Sept. 17, 2002
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team extended its home-court winning streak to 16 matches Tuesday night with a 3-0 win over Evansville.
Game one was never in doubt as the Lady Toppers (12-3) climbed out to a quick 7-2 lead. The Purple Aces (2-9) were able to climb within six (15-9) on a Lacy Haller kill, but Western scored the next four points and took a 19-9 lead on a kill from Amanda Cecil (So., Louisville, Ky.). Western never looked back from there, getting a service ace from Cynda Derbort (Jr., Maroa, Ill.) for the final point to win the opener 30-22.
The score was tight in game two until Western used a 5-0 run to grab its first double-digit lead of the game when a kill from Amanda Schiff (So., Indianapolis, Ind.) made it a 23-13 contest. Again, WKU was able to cruise from there, taking a 2-0 lead in the match with a decisive 30-17 victory.
The early stages of the third game were close as well, but again a Lady Topper run midway through the contest (this time running off seven of eight points) expanded the lead to 23-16 on a Jessie Wagner (Fr., Franklin, Ind.) kill. Evansville battled back to get within four when a Jenny Zenthoefer kill made it 25-21, but the Lady Toppers held off the surge, and got kills from Cecil and Derbort to win 30-25 and take the match.
Cecil led the Lady Toppers with 13 kills, while Schiff added 11. Ashly Miller (So., Indianapolis, Ind.) and Tracy May (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) tied for match-high honors with 12 digs each.
Western will head back on the road this weekend, traveling to Dayton, Ohio for its final regular-season tournament of the year. The Lady Toppers will face IUPUI on Friday in the first day of the Dayton Flyer Classic, before wrapping up the weekend on Saturday with matches against Virginia and Dayton.
-- WKU --
