VOLLEYBALL BEGINS SEASON WITH VICTORY OVER TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN

8/29/2008

SAN MARCOS, Texas -- Led by sophomore Maddison Thivierge’s career-high 13 kills, the Sacramento State volleyball team kicked off the 2008 season with a 3-0 victory (25-14, 27-25, 25-23) victory over Texas-Pan American in the first round of the CenturyTel Volleyball Premier Friday morning at the Strahan Coliseum.

The match was the first of the season for both teams as the 2008 NCAA Div. I volleyball season officially kicked off today. The Hornets return later in the day to face Miami in the second round of the tournament at 12:30 p.m. PST. Sacramento State concludes tourney play tomorrow with matches against host Texas State (9 a.m. PST) and Louisiana-Monroe (3 p.m. PST).

New this season is a 25-point scoring format for each set (different from last year’s 30-point format), and the Hornets were able to squeak out victories in the second and third sets today after winning the first with relative ease.

Thivierge led all players in the match with 13 kills and a .632 hitting percentage (13-1-19), as both tallies were career highs. Joining Thivierge with double-figure kills for the Hornets was junior Desiree Hoyum, who finished with 12 kills and eight digs. In her first intercollegiate match, freshman Eryn Kirby had seven kills, seven digs, a .300 hitting percentage (7-1-20) and two aces. Thivierge, Hoyum and Kirby combined for 32 of the team’s 41 kills.

The Hornets also had 10 aces in the match, including three from senior Brittany Ferguson, two each from Thivierge, Kirby and Hoyum, and one from senior Rose Burke. Conversely, Texas-Pan American did not have a service ace. Senior Katie Van Der Wende joined Hoyum for the team lead in digs with eight.

In the second set after Texas Pan-American saved two game points at 24-23 and 25-24, the Hornets were finally able to put things away with a Van Der Wende kill, and a combo block from Burke and freshman Kelsey Elston.

No team led by more than four points during the entire third set before a kill from Ferguson finally gave the Hornets a 25-23 victory.