FREDERICK, Md. - The Hood College women's volleyball won the final two sets to pick up a 3-2 win over Shenandoah in the season opener for both teams.
Set Scores
- The Blazers 21-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-23, 15-10.
Inside the Box Score
- Caitlin Ambruster (Fleetwood, PA/Brandywine Heights) led the Blazers with 17 kills and six aces. She added 14 digs.
- Olivia Todd (Charlotte, NC/Cox Mill) added 11 kills in her collegiate debut.
- Jackie Malitzki (Allentown, PA/Parkland) dished out 34 assists.
- Shane Simms (Baltimore, MD/Sparrows Point) and Anna Daley (Erie, PA/Harborcreek) had three blocks each, while Ashley Donald (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) recorded 17 digs. Simms had an efficient hitting night with seven kills and just one error in 13 attempts to hit .462 on the evening.
Shenandoah 25, Hood 21
- The Hornets opened the match with a 12-4 run before Hood rallied with five straight points. Four straight kills, two by Simms, and an ace by MacKenzi Wright (Hagerstown, MD/South Hagerstown) pulled the Blazers within 12-9.
- Hood pulled within three on seven more occasions during the set before Shenandoah closed it out to take a 1-0 lead.
Hood 25, Shenandoah 15
- The Blazers used a 14-5 run midway through the set to pull away.
- Hood led 7-5 before the rally made it 21-10. Todd had back-to-back kills late in the surge and an ace by Donald gave the Blazes an 11-point lead.
Shenandoah 25, Hood 20
- Hood trailed just 9-8 when Kat Poppo ignited a 6-0 run for the Hornets with four kills for a 15-8 deficit.
- The Blazers regrouped with a 10-2 run to take an 18-17 lead on a kill by Daley. Ambruster and Katie Amaguana (Hagerstown, MD/South Hagerstown) added two aces apiece in the run.
- The teams continued to trade momentum as the Hornets used a 7-0 spurt to claim a 24-18 lead.
Hood 25, Shenandoah 23
- With the score tied 14-14, Ambruster recorded a kill and an ace, followed by a block assist from Wright and Simms for a 17-14 lead.
- The Blazers never trailed again but led just 24-23 when Ambruster notched a kill to tie the match at 2-2.
Hood 15, Shenandoah 10
- Four different Hood players had kills for Hood during a 7-1 run to start the decisive final set.
- The Hornets cut the lead to 14-10 before a Shenandoah service error gave the Blazers the victory.
Notes
- The win gave new head coach Katie Barnett a win in her Hood debut.
Analysis
- The Blazers did not commit an attack error in the final set and finished the evening at .226. The Hornets hit a slightly more efficient .234.
- Hood served up 16 aces, compared to seven for Shenandoah.
For the Opponent
- Poppo and Jillian Warter had 15 kills apiece for the Hornets. Poppo hit .389, committing just one error all night.
- Becka Nguyen and Kylie Danella both finished the match with 14 assists.
- Natalie Reader led all players with 23 digs.
Up Next
The Blazers host Notre Dame (Md.) and Penn St. Harrisburg in a tri-match on September 3.
