Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

UD - Army Boxscore

UD - Rutgers Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - The University of Delaware volleyball team extended its winning streak to four matches and captured the Delaware Invitational title on Saturday after topping both Army and Rutgers on the tournament’s final day of action at Barb Viera Court.

Jess Chason (top right) was honored as the invitational’s Most Valuable Player after leading the way with 108 assists during Delaware’s three matches. She also posted 27 digs, five aces, and four blocks to round out an outstanding performance during the two-day tournament.

Katie Dennehy (middle right) and Michelle LaLonde (bottom right) also were honored with spot’s on the All-Tournament team. Dennehy blasted 25 kills and posted 24 digs, while LaLonde had 23 kills and a team-high 11 blocks.

Led by their efforts, Delaware (4-2) cruised to a 3-1 (25-17, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19) victory over Army to open up action on Saturday, while the squad returned to the court to trump Rutgers, 3-0 (25-22, 25-9, 25-21), to close out the tournament in style.

During the first match, the squad was led by a pair of double-doubles. Kim Stewart recorded 13 digs and fired 11 kills, while Chason added 43 assists and 15 digs. They were assisted in their efforts by Alissa Alker, who had 11 kills, and Paige Erickson, who posted a team-high five blocks.

Following an early start by Army (5-2) that saw the Black Knights take the first three rallies, Delaware answered quickly. A pair of kills by Alker and Dennehy along with five Army miscues allowed the Hens to grab a commanding 10-4 advantage.

Eventually, a blistering ace by Chason and a pair of blasts by Stewart allowed Delaware to extend its lead to double-digits with a 20-10 edge. Although the Black Knights whittled their deficit down to six, the Hens proved to be too much. Two kills by LaLonde and a shot by Dennehy allowed the hosts to cruise to a 25-17 opening-set victory.

The squad outdid its tremendous start in the first set with an even more impressive one in the second frame. After falling behind 5-2, the Blue Hens ran off an incredible 10-point roll to grab a 12-5 advantage. During the streak, Alker and LaLonde teamed up for a block, while Dennehy ripped a shot into the Black Knight defense to highlight the roll.

Army refused to go down quietly, chipping away at the lead until finally pulling to within two at 13-11. Despite the effort, Delaware answered with a late run to put the set out-of-reach. Three kills by Alker and an ace by Erickson helped the Hens earn set point at 24-15. On the next play, Dennehy and LaLonde teamed up for a block to cap the frame and give the squad a two-sets-to-one lead.

Following the break in action, Army held tough and did not allow the Blue Hens to break away early. Although the hosts got out to a four-point advantage, highlighted by a pair of blocks by Erickson, the Black Knights responded and took the lead. Following a four-point swing, led by two kills from Rachel Willis, Delaware called a timeout trailing by three at 12-9.

Although the Hens kept it close, fighting back to within one on several occasions in the middle of the set, the team could not quite pull ahead. Finally, a nice roll at the end of the frame, aided by a pair of shots from Alker, allowed the squad to pull even at 23. Unfortunately, back-to-back kills from Army iced the 25-23 victory for the visitors.

The Black Knights carried some momentum over into the fourth set as the squad grabbed an early 9-5 lead. Despite the deficit, the Blue Hens rallied behind a five-point roll, aided by a pair of aces from Steph Barry.

Army tied the set after winning the next rally, but that was the last time the squad pulled even. Delaware ran off three straight winners, highlighted by an Erickson block, before the Black Knights called a timeout. Following the break, the Hens stretched their advantage to six at 20-14 before Army called for another stoppage.

Fortunately for the Hens, the timeout did little to hamper their momentum. Behind two kills and a block from LaLonde, the team used a late five-point run to grab set point at 24-18. Although Army held off the inevitable for one rally, a shot by Alker clinched the four-set victory for Delaware.

Along with the offensive stars of the match, the Hens also received 15 digs from Barry. Chason, Stewart, and Dennehy also had double-digit dig totals.

Army was led by Ariana Mankus, who had 16 kills. Rachel Willis also had 10 kills, while Rachel Dunn posted a match-high 17 digs.

Following two mid-afternoon matches that saw Rutgers drop Princeton, 3-2, and Army down the Tigers, 3-0, the Blue Hens returned to action in the evening to close out the tournament with a match against Rutgers (1-5) to determine the champion of the invitational.

The opening set of the title bout proved to be a streaky affair as the Blue Hens jumped out quickly only to have the Scarlet Knights immediately respond. In the early going, Delaware ran off to a 12-5 lead as Chason blasted an ace, posted five assists, and teamed with LaLonde for a pair of blocks. Despite the early aggression by the Hens, Rutgers fought back following a timeout.

Led by five kills from Caitlin Saxton, the Scarlet Knights erased the deficit and grabbed a modest 19-18 lead after reeling off an incredible 13-6 streak. The lead was short-lived, however, as Stewart ripped back-to-back kills before the Hens gained a 23-22 advantage. Following another RU timeout, Dennehy and Alker blasted consecutive kills to close out the first set victory, 25-22.

As much as the opening frame was in doubt, the second one was much more comfortable. After an early 3-3 tie, the Hens took off on a 10-point streak. The roll, which was started and ended by kills from Alker, gave the squad a convincing 13-3 lead. Chason once again had an important hand in the streak as the junior setter made an incredible diving play to keep a rally going and ensure that the momentum would not slip away.

From that point on, it was all Delaware. Alker tacked on four more kills over the final moments of the set, while LaLonde had a kill and block. Eventually, a bullet by freshman Logan Sebastian iced the set at 25-9.

Reeling from the lop-sided loss, Rutgers came out quickly in the third. The squad doubled-up Delaware in the early going, 8-4, before the Hens regrouped in a timeout. Following the stoppage, Alker was at it again. The first-year phenom blasted two kills and was aided by an ace from Gibson and Barry as the squad erased its four-point deficit and captured a one-point lead at 12-11.

Although the Scarlet Knights eventually retied the set four times before the end of the match, the squad could never regain its form. A pair of kills from LaLonde and another crushing ace by Gibson allowed the Hens to gain a 21-16 advantage. After that, a slam by Stewart clinched the victory and sent the home side into a frenzy with a 25-21 victory in the final frame.

Alker led the way during the championship match, blasting 12 kills on just 17 swings. Stewart also had 11 kills and nine digs, while Chason chipped in with 35 assists. Barry also posted a match-high 14 digs.

Rutgers was led by Caitlin Saxton, who earned a place on the All-Tournament team, after posting 11 kills against the Hens.

Along with Saxton and the three Blue Hens, Army’s Ariana Mankus and Rachel Willis and Princeton’s Sheena Donohue were also honored on the All-Tournament team for their efforts during the two-day invitational.

Delaware will look to continue its outstanding play when the squad travels to Ohio University for the Bobcats’ Invitational next weekend. The team will open up with a doubleheader on September 11 as the Hens will battle Indiana at 11 a.m. and Missouri State at 5 p.m.