FREDERICK, Md. – The Hood College women's volleyball team dug out a marathon five-set match against McDaniel College, outlasting the Green Terror 3-2 at home.
Set Scores
The Blazers won 25-23, 19-25, 25-21, 24-26, 15-6.
Inside the Box Score
Ann Ofoegbu (Falling Waters, W.Va./Spring Mills) led Hood with 18 kills.
Maria Ricketts (Adamstown, Md./New Life Christian) had a team-best six aces, 43 assists, 16 and digs.
Anna Daley (Erie, Pa./Harborcreek),
Mary LeBlanc (Suffolk, Va/Stonebridge), and
Skylar Plante (Big Pool, Md./Clear Spring) all had three total blocks.
How it Happened
The match opened with both teams playing well offensively, with only one attack error through the first 18 points with the teams even at nine each. Two service aces from Ricketts helped spark a 5-0 run for the Blazers, but the Green Terror responded with a 7-3 run of their own to pull within one at 17-16. Although Hood got three of the next four points to get to 20 first, McDaniel clawed back to get within one once again. Both squads exchanged two-point runs to make it a 24-23 affair, and the players in white watched a free ball sail over the side boundaries to clinch the set and take a 1-0 match lead.
McDaniel came out swinging in the second set, taking a quick 10-4 lead. The Blazers were not deterred though, going on a 7-2 run to make it a 12-11 game in the blink of an eye. That would be as close as they would get, though, as the Green Terror would take the next three points and keep Hood at arm's reach the rest of the way, eventually taking the set and tying the match at 1.
The Blazers looked to get right back into it in set three, jumping out to a 3-1 advantage to kick things off. McDaniel tied things up shortly after, at which point both teams went back and forth trying to go on a long-enough run. With Hood down 15-13, an ace from Plante started a six-point run to leapfrog into a 19-15 lead. Despite the Green Terror tying things up immediately after, another four straight points for the Blazers put the home crowd at ease as they won the set and put themselves on match point.
Playing from behind 5-2 to start the fourth set, an early timeout from coach
Katie Barnett seemed to help calm the nerves as Hood managed to stay with McDaniel and eventually go off on an 8-2 hot streak to be in front 15-13. Despite maintaining the lead late in the set, the Green Terror managed to tie things at 23, and even though the Blazers took the next point for a chance to win the match, the next three went to McDaniel as it seemed like a decisive fifth set was going to happen the whole time.
After dropping the first point of the final set, the Blazers came alive, extending rallies and finding where the Green Terror players were not long enough for an 11-1 run. From then on, the teams simply exchanged points until Hood reached its 15th and match-clinching point to send Woodsboro Bank Arena into a frenzy.
For the Opponent
Kailey Young led McDaniel with 12 kills.
Kaylee Comstock ended the evening with 32 assists.
Notes
Sitting at 4-1, this is the best start to a Hood College women's volleyball season since 2000.
Anna Daley (Erie, Pa./Harborcreek) recorded a career-high 13 kills in the match.
Up Next
The Blazers head to Lynchburg, Virginia to play in a tri-match against the University of Lynchburg and Clinton College Friday, September 12 at 5 and 7 p.m.
