KIRBY AND THIVIERGE LEAD VOLLEYBALL TO WIN OVER EASTERN MICHIGAN

9/19/2009

CHICAGO -- Junior middle hitter Maddison Thivierge and sophomore rightside hitter Eryn Kirby combined for 30 kills and a .444 hitting percentage to lead Sacramento State to a 3-1 victory (25-10, 25-16, 16-25, 25-17) over Eastern Michigan in the second round of the DePaul Invitational Saturday morning at McGrath Arena.

With the win, Sacramento State (6-6 overall) improved to 2-1 at the two-day tournament and concludes play tonight at 5:30 p.m. PDT with a match against host DePaul. Eastern Michigan dropped to 0-2 at the tournament and 1-12 overall.

Thivierge finished the match with 15 kills and match highs in both hitting percentage (.464) and blocks (4). It marked the fourth time in the last seven matches that the Ashland, Ore., native has hit at least .440. Kirby, who was making her second start of the season on the right side, posted a season-high 15 kills and a career-high .423 hitting percentage.

The Hornets played just eight players in today’s contest as sophomore middle hitter Kelsey Elston missed the match with the flu. Sophomore Anna Schoener slid over from the right side to start at middle for Elston while Kirby started on the right side.

Defensively, Sacramento State accumulated 75 digs, including a match-best 21 from senior Desiree Hoyum, 18 from sophomore Breanne Menees and 17 from freshman Janelle Currey.

Thivierge, Kirby and Currey (9) combined for 39 of Sacramento State’s 52 kills as the Hornets finished the match with 15 more kills than Eastern Michigan (37). Four different Sacramento State players had at least one ace, including two each from Hoyum and Menees.

Eastern Michigan was led by Jennifer Swartz’s 11 kills and no other Eastern Michigan player had more than six kills.