Oct. 25, 2002
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team remained undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play with a 3-0 sweep of New Orleans Friday night. With the victory, Lady Topper head coach Travis Hudson picked up career-win #150.
After battling in the early stages of game one, Western (23-4, 8-0 SBC East) used a 6-2 run to take a 10-6 lead on a kill from Amanda Schiff (So., Indianapolis, Ind.). WKU continued to apply the pressure from that point on, building the lead to double-digits for the first time when another Schiff kill made it 22-12. The lead would get as high as 13 points as the Lady Toppers took the opener 30-17.
Game two began the same way as the opener, but New Orleans (10-14, 3-5 SBC West) held close as neither club was able to gain more than a two-point advantage through most of the game. In fact, the game was tied 11 times until, with the score knotted at 25-25, Western scored four unanswered to take a 29-25 lead on Privateer attack error. UNO took the next point, but Western closed out game two with another kill from Schiff to take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 30-26 win.
Western regrouped from a slow performance in the second game by jumping out to an early 10-3 lead in game three. UNO closed within four points at 13-9, but Western again extended the lead, going ahead 20-14 on a kill from Crystal Towler (Fr., Sussex, Wis.). The Privateers refused to go away, however, scoring seven of the next eight points to tie the score at 21-21. The game remained close as New Orleans staved off defeat with a point to make it a 29-28 game, but Amanda Cecil (So., Louisville, Ky.) put down a kill on the next play to give Western the 30-28 win and the sweep of the match.
Schiff led the Lady Toppers with a match-high 14 kills, while Towler and Cynda Derbort (Jr., Maroa, Ill.) added 13 and 10, respectively. Tracy May (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) led WKU with a match-high 13 digs, with Cecil also finishing in double-figures with 10. Casie Boyle paced the Privateers with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Western will return to action tomorrow, taking on South Alabama at 1 p.m. (CDT) in the Preston Center.
- WKU -
