting 16 kills, five blocks, and a .500 hitting percentage to keep its winning streak alive. Following an even exchange through the first 16 points, the Dukes pulled ahead 11-8 behind kills from Jordan and Henschen, along with a block from Robertson and sophomore
Tori Newton. Later in the frame, Duquesne held a 15-12 advantage before unleashing a 6-1 surge to take control. Schrom and Jordan ignited the run with back-to-back kills, and after a Billikens point, Helm and Schrom each found the floor. Grimm followed with an ace, while Wilmot and Robertson combined for a block to extend the lead to 21-13. Though Saint Louis trimmed the deficit to 23-16, Schrom sealed the match with a pair of decisive kills to close out the victory.
QUOTABLE
"Great weekend for our team," head coach
Steve Opperman said. "We battled through each set and went on runs which was great. Looking forward to the upcoming weekend against Davidson."
ON THE ATTACK
A pair of Dukes finished with double-digit kills, led by sophomore
Emersen Schrom. Schrom recorded her 11th double-double of the season, posting 25 kills and 11 digs with a .426 hitting percentage and a team-leading four service aces. It marked her sixth match with 20+ kills and the 20th time she's led the Dukes in kills this season. With 389 kills, Schrom ranks sixth in program history for single-season kills. Senior
Carsyn Henschen also reached double digits with 11 kills, adding three digs and hitting .400 on the night. This was her 12th match this season with double-digit kills and her fifth in the last seven matches. Henschen, who surpassed 1,000 career kills earlier this month, now has 1,047 career kills, ranking second on the team in both total kills and kills per set.
INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
Junior setter
Chloe Wilmot added another milestone to her resume, surpassing 100 career service aces. She also tallied 37 assists, six digs, and a career-best six blocks, along with two aces. Just last week, Wilmot surpassed 2,500 career assists, moving into seventh place all-time with 2,620 helpers.
Ariel Helm contributed nine kills and a team-high seven blocks while hitting .389, and
Madison Grimm added 13 digs, six kills, and two service aces during the victory. As a team, Duquesne recorded 13 service aces, its second-highest total this season, with five players posting two or more aces.
UP NEXT
Duquesne will wrap up the home portion of its schedule by welcoming Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 8, and Sunday, Nov. 9, with Senior Day celebrations taking place on Saturday.
