Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - The University of Delaware volleyball team pulled out an exciting 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 21-25, 15-11) victory over William & Mary during a Colonial Athletic Association bout on Saturday evening at Viera Court.

One night after suffering a tough five-set loss to Virginia Commonwealth, the Blue Hens rebounded with an exciting match against the Tribe. Despite dropping the first set of the contest, Delaware (16-7, 9-2 CAA) showed true grit as the squad overcame the early misstep and posted the victory.

Kim Stewart matched her career-high with 19 kills and also chipped in with 17 digs, while Michelle LaLonde (at right) blasted 14 kills and hit a team-best .312. Katie Dennehy also chimed in with her 14th double-digit kill performance of the season after blasting 15 winners.

Steph Barry led an impressive defensive effort, notching a match-high 28 digs. Along with Barry and Stewart, two other Blue Hens reached double-figures in digs as Jess Chason and Greta Gibboney each notched 10 apiece.

After the Tribe held off the Hens in the fourth frame and forced a decisive fifth set, Delaware took off. Refusing to repeat last night’s performance that saw the squad fall behind early in the final frame, UD swept the first six rallies. Paige Erickson was at the forefront of the quick start, firing two kills and stuffing a pair of Tribe attacks.

Although William & Mary (15-9, 7-3) eventually pulled back within two and held that deficit until 9-7, Delaware answered. A kill by LaLonde and a Tribe miscue gave the squad a four-point cushion before Barry ripped an ace to solidify a 12-7 lead.

William & Mary cut its deficit back down to two after a late surge, but Delaware remained in control. Dennehy and Alissa Alker punched back-to-back kills to give the squad match-point at 14-10. After a Tribe block, Dennehy put an end to the night with her 15th kill of the contest.

Erickson finished the match with seven kills, six digs, and a team-high four blocks, while Chason tacked on a match-high 52 assists as well.

Despite finding their groove at the end of the match, the Hens struggled in the early going. In the first set, Delaware simply could not pull away from William & Mary as the squads traded blows throughout the frame. Unfortunately, the Tribe finally landed the knockout after UD grabbed a late 21-20 advantage.

Staring at a modest one-point deficit, William & Mary hit its stride. Four straight Tribe kills, including back-to-back shots from Ginny Bray, gave the squad set-point at 24-21. On the very next rally, the team capitalized on a Blue Hen miscue to grab the early lead.

Trailing by a set, Delaware remained calm. Behind a quick four-point roll, the Blue Hens grabbed an early lead that the squad would not relinquish for the remainder of the set. After the Tribe fought back to within one at 10-9, UD pieced together another four-point streak capped off nicely by a block and blast from Alker.

Later, Stewart launched a pair of kills and Dennehy blasted two more to give the squad a comfy 20-15 lead. With the end of the set in sight, UD never lost focus. A block by Erickson and Alker kicked off a 5-1 run that ended when Chason fired a shot to clinch a 25-17 victory.

Similar to the second set, the Blue Hens grabbed a commanding lead in the third frame and never let it slip away. A rip by Kelly Gibson got the set started before two shots each from Dennehy and Stewart gave the team a 5-2 lead. Although William & Mary whittled its deficit down to one, the visitors could never overtake Delaware.

LaLonde stepped up in the middle of the frame, launching four kills including three on consecutive rallies. Stewart also notched three kills and blasted an ace to help the squad secure a commanding 18-9 lead.

Although William & Mary fought hard at the end of the set, pulling back within four at 24-20, the surge was not nearly enough as a Tribe miscue ended the set on the very next rally.

Delaware looked to be in prime position to end the match in the fourth after running out to a 5-2 lead. Unfortunately, the early ending was not to be. After the Tribe evened the match at nine, the squad took off. A five-point roll gave the team some breathing room before a similar four-point streak allowed the visitors to secure a 19-12 lead heading into a Delaware timeout.

The stoppage paid dividends as UD won three straight, including a block and kill by Erickson. Later, another kill by the team’s standout middle hitter brought the hosts back within three at 21-18. Sadly, after holding the deficit there until 24-21, Delaware succumbed to their counterparts on the very next rally.

Despite losing a little momentum in the fourth, Delaware refused to suffer a repeat of yesterday’s performance. With a quick start in the final frame, UD walked away with the five-set victory.

William & Mary was led by Lindsay Kresch and Ginny Bray as both players posted 11 kills. Lauren Powell also chipped in with a team-high 27 digs.

Delaware will return to action next Friday for the squad’s regular season home finale at the Bob Carpenter Center against Towson at 7 p.m.