Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - Behind an impressive 11 aces, the University of Delaware volleyball team cruised past intrastate rival Delaware State, 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-12), on Tuesday night at Viera Court.

Greta Gibboney blasted a team-high five aces, while Kim Stewart posted a season-high 12 kills to lead the Blue Hen effort. Paige Erickson (at right) also became just the second Delaware player this season to post nine kills without a single attack error. Katie Dennehy rounded out the potent attack, recording nine kills to help the team finish with an excellent .394 hitting percentage.

Delaware (4-10) made an early statement in the first set after a short Hornet run left the Hens ahead by only one at 5-4. The squad immediately went on a six-point streak led by two kills and a block from Meghan Bonk. An ace by Steph Barry punctuated the run, leaving the Blue Hens ahead by seven at 11-4.

Two more Delaware aces, one each by Gibboney and Stewart, helped Delaware expand its lead before a Stewart kill gave the Hens its first double-digit advantage at 19-9. Eventually, following three more kills by Stewart and another ace by Barry, the team rolled to a 25-12 victory in the opening frame.

The second set was much more of a back-and-forth battle in the beginning. Delaware State (3-7) held an early three-point lead at 5-2 before Delaware came back to knot the set at eight. After the Hornets retook their lead at 9-8, the Blue Hens went on another mid-set surge to grab a commanding advantage.

Once again, the Delaware freshmen came up big. Two kills each by Bonk and Stewart coupled with a block from Bonk and Elena Delle Donne eventually helped the Hens orchestrate an eight-point roll that gave the team a seven-point edge at 16-9.

After that point, the game was never in doubt. Delaware won nine of the last 11 rallies, aided by two aces from Gibboney, to grab the second set, 25-11.

The Blue Hens did not lose any of their momentum during the mid-match break, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the third set following three kills and a block by Dennehy. Still leading by seven at 11-4, Delaware only briefly saw its advantage fall to six before reeling off four straight points to take a 15-5 lead.

Although the two squads split the next 10 points, the Hens expanded their lead after back-to-back kills by Stewart and Dennehy followed by another Gibboney ace gave Delaware a 23-10 lead. Four points later, following a kill by Erickson and a Hornet error, the Hens walked off with the three-set sweep after taking the third frame, 25-12.

Steph Barry had another great defensive performance, posting a match-high 25 digs to go along with two aces. Meghan Bonk also had seven kills on just 15 attempts, while Jess Chason led the way with 30 assists.

Delaware State was headlined by Cassandra Joyner and Elisa Hermann, who both tallied six kills apiece. Sarah Wheatcroft also had 12 assists, while Sonja Banicevic chipped in with 10 digs.

With the victory, Delaware remains undefeated against its down-state rival. The Hens are now 5-0 all-time against the Hornets, and they have yet to lose a set during the time.

Delaware will return to action on Friday at 4:30 p.m. when the team travels to Georgia State to open up Colonial Athletic Association action against the Panthers.