Richmond, Va. – The Duquesne volleyball team opened competition at the Atlantic 10 Championships on Friday evening, capturing a 3-1 victory over the No. 3 seed George Washington inside the Siegel Center. With the win, the Dukes improved to 18-12 overall and earn a spot in the semifinals.
POINT OF EMPHASIS
In the opening set, the two teams continued to trade points as it was knotted at 12-12 in the early going. The Revolutionaries would jump out to a 16-13 lead, before the Dukes strung together six unanswered points to take a 19-16 advantage. Junior
Kylie Griffin started the run with consecutive kills, followed by a successful swing from classmate
Jordan Robertson, a GW error, and then consecutive blocks from Griffin and Robertson. The Revolutionaries responded with four of the next five points to even the score at 20 before Robertson and Henschen each carded kills to extend the Dukes lead, 22-20. The two teams would be deadlocked at 24-24, until sophomore
Emersen Schrom found the floor successfully and a George Washington attacking error sealed the set for Duquesne, 26-24.
BEND BUT DON'T BREAK
Duquesne pieced together a .231 hitting percentage and 15 kills in the second set, capitalizing on George Washington's .108 clip and eight attacking errors. The Dukes jumped out to a 10-5 lead behind two kills from Schrom and a pair of blocks by Robertson and Henschen. George Washington responded with a surge of its own, using a 14-5 run to move ahead 19-15. Refusing to fade, Duquesne chipped away at the deficit, taking seven of the next 10 points to pull even at 22-22. Griffin opened the push with a kill, and after two points from the Revolutionaries, senior
Hanna Wilson delivered a service ace. Wilson and Schrom then teamed up for a block, followed by a GW attacking error and a clean swing from Henschen to complete the comeback. George Washington edged ahead once more at 24-23, but Schrom answered with back-to-back kills to give Duquesne set point. Another GW attacking error sealed the set for the Dukes, 26-24, and handed them a 2-0 lead in the match.
THIRD TIMES A CHARM
After George Washington claimed the third set 25-13 with an impressive .682 hitting percentage, Duquesne responded with a strong push in the fourth. The teams traded points early, playing to a 10-10 tie before the Dukes broke things open with an 8-2 run that built an 18-12 advantage. Schrom fueled the surge with three kills, while Griffin and Robertson each added one of their own. George Washington briefly halted the momentum with back-to-back points, but Duquesne answered with a commanding 6-1 stretch to reach match point. Robertson and junior
Chloe Wilmot teamed up for a block, and after a Revolutionaries kill, Henschen delivered a point followed by a service ace from Wilson. Robertson then kept the pressure on with consecutive kills before a GW error capped the run. The Revolutionaries fought back with six straight points, but a final block from Schrom and Robertson closed out the set, 25-21, and secured the match for Duquesne.
QUOTABLE
"What a battle today," head coach
Steve Opperman said. "We are so excited for our kids that showed a lot of grit on the floor. They were down in set two and just refused to lose. We will enjoy for a while and then get ready for Loyola Chicago"
INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
It was a balanced effort across the board for the Dukes. Sophomore
Emersen Schrom was the lone Duke to reach double figures, recording her 14th double-double of the season with 19 kills and 12 digs.
Carsyn Henschen and
Kylie Griffin each added nine kills, with Griffin also contributing three blocks.
Ariel Helm and
Jordan Robertson chipped in eight kills apiece, and Robertson anchored the defense at the net with a season-high eight blocks. Running the offense was
Chloe Wilmot, who finished with 47 assists, eight digs, and three blocks in the victory. Senior
Madison Grimm paced the back row with 14 digs and added three assists, while
Hanna Wilson contributed 10 digs and three service aces.
UP NEXT
Duquesne advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2021, where they'll battle the No. 2 seed Loyola Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2:30 p.m. inside the Siegel Center.
