SHORT-HANDED VOLLEYBALL DROPS HEARTBREAKER TO ILLINOIS STATE

8/27/2010

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Despite playing without the services of two starters, Sacramento State won the first two sets, and held a 14-12 lead in the fifth set, but Illinois State kept coming back and eventually won a 3-2 (29-31, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20, 19-17) decision in the first round of the Corvallis Volleyball Invitational Friday afternoon.

The Hornets were playing without two projected starters (sophomore setter Hannah Hettinga and senior co-captain Maddison Thivierge), but almost pulled out a victory in what was the first match of the season for both teams. In addition, junior Anna Schoener would have been the team’s starting rightside hitter this year, but, because of injuries, had to be shifted to setter (a position she had never played before entering the season).

Sacramento State lost seven five-set matches during last season’s 16-16 campaign, and the team experienced a bit of deja vu with today’s outcome. The Hornets had a pair of match points at 14-12 and 14-13 in the fifth, but back-to-back kills from Mallory Leggett tied the match at 14-14. The Redbirds never trailed the rest of the way as the Hornets saved match points at 15-14, 16-15 and 17-16 before a kill from Shannon McGlaughlin and a Kelsey Holman service ace ended the fifth set and match at 19-17.

The Hornets will play their final two matches of the two-day tournament tomorrow against host Oregon State (12:30 p.m.) and Portland (5 p.m.).

Sophomore Janelle Currey (23), and juniors Eryn Kirby (15), Kelsey Elston (13) and Cayti Crowton (7) combined for 58 of the Hornets’ 61 kills. Currey and Kirby each had four kills in the fifth set, but Sacramento State would hit just .086 (9-6-35) in the decisive frame, including a pair of service errors and a ball-handling error.

Overall, the Hornets finished the match hitting .155 with 60 assists, six aces, 93 digs and 10.0 team blocks. Illinois State had similar numbers across the board but outdug Sacramento State by a 108-93 margin.

Four Sacramento State players posted double figures in digs, comprised of junior Breanne Menees (26), Currey (19), sophomore Sydney Kordic (16) and Kirby (14). Coupled with her match-high 23 kills, Currey now has 19 career double-doubles despite being just one match into her sophomore season. It was also Currey that recorded back-to-back kills at 29-29 to help deliver the 31-29 victory in the first set.

True freshman setter Katie Aprile (28 assists, eight digs) and Schoener (27 assists, two blocks) shared the setter duties with Aprile making the first start of her intercollegiate career and Schoener making her first start ever at the position.

For Illinois State, Leggett had 19 kills and 24 digs, and was joined by McGlaughlin (17 kills, 11 digs) and Hailey Kelley (10 kills) with double figures in kills. Three Redbirds had at least 24 digs comprised of Leggett, Jenny Menendez (match-high 29) and Kristin Stauter (24).