YORK, Pa. – After falling two kills short of 1,000 in her career in the previous match against Shenandoah,
Ann Ofoegbu (Falling Waters, W.Va./Spring Mills) did not wait long to reach the milestone tonight, leapfrogging the four-digit mark and powering the Hood College women's volleyball team over Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth rival York College 3-2 on the road.
Set Scores
The Blazers won 26-24, 25-14, 18-25, 24-26, 15-13.
Inside the Box Score
Ofoegbu led the team with 23 kills and 20 digs.
Maria Ricketts (Adamstown, Md./New Life Christian) had 49 assists for a career high.
Cam Madden (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring) served up four aces.
How it Happened
The start of the match was electric for the Blazers, as Ofoegbu got the first point and kill of the game to get one away from 1,000, eventually getting the second a few points later to give Hood a 6-4 lead, with teammates holding up signs and showing support on the sideline.
It looked like the Blazers might run away with the set quickly, with three points in a row giving them a 16-11 lead midway through, but the Spartans stayed with them, eventually going on a 9-3 run late to put Hood in a 23-22 deficit. The Blazers stayed calm, taking the next two point to get to set point, and not getting fazed when York tied it by claiming the next two, taking a 1-0 match lead on an ace from
Sami Betley (Bel Air, Md./Mercy).
Set two was another hard fight out the gate, as Hood took the first three points but eventually ceded the lead to the Spartans 8-7. Unfortunately for the home team, it was all Blazers after that, as yet another kill from Ofoegbu sparked a 7-1 run. Although
York got within three to cut Hood's lead to 16-13, the Blazers scored eight straight to put things out of reach and looked to sweep with a 2-0 match lead.
Hood started right where it left off in the third set, racing out to a 6-3 lead. Although the Blazers continued to stay ahead for a few points, the Spartans took control with a 9-1 run, putting Hood in a hole it would not be able to get out of as there would in fact be a fourth set.
As the Blazers hoped to get on the road soon, they unfortunately started set four flat, quickly falling behind 13-5. After exchanging a few points, their offense came alive in a big way, going on a 10-4 run to tie the score at 20. Although Hood was one point away from winning the match at 24-23, York took the next three points to force a decisive fifth set.
The Blazers tried to ensure they would not be the victim of a reverse sweep with an early 5-1 advantage, but a Spartans' timeout seemed to swing momentum to the home team, as they regrouped and tied the set at 7-7. Hood took the next three points for the lead after switching sides, but York once again tied it immediately. After three straight points put the Blazers one away from taking the win the Spartans tried to come back with back-to-back scores, but Madden slammed the door shut to give Hood its first win over York in program history.
For the Opponent
Maddie Hoffman had 29 assists.
Sami Baer led the Spartans with 29 digs.
Notes
The Blazers improve to 5-10 (1-1) on the season, while the Spartans fall to 5-8 (0-2).
Up Next
Hood returns home for a non-conference match against Mount Aloysius College Friday, October 3 at 7 p.m.
