CURREY LEADS VOLLEYBALL TO THREE-SET SWEEP OF DEPAUL
9/19/2009
CHICAGO -- Freshman outside hitter Janelle Currey had a match high 10 kills, 17 digs and four aces to lead Sacramento State to a three-set sweep (25-19, 25-17, 25-16) of DePaul in the third and final round of the DePaul Volleyball Invitational Saturday evening at McGrath Arena.
With the victory, Sacramento State (7-6) completed the tournament with a 2-1 record, which included a 3-1 victory over Eastern Michigan this morning. For the second consecutive week, the Hornets finished a tournament with a second-place showing. This weekend, Western Kentucky won the tournament championship by virtue of its perfect 3-0 record, followed by Sacramento State (2-1), DePaul (1-2) and Eastern Michigan (0-3). Sacramento State also posted a 2-1 record and finished second at last weekend’s Hornet Invitational.
What makes the Hornets’ effort at the tournament even more impressive is two of the team’s starters (Currey and sophomore middle hitter Kelsey Elston) were both under the weather and had to travel to Chicago a day later than the rest of the team. Elston sat out this morning’s victory over Eastern Michigan while still suffering from flu-like symptoms.
Currey didn’t seem affected by her ailment as she and junior middle hitter Maddison Thivierge represented Sacramento State on the all-tournament team. Currey has now been named all-tournament at three of the four tourneys the Hornets have played in this year while Thivierge was named for the second time. Currey finished the DePaul Invitational with averages of 2.30 kills and 3.80 digs per set while leading the team with five aces and 30.0 total points. Thivierge posted team highs in both kills (2.40 per set) and blocks (0.90 per set) while hitting .345 over the three matches.
Sacramento State controlled tonight’s match throughout, as DePaul’s largest lead was 12-9 in the first set. The Hornets limited DePaul to just a .009 hitting percentage as the Blue Demons had 28 kills and 27 errors in 110 attacks. In addition, Sacramento State had nine aces and 8.0 team blocks compared to just two aces and 2.0 team blocks for DePaul.
In addition to Currey leading everybody in kills, digs and aces, the freshman hit a season-best .429, committing just one error in 21 total attempts. She was the only player in the match with double figures in kills, and the only player with more than 12 digs. Thivierge had five kills, a .333 hitting percentage and led all players with five blocks. Four different Hornets had at least two blocks, comprised of Thivierge, setter Melissa Melcher (3), Eryn Kirby (2) and Elston (2).
Joining Currey with double figures in digs for Sacramento State was Desiree Hoyum (11) and Breanne Menees (12). Three of DePaul’s starters hit for a negative percentage, and only one Blue Demon (Sarah Cullen, 8) had more than six kills.
Sacramento State return to action next week for three home matches in a span of four nights, which includes its Big Sky Conference opener on Thursday. The Hornets host Nevada on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and Big Sky foes Northern Arizona (Thursday, Sept. 24) and Northern Colorado (Friday, Sept. 25). By the time next week concludes, the Hornets will have played 10 of their first 16 matches at home.
CHICAGO -- Freshman outside hitter 
