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UTD Volleyball Picks Up Key Road Win at ETBU, Stays Perfect in ASC East Race
Story Courtesy of the UT-Dallas Athletics Site
MARSHALL, TX (09.24.10) - In a battle of the
top two volleyball teams in the American Southwest Conference East
Division, No. 19-ranked UT Dallas pushed and shoved for a key
five-game win at East Texas Baptist. UTD edged the Tigers, 25-22,
22-25, 25-14, 23-25, 15-10, Friday night at Ornelas Gymnasium.
UT Dallas (now 8-1, 3-0 in ASC) brought a 18-match ASC East
winning streak into Friday night's match and after trading four
sets at ETBU, the Comets pulled away for a 15-10 in the fifth and
deciding game to lock up the 19th consecutive regular-season
divisional victory.
Dana Hilzendager, a sophomore from Red Oak, led
the Comets with 21 kills. Amber Wetz, a senior
from San Antonio, had 20 kills while Kailey
Killingsworth, a freshman from Alvin, and senior
Jessica Nassau, a senior from Orlando, Fla.,
rounded out UTD players in double-digit kills with 18 and 10,
respectively. The Comets hit .228 as a team in the match.
Hilzendager also led the Comets with 25 digs, one of six UTD
players to reach double digits in the category.
Senior setter Niki Calverley, a native of
Wylie, improved up on her ASC lead in assists per game as she ended
the five-game match with 62 assists, averaging 12.4 per set against
the Tigers. The 62 assists was a career-best for Calverley and the
second-highest single-match total in UTD history.
The host Tigers (2-8, 1-1 ASC) scored the first point of the
match, but UTD quickly responded with back-to-back points and never
again trailed in the opening set as the Comets had to fight to hold
off ETBU in the stanza. The Comets hit .233 in the opener, sparked
by four kills each by Killingsworth and Nassau.
In the second set, ETBU would score the first three points of the
set and hold the lead until the Comets snatched a 9-8 advantage on
a kill by Nassau. However, the Tigers responded and regained the
lead four serves later and never relinquished the lead again,
holding off UTD for the three-point win to equal the match,
1-1.
The Comets then dominated the third set to take a 2-1 game let as
UTD hit .371 as a team, its best game of the night, en route to the
11-point win. This time it was Hilzendager who led the charge with
five kills.
But, once again the Tigers answered. ETBU jumped out to a quick
3-0 lead in the fourth set and never trailed, leading by as many as
eight points, 21-13, before the Comets rallied for just a
three-point defeat. UTD collected 16 kills in the set,
compared to 12 by the Tigers, however nine errors proved costly as
ETBU knotted the match, 2-2.
In the final set, the Comets scored the opening point on an ETBU
error, but the Tigers quickly answered with a kill to even the set.
UTD then scored back-to-back points, on a kill by Hilzendager and
then another ETBU error, to go up 3-1 and never trailed. The host
Tigers knotted the game at 7-7 and 8-8, but could not take the lead
as UTD ended the match on 7-2 run, capped by Hilzendager kill to
end the night.
The Comets return to action Saturday as they visit Mississippi
College in another ASC East contest. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in
Clinton, Miss.
