Abbey Szlanfucht recorded a double-double with 26 kills and career-high 25 digs. |
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Volleyball Falls to ECU
Oct. 30, 2004
Halton Arena - Despite 26 kills and 25 digs from outside hitter Abbey Szlanfucht, the ECU outlasted Charlotte in Conference USA volleyball play at Halton Arena on Saturday night. The Pirates won by scores of 30-19, 30-25, 21-30, 20-30 and 15-11 to pull even with the 49ers in the C-USA standings.
Szlanfucht led all players in both kills and digs, and keyed the rally for Charlotte (18-10, C-USA 4-5) with 21 of her 26 kills in the final three games. She had six kills on nine attempts in game five, but the 49ers committed five hitting errors, including three blocks for ECU (10-14, C-USA 4-5).
Charlotte scored the first two points of the final game, but the Pirates rallied to score five unanswered and force a time out by the Niners. After a Szlanfucht kill coming out of the huddle, ECU rattled off three more points to make the score 8-3.
Later, with the score 12-7 ECU, the 49ers scored three straight times, including two Szlanfucht kills, cutting the deficit to two. A Charlotte service error was followed by a Szlanfucht kill, her sixth of the game, to make the score 13-11. ECU closed out the match with a block by Mignon Dubenion and Paige Howell, and then a kill by Howell.
Howell had three of her team's six kills in the final game, and ended the match with 10 overall to pace four Pirates in double figures.
Charlotte fell behind early, as ECU took the first two games convincingly. The Pirates hit .643 as a team in game one, spreading 19 kills across seven players and committing just one attack error. In game two, the service game became a factor as the ECU's five aces trumped three service errors by Charlotte and allowed the Pirates to win the game despite being outhit .424 to .286.
After the intermission, Charlotte game out strong to win games three and four in convincing fashion. ECU committed nine hitting errors en route to a negative percentage in game three, while Szlanfucht had six kills to key the Niner attack. In game four, Charlotte recorded a game-high 24 digs, including 11 by Szlanfucht. She added nine kills, while Lisa Newell had five on ten attempts. The team served up four of its nine aces in the frame to send the match to the fifth game.
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The Niners had more kills than their opponent in a loss for the second straight match, by a 72 to 55 margin. However ECU out-blocked the Niners 13-7, and benefited from 32 attack errors and 14 service errors by Charlotte.
Senior setter Molly McDonald had 64 assists for Charlotte, while Newell finished with 19 kills on .400 hitting. Jessica Oldenburg had 17 kills, as three Charlotte players posted more kills than any ECU player in the match.
The Pirates collected 11 kills apiece from Dubenion, Erica Wilson and Jamie Bevan, while libero Johanna Bertini led her club with 15 digs.
Charlotte plays two conference matches on the road next weekend, travleing to Cincinnati (Nov. 5) and Louisville (Nov. 6). There are two regular-season weekends remaining before the ChevronTexaco Conference USA Championships in Louisville, November 19-22.
