LEXINGTON, Ky. – Asbury volleyball (2-3, 0-0 CCS) battled through a tightly contested five-set match on Saturday morning but came up just short in a 3-2 setback to Elmhurst (2-4, 0-0 CCIW) at the Clive M. Beck Center.
The Eagles claimed the first and third sets before the Bluejays rallied for the victory by scores of 21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 15-12.
Asbury showed resilience throughout the match, recording 52 kills, 11 service aces, and nine total blocks while pushing the contest to a decisive fifth set. The Eagles opened the match with a strong first-set performance and regained momentum in the third set, hitting an impressive .444 attacking percentage in the frame to move within one set of victory.
Junior Sophie Glushchak paced the Asbury attack with 14 kills and added two blocks, while Isabelle VandeSchraaf contributed 13 kills, 12 digs, and two service aces for a double-double effort. Megan Schelling posted seven kills on a team-best .375 hitting percentage and added three block assists.
The Eagles received strong contributions at the net from Abigail Bruner, who finished with three service aces and five block assists, while Julia Wright added eight kills and three block assists. Emma Dean chipped in five kills and two block assists.
Running the offense, Sara Beth Gray dished out 17 assists and added six digs, while Katelyn Chapman contributed 13 assists, 14 digs from the back row, and a service ace. Anna Miles also provided a spark defensively and from the service line with two aces and two digs.
The decisive fifth set was a back-and-forth affair early, with Asbury building a 6-1 advantage before Elmhurst answered with a 9-2 run to take control. The Eagles fought to even the score at 12-12, but the Bluejays closed the match with the final three points to secure the win.
Asbury finished the match with 51 digs and held a narrow edge in service aces, 11-10, but Elmhurst utilized a .252 team hitting percentage and 60 kills to escape with the victory.
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Sophie Glushchak | 14 Kills, 2 Blocks
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Isabelle VandeSchraaf | 13 Kills, 12 Digs
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Sara Beth Gray | 17 AST, 6 Digs
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Katelyn Chapman | 13 AST, 14 Digs
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Megan Schelling | 7 Kills, .375 %
The ladies travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on MSJ on Tues., Sept. 15 at 7 PM.
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