Nov. 30, 2007

Box Score

ATHENS, Ohio - The Xavier volleyball team wrapped up the 2007 season with a 3-0 loss to No. 17 Cal Poly Friday night on the campus of Ohio University in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. XU was led by sophomore Hillary Otte with 10 kills and senior Jenni Horvath and sophomore Lauren Kaminsky who both had nine digs.

Also for Xavier (24-11), senior Jill Quayle and sophomore Kelly Ruth each had seven kills in the match while junior Jenn Welsh set 24 assists.

Cal Poly (22-7) scored three straight points to open the first game but a kill from Horvath put Xavier on the board, 3-1. A media timeout was called with the Mustangs holding an eight point advantage, 15-7, and out of the break Cal Poly rattled off three more. Freshman Katie Russell ended the rally with a kill, 18-8, and a kill from Quayle pulled the Musketeers to within nine, 19-10. The Cal Poly lead was extended to 14, 24-10, and XU took a minute to talk it over.

Freshman Chelsea Campbell smashed a kill out of the timeout and Otte notched the score at 25-12 with a kill of her own. Otte then scored two consecutive points with back-to-back kills, 28-14, but the deficit was too much to overcome. Cal Poly took the first game, 30-14.

Otte started off the second game with another kill and Xavier went up 2-0 after a Cal Poly service error. The Mustangs took over the lead with an attack from Kylie Atherstone, 4-3, but a Cal Poly service error evened the tally. A kill from Ruth and a service ace from Horvath pulled XU to within one, 7-6. Later in the frame a Mustang service ace stretched their lead to four, 13-9.

A 3-0 run put Cal Poly up, 17-10, and XU called a timeout. Ruth smashed out a kill and consecutive assisted blocks from Quayle and Otte cut into the Cal Poly advantage, 22-15. The Mustangs called timeout and out of the break another kill from Otte and a service ace by Ruth pulled the Musketeers closer, 22-17. Cal Poly closed the second frame with a 7-1 run to take game two, 30-19.

Game three started off close as the two teams traded points with four ties by the time they had reached 4-4. But Cal Poly rattled off four straight to go ahead by the same number, 8-4. XU called timeout and out of the break XU pulled to within three several times. Two straight Musketeer kills dwindled Cal Poly's advantage to two, 19-17, and the Mustangs asked for a break.

XU would get within one, 19-18, but Cal Poly put together a 7-3 run to break the game open, 26-21. Xavier called its second timeout and out of the break, XU cut the advantage to four with a kill from Quayle, 29-25. With Cal Poly holding match-point, a Xavier attack error gave the Mustangs a 30-25 game-three victory. Cal Poly took the match, 3-0.

For Cal Poly, Atherstone had 14 kills and Kristin Jackson had 21 digs.