Thomas Notches 10 Kills, But Upstate Falls To Jacksonville, 3-0
9/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 18, 2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Sophomore Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) posted 10 kills and two blocks, hitting .533 to lead the USC Upstate volleyball team, but Jacksonville hit .435 to post a 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-19) win in Atlantic Sun Conference action on Friday night at Swisher Gymnasium.
Freshman Emily Sanders (Sullivan, Ill./Sullivan) posted 19 assists and five digs and freshman Paige Weiland (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) added six digs for the Spartans (3-9 overall, 0-5 A-Sun).
Upstate fought out to a 15-14 lead in the second set after a kill by freshman Mindy Quimby (Keenesburg, Colo./Weld Central), but Jacksonville (6-5 overall, 2-2 A-Sun) scored four straight points on the strength of two straight blocks and an ace. The Spartans closed within a point at 20-19 after a kill by Thomas, but Jacksonville closed the set on a 5-2 run to take the 25-21 win.
The teams stayed close in the third set, too, with Upstate closing within a point at 10-9 after a kill by Thomas, but the Dolphins went on a 7-1 run to take a 17-10 lead and Upstate couldn't close within five points until the third match point, as Jacksonville closed out the 25-19 win.
Nicki Kent led Jacksonville with 11 kills and three blocks and Brittany Lehman added 10 kills. Shelley Walroth, the A-Sun's all-time digs leader, added 11 more to her total and Hannah Munneke posted 24 assists.
The Dolphins took a 5-1 lead in the first set and were able to expand it to 20-10 en route to the 25-12 win as they hit .667 (16-0-24) in the set.
The Spartans wrap up their trip in the River City on Saturday, facing A-Sun foe North Florida at 3 p.m.
