DEFENSE SHINES AGAIN IN VOLLEYBALL’S 3-1 VICTORY AT ALABAMA
8/31/2007
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Four Sacramento State players had at least 17 digs - led by freshman Chelsea Goodsell’s 27 - and the Hornets finished with 103 on the way to a 3-1 victory (30-21, 30-13, 26-30, 30-19) over host Alabama in the second round of the Bama Bash Friday evening at the CAVE.
Sacramento State, which finished 14th in the nation in digs last season, averaged 25.8 digs per game tonight.Goodsell, seniors Jennifer Ferguson (season-high tying 24) and Missie Stidham (17) and junior Rose Burke (career-high tying 18) each finished with at least 17 digs. Alabama hit just .095, with 55 kills and 35 errors in 210 attacks. In fact, the Crimson Tide hit .111 or worse in games 1, 2 and 4, each losses.
With the victory, the Hornets (5-2) improved to 2-0 at the tournament, including a 3-1 win this morning against Illinois State. With a victory over Alabama-Birmingham tomorrow morning (9 a.m. PDT), the Hornets will claim the Bama Bash Tournament championship. Tomorrow morning’s match will also conclude a grueling road trip that will see Sacramento State play eight matches over a nine-day span.
With the loss, Alabama, which lost a heartbreaker to Alabama-Birmingham, 3-2, earlier today, dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-2 at the tournament.
Stidham continued her dominant play at the tournament, finishing the match with 24 kills, 17 digs and a .392 hitting percentage (24-4-51). The transfer from Saint Mary’s also had 26 kills this morning, and finished the day averaging 6.25 kills and 5.12 digs per game to go along with a .388 hitting percentage over both matches.
Ferguson (14 kills) and senior middle hitter Lindsay Haupt (10 kills, five blocks) joined Stidham with double figures in kills. Haupt and Ferguson have both tallied at least 10 kills in every match this season.
Beginning her freshman year with the Hornets, Goodsell continues to be impressive as the team’s libero despite having to fill the big shoes of three-time Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year Kristin Lutes. The Laguna Niguel, Calif., native now has at least 18 digs in each of her last four matches and tonight’s tally of 27 was her season high. Burke also had 49 assists, one ace and three blocks to go along with her 18 digs.
The Hornets had 9.0 team blocks, including five from Haupt and three each from Burke, Michelle Franz and Desiree Hoyum.
Alabama was led by Bridget Fuentez’s 20 kills, and Amy Pauly’s 29 digs.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Four Sacramento State players had at least 17 digs - led by freshman Chelsea Goodsell’s 27 - and the Hornets finished with 103 on the way to a 3-1 victory (30-21, 30-13, 26-30, 30-19) over host Alabama in the second round of the Bama Bash Friday evening at the CAVE.
