Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

UCSB Boxscore

PSU Boxscore

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - After suffering a 3-0 setback to UC Santa Barbara earlier in the day, the University of Delaware volleyball team came back and avenged its loss with an impressive 3-2 victory over Portland State during the final day of the MCM Elegante Classic at the Johnson Center.

Steph Barry (at right) earned All-Tournament honors for her efforts during the two-day competition. In the three matches, she led the squad with 34 digs.

During the two matches on Saturday, Kim Stewart paced Delaware (1-2) with 24 kills. Kelly Gibson also chipped in with 21 to go along with four aces. Paige Erickson also had 10 kills in the victory over the Vikings.

Michelle LaLonde also had an incredible performance in the final match of the tournament. Against PSU, she posted a team-high eight blocks and chipped in with seven kills. Jess Chason also paced the offense, notching 52 assists and 11 digs.

In the early going of the nightcap, both teams looked evenly matched. Katie Dennehy led the Delaware offense, blasting three early kills including one that tied the match at nine apiece. On the very next play, a Viking miscue gave the Hens their first lead at 10-9.

Despite the modest advantage, the two squads continued to battle back-and-forth. After the Hens relinquished their lead, Portland State pulled away to a two-point edge at 21-19. Although a Dennehy kill and a blistering Gibson jumper tied the frame at 21, the Vikings regained a two-point edge and earned set point at 24-22.

Refusing to go down without a fight, Stewart fired a kill before Michelle LaLonde had an incredible series to give the team new life. After LaLonde teamed with Stewart on a block to knot the frame at 24, the senior middle hitter batted away two straight Viking attacks in one series. Although PSU kept the ball in play after each stuff, the third time proved to be the charm as the Blue Hen captain sent back another attack attempt to end the rally and give Delaware set point at 25-24.

Riding a nice wave of momentum, Stewart capped the frame with a blast on the very next play to give the team a 26-24 lead.

Portland State looked ready to answer their first set defeat after the squad grabbed an early 5-1 lead in the second frame. Unimpressed, Delaware answered with a five-point streak, highlighted by three blocks and a kill from LaLonde, to give the Hens a 6-5 lead.

Although the Hens eventually stretched their lead to three behind another LaLonde block and a Stewart ace, the Vikings slowly chipped away at the deficit and tied the set at 10. As was the case for much of the match, the teams traded streaks. A nice swing by Delaware, capped by back-to-back aces by Gibson, gave the squad a 15-11 advantage. Portland State responded with a nice run that retied the set at 17.

The game remained dead-locked until 21-21 when the Vikings took control.  Three straight PSU winners gave the team set-point, and although a Dennehy kill kept Delaware alive, the Hens could not hold on and eventually fell, 25-22.

Not surprisingly, the third set played much like the first two. Three quick kills by Stewart in the early going kept the frame tied at six. Although Delaware ran off four straight winners, the Vikings came back to tie it at 10.

The squads eventually battled to four more ties in the set, including the final one at 20. Unfortunately, Portland State broke the set open in the end. Five straight winners, including two on a pair of blocks by Erica Jespen, gave the team a two-sets-to-one lead with a 25-20 victory in the third set.

In the fourth frame, Delaware got off to a nice start behind a Gibson ace and kill, but Portland State responded. A five-point PSU roll in the early part of the frame gave the squad a 10-8 advantage, and after another surge, the Vikings held a 19-14 lead before the Hens called a timeout.

During the break in action, Delaware regained its footing in the set. The team came out of the timeout and captured four straight rallies, highlighted by back-to-back aces from Greta Gibboney.

Still trailing by one, the Hens orchestrated a five-point roll, including two assists and a block by Chason, to grab a 23-20 lead. After a Delaware miscue momentarily halted the roll, Gibson put an end to the match with back-to-back kills.

With how close the match was, it seemed only fitting for it to go to a fifth and final frame.

Before an Alissa Alker kill put an end to the madness, sealing the five-set victory with a 15-11 victory in the final frame.

The Gauchos got off to a fast start in the opener against the Blue Hens and never looked back. The squad took the first six rallies of the match before Delaware called a timeout. Although a block by Erickson and Dennehy put the Hens on the board, it did little to slow down the UCSB attack.

Eventually, Santa Barbara grabbed a double-digit lead at 13-3 and looked comfortable after that point. Gibson and LaLonde posted kills to pull the team back within 10 in the middle of the set, but UCSB answered with another lengthy run to put the game away.

Chelsea Lawrence, who was making her first collegiate appearance, teamed with Jess Chason for a block, and the Hens did win four of the final six rallies of the frame, but it was not enough. Santa Barbara eventually cruised to a 25-12 victory in the opening set.

The Gauchos lost little momentum heading into the second set as the squad captured nine of the first 11 rallies. Despite the daunting deficit for the second straight set, Delaware refused to go down quietly. Gibson looked especially strong during the team’s mid-set surge as the senior fired three kills and joined with LaLonde on a block to help the Hens pull back within five at 12-7.

Despite Delaware’s best efforts, UCSB held off the Hens’ rally. Although UD held its deficit at five until 16-11, Santa Barbara won seven of the next eight rallies to grab a convincing 23-12 lead. LaLonde posted a kill and assisted on a block with Renee Tomko in the waning moments of the set, but the Gauchos eventually walked away with a 25-16 victory.

Following the mid-match intermission, Santa Barbara got off to a running start with an early 12-3 lead. As they did for much of the match, the Blue Hens remained unfazed. Delaware captured five of the next six rallies, highlighted by two blasts from Gibson and an impressive solo block by Chason.

Stewart eventually helped keep the set in reach with two kills in the span of three rallies, but UCSB took control after that. Following a streak that saw the Gauchos capture eight of 10, including two kills by Rebecca Saranceno, the squad finished off the Hens with a 25-12 victory in the final frame.

UCSB (2-0) was led by Saraceno, who ended the match with 11 kills, 11 digs, and two aces. Dana Vargas also had a match-high 37 assists.

Along with Gibson’s seven kills, Stewart chipped in with six, while LaLonde had five to go along with a pair of blocks. Chason led the team with 11 assists, while Tomko added nine in her first action with Delaware.