September 03, 2010

Volleyball Wins Two to Open Season

Box Score 1
Box Score 2

PENSACOLA, FLA. - Junior Kelsie Rankin of the University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team tallied 25 kills and 17 digs, while hitting at a .365 clip, helping the Tritons to a pair of season-opening wins Friday at the University of West Florida Comfort Inn-vitational.

UMSL (2-0) cruised to a 25-20, 25-18, 25-11 victory over Alabama-Huntsville (0-1) in the season opener for both teams before surviving a 25-21, 25-16, 20-25, 18-25, 15-13 test against North Alabama (0-1), a squad that has four starters back from last year’s 20-15 team which advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

In the nightcap, the Tritons were poised for their second sweep of the day, but North Alabama scored the final five points of the third set, breaking free from a 20-20 tie to garner the win. The Lions jumped out to a 10-2 lead in that set, before a 6-0 UMSL run knotted the score at 11-11.

In the fourth set, UMSL scored four straight points, including two kills by junior Erin Higgins, to take a 14-12 lead, but UNA would outscore the Tritons, 13-4, to end the set and force the deciding game.

Trailing 6-4 in the final set, UMSL reeled off six straight points to take a 10-6 lead. The Lions roared back to pull within 11-10, forcing a Tritons timeout. Back-to-back errors by UMSL then turned the lead back over to UNA at 12-11 before UMSL was able to pull out the win.

Rankin led the way with 15 kills and 11 digs, hitting a team-best .314, while Higgins followed with 13 kills.

Freshman Anna McNulty dished out 25 assists and picked up eight digs, while senior Kayla Kinzinger added 18 assists in the 6-2 offense. Senior Carolyn Holstein tallied 14 digs.

UMSL finished the match, hitting .160, after a combined .262 clip in the first two sets. The Tritons also held an 8-6 advantage in blocks over the Lions, who finished with a .167 hitting percentage. Higgins and freshman Chelsea Burkle had three blocks each.

Rankin and Higgins paced UMSL with 10 kills each in the first victory of the day. Rankin swung at a .471 percentage and added six digs and five assists, while Higgins had three block assists.

UMSL hit .340 as a team and held a 6-2 blocking advantage.

Holstein recorded 16 digs, while Kinzinger and McNulty dished out 16 and 14 assists, respectively.

UMSL closes out tourney play tomorrow, beginning with a 1:30 pm contest against Florida Tech, followed by a 5:30 pm match against the host school, West Florida.