August 27, 2010

NORFOLK, Va. – UNCG got a career-high 13 kills from Billi Baker in at 3-0 sweep over Navy and Caley Redden and Ariel Newman each posted double-doubles in a 3-1 win over Kent State in volleyball action on Friday afternoon at the Spartan Classic.

"I thought today was a great start to the season," said head coach Patrick Nicholas. "Caley (Redden), Billi (Baker) and the rest of the seniors have provided our team with such great leadership and it showed today. We have been talking about how it is a new era and we need to get off to a better start and finish matches. We did just that and we were able to get a pair of quality wins. Our fitness level was great and that reflects on all of the work the girls did throughout the offseason. I am really happy for the team and now we need to come out and play hard tomorrow just like we did today."

UNCG is now 2-0 on the early season, while Kent State is 1-1 and Navy is 0-1.

The Spartans defeated Navy by the score of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-16 before defeating Kent State 25-18, 25-17, 19-25 and 25-21 to complete the daily sweep.

Baker had just one error to go along with her 13 kills for a .571 hitting percentage against Navy. Olivia Humphries and Redden added eight kills as well for the Spartans. Redden also had a match-high 17 kills. Setter Ari Lysacek had a match-high 35 assists.

The Spartans started a little sluggish in the first set against Navy as they trailed 13-9, but then ran off six-straight points, highlighted by a pair of aces from Ariel Newman, to take a 15-13 lead. Navy battled back to take a 17-16 lead, but UNCG won nine of the final 13 points to take the set, 25-21.

UNCG came right back in the second set and the two teams battled in another tight set that saw six ties and three lead changes. The teams were neck-and-neck and the Spartans saw themselves trailing 21-20 late in the set. The Spartans took advantage of a pair of Navy attack errors and two kills from Baker to win four of the final five points and win the set, 25-22.

The Spartans took an early 6-5 lead in the third and final set and never looked back as they sealed the match by easily winning the set, 25-16.

In the second match, Redden picked up where she left off last season with a double-double. She tied a career-high with 19 kills and added 12 digs. Newman had a double-double of her own as she had 14 kills and 12 digs in just her second-career match for the Spartans. Lysacek had a match-high 43 assists and another match-high with 16 digs en route to her first double-double of the year.

The Spartans carried their momentum from the first match into the match against Kent State as Redden went for nine kills in the first set alone. UNCG led early in the first set before Kent State battled back to take a 12-11 lead, but the Spartans went on one of their trademark runs and rattled off six-straight points to take control of the set at 17-12. UNCG capped off the set with a kill by Baker to win the set, 25-18.

It was more of the same from UNCG in the second set as the Spartans led for nearly the entire set as they cruised to take the set, 25-17.

In the third set however, the tables turned as Kent State took an early 5-1 lead before later stretching it to 16-10. The Spartans continued to fight though as they were able to pull within 18-16 on an attack error by the Golden Flashes. Kent State then took a timeout to recover and went on to win the set, 25-19.

The two teams battled in a tight fourth set that saw nine ties and four lead changes. UNCG led just 21-20 later in the final set and were able to take four of the next five points to seal with match by winning the set, 25-21.

UNCG will wrap up its stay at the Spartan Classic on Saturday with a 12 p.m. match against Norfolk State before playing Providence later at 6 p.m.

AGATE

UNCG def. Navy 25-21, 25-22, 25-16

Navy (0-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Carpenter, Lauren 7-0-1; Ibe, Ndidi 5-0-2; Kalic', Maida 4-4-2; Bray, Katie 3-0-1; Roseti, Kaitlin 2-0-1; Fortner, Erin 1-1-1; Rudewicz, Jenny 0-1-0; Totals 22-6-4.0. (Assists) - . (Dig leaders) - Berger, Holly 8; Rapp, Christy 7

UNCG (1-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Billi Baker 13-0-2; Olivia Humphries 8-0-4; Caley Redden 8-0-3; Kayren Finney 5-0-5; Ariel Newman 5-2-0; Karrian Chambers 2-0-0; Ari Lysacek 2-2-1; Totals 43-4-9.0. (Assists) - Ari Lysacek 35. (Dig leaders) - Caley Redden 17; Kellie Orewiler 15; Ariel Newman 10

Site: Norfolk, Va. (Echols Hall)
Date: Aug 27, 2010   Attend: 83   Time: 1:13  
Referees: Robert Kyle, Heather Houser
Spartan Classic

UNCG def. Kent State 25-18, 25-17, 19-25, 25-21

Kent State (1-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - LARSEN, Maigan 13-0-2; PASKERT, Meredith 11-0-0; BRIVULE, Liva 10-1-3; JONES, Lauren 5-0-0; MARKOVA, Zuzana 5-0-2; MALASEVSKA, Zane 3-0-2; KRUPA, Kathy 1-0-3; BARR, Kristen 0-2-0; SABO, Celia 0-0-1; Totals 48-3-6.5. (Assists) - MARKOVA, Zuzana 32. (Dig leaders) - BARR, Kristen 15; LARSEN, Maigan 12; JONES, Lauren 10; MARKOVA, Zuzana 8

UNCG (2-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Caley Redden 19-1-1; Ariel Newman 14-0-2; Olivia Humphries 9-0-2; Billi Baker 9-0-4; Kayren Finney 5-0-5; Ari Lysacek 2-1-1; Totals 58-2-8.0. (Assists) - Ari Lysacek 43. (Dig leaders) - Ari Lysacek 16; Billi Baker 15; Caley Redden 12; Ariel Newman 12; Kellie Orewiler 9

Site: Norfolk, Va. (Echols Hall)
Date: Aug 27, 2010   Attend: 87   Time: 1:30  
Referees: Heather Houser, Tammy Elliott
Spartan Classic

- UNCG -