ERIE, Pa. -- The Wayne State University volleyball squad (2-4 overall) played its first road matches of the season on Friday as part of the Gannon Invitational inside Highmark Events Center. However, the Warriors would drop a pair of matches on day one of the event, 3-0 to Eckerd (4-2 overall) and 3-2 to the host Golden Knights (3-2 overall) in a five-set thriller.
Match One - Eckerd 3, Wayne State 0
HOW IT HAPPENED (19-25, 19-25, 22-25)
- Wayne State hit .172 for the contest with 36 kills and 20 errors on 93 total attempts.
- Meanwhile, Eckerd had only 34 kills but just 11 errors on 79 total attacks for a percentage of .291.
- WSU came out of the gates hot with a .300 hitting percentage on 30 attempts (12 kills to three errors), but could not match that the rest of the match (.091 in set two and .133 in set three).
- The Tritons also had their best set attack-wise in the first set, as they collected 17 kills and made only three miscues on 30 attempt (.467).
- Eckerd led the way in both service aces (9-3) and blocks (6-3), while the Warriors had two more assists (33-31).
-
Saige Martin was the only player on either side to finish with more than 10 kills, as she finished with 13.
- Of those with at least 10 attacks,
Katie Smith was most efficient, as she tallied eight kills on just two errors (13 attempts) for a hitting percentage of .462.
- WSU's trio of aces came from three different student-athletes in
Kayla Dulgar,
Lauren Essenpreis, and
Doga Muhtaroglu.
- Martin also led the Green and Gold with eight digs.
- Defensively, Smith and
Katerina Stout recorded two block assists apiece, while Martin and Muhtaroglu both had one.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Match Two - Gannon 3, Wayne State 2
HOW IT HAPPENED (17-25, -14, 23-25, -19, 11-15)
- The Green and Gold came out for the second match on Friday and hit .253 for the night (62 kills and 21 errors on 162 attempts).
- WSU actually hit better than Gannon, with the Golden Knights clocking in with 54 kills and 24 errors on 157 attacks for a .191 percentage.
In their nine-point win during the second set, the Warriors hit a blistering .593 and had just one miscue to their line as opposed to 17 kills (27 attacks).
- Gannon's best set came in the third stanza at .333 (14 kills and two errors on 36 attacks).
- The Golden Knights posted a 9-8 edge in aces, while the Green and Gold notched a 9-6 edge in total blocks for the match.
- Martin amassed a game-best and career-high 24 kills in the effort, which more than doubled anyone else on her squad.
- Those 24 kills came on only five errors and 55 attempts for a hitting percentage of .345.
- She added 10 digs to finish with the first double-double of her collegiate career.
- Martin also paced Wayne State in aces with three, while Muhtaroglu tallied three blocks at the net (including two solo).
- Stout was the only other Warrior that had 10+ kills with 11, and that mark guided her to a team-best .348 attack percentage (three errors on 23 attempts).
LEADING THE WARRIORS
UP NEXT
Wayne State will finish the Gannon Invitational on Saturday at Highmark Events Center. WSU will first square off with Clarion at 12:15 p.m., before dueling with Malone at 4:45 p.m.
