EL PASO, Texas -- Senior Shannon Roland led all players with 15 kills and Sacramento State limited UTEP to a .039 hitting percentage as the Hornets cruised to a three-game sweep (30-21, 30-14, 30-22) of the Miners Saturday afternoon in the third round of the Ready One Sun Bowl Volleyball Invitational.The Hornets, who opened their season yesterday during the first day of the tournament, improved to 2-1 in tourney play. UTEP, which is hosting the tournament, dropped to 0-3. Sacramento State will wrap up tourney play later this evening against Eastern Michigan at 4 p.m. PST.
After UTEP jumped out to an 18-15 lead in the first game, the Hornets used a 7-0 run to take control of the game and the match as the Miners never threatened the rest of the way. Sacramento State finished the match with a .301 hitting percentage and 55 kills with just 15 errors in 133 total attacks. Conversely, the Miners had nearly as many errors (24) as kills (29) in 128 attacks.
Despite the game lasting just three games and one hour, 20 minutes, three Hornets finished with double figures in kills comprised of Roland, senior Atlee Hubbard (14 kills, 15 digs) and junior Lindsay Haupt (12 kills, .360 hitting percentage and four blocks).
Not only did Roland lead all players in kills, she also posted a match-best .462 hitting percentage, committing just three errors in 26 attacks. Hubbard’s double-double was her second of the season, and she now has at least 13 kills in each of the Hornets’ three matches this season. In fact, Hubbard (41), Roland (39) and Haupt (38) lead the team in kills thus far.
For the first time in Debby Colberg''s 31-year tenure as Sacramento State''s head coach, the Hornets employed a 6-2 offense, where the setter is always in the back row and three hitters are always in the front row. Setters Rose Burke (26 assists, six digs) and Melissa Melcher (15 assists, six digs) combined for 41 assists.
Freshman Anna Schoener started as the team’s right-side hitter for the second-straight match and finished with six kills and a .429 hitting percentage (6-0-14). Schoener now leads the squad with a .400 hitting percentage this season. Senior Leah Klemenhagen finished with three kills, six assists and a match-high five blocks.
Only two UTEP players hit better than .067 (Keisha Hyman-Gifth eight kills, .429; Irma Blanco - three kills, .375).
