Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

HARRISONBURG, Va. –The University of Delaware volleyball team saw its 10-match winning streak come to an end as the Blue Hens fell to James Madison, 3-2 (25-16, 10-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-13), on Friday evening at the Sinclair Gymnasium.

Delaware (14-6, 7-1) was led by Kim Stewart (at right) and Jess Chason, who both posted double-doubles during the match. Stewart had 17 digs and 13 kills, while Chason had 40 assists and 10 digs.

After battling hard to overcome a two-sets-to-one deficit and send the match into a decisive fifth frame, the Blue Hens once again had to rally from behind. James Madison got out to an early 10-3 lead before UD began to chip away at its deficit in the final set.

Aided by four Duke miscues and a pair of kills from Katie Dennehy, Delaware fought back to within one at 11-10. Later, after a JMU run gave the hosts match point at 14-10, the Hens answered again. Another shot by Dennehy and a block and blast by Alissa Alker brought Delaware back to within on at 14-13.

Unfortunately, after a James Madison timeout, the Dukes regrouped. The squad capitalized on a Blue Hen error to clinch the thrilled five-set victory.

JMU (8-16, 1-7) was led by Danielle Erb, who posted 16 kills and eight digs. Megan Wiechmann also had 38 assists, while Holly Wall and Natalie Abel tied for the top spot with 23 digs.

Early on, the Dukes looked to be in control of the match. In the first set, the squad pulled away with a quick 7-0 lead before UD showed impressive resolve in the middle of the frame.

Refusing to back down, the squad ripped off seven points in a row, highlighted by two Stewart kills and a pair of aces from Kelly Gibson. With the set now even, the two teams traded rallies. After Madison pulled away by three, Delaware took four straight points, including an ace by Greta Gibboney, to grab a 12-11 lead.

Unfortunately, the edge was short-lived. James Madison used an incredible late-set surge, aided by three kills from Holly Wall, to cap off a 25-16 victory.

The Blue Hens responded with their own commanding win in the second set. After an early 5-5 tie, the squad slowly began to pull away. After a short four-point run, helped by a block and kill from Paige Erickson, the squad grabbed a 9-5 edge.

Later, a six-point streak helped the squad capture a 19-9 lead, and after a Lindsay Callahan kill broke Delaware’s run, James Madison never won another rally. Three straight kills by Michelle LaLonde set up a blistering ace by Gibboney to clinch the 25-10 victory.

With the match even at one, it seemed only fitting that the third frame was closely contested in the beginning. The teams fought to a 7-7 tie before James Madison inched ahead. The squad eventually pulled out to a 15-11 lead before Delaware stole a little momentum.

The Hens swiped seven of the next 10 rallies, capped by a Steph Barry ace, to pull within one heading into a JMU timeout. The break in action paid dividends for the Dukes, however, as the team won seven of the final 11 battles to post a 25-21 victory.

With their backs against the wall, the Hens fell behind in the fourth set after James Madison grabbed a 7-4 advantage. Despite the deficit, Delaware seemed unfazed. Chason, Dennehy, and Chelsea Lawrence uncorked three straight kills to hand the Hens an 11-10 lead.

Although James Madison came back, taking a three-point edge at 15-12, UD responded again. A pair of kills by Stewart, blasts from Alker and LaLonde, and a block by Lawrence helped the squad flip its deficit into a 22-18 lead. Following a Duke timeout, Delaware kept up the attack, and after another kill by Dennehy, Chason clinched the 25-20 victory with an ace.

Unfortunately, the Blue Hens could not keep up the momentum in the fateful fifth set.

Barry led the Blue Hens with 18 digs, while Gibson chipped in with four aces and 15 digs.

Delaware will be back in action tomorrow when the team travels to George Mason for a 7 p.m. match.