CLEGG DOMINATES AS VCU COMPLETES WEEKEND SWEEP
8-29-09
Tournament Central

RICHMOND, Va. – Tournament Most Valuable Player Kelsie Clegg (Boise, Idaho) hit .408 and averaged 1.38 blocks per set in two Virginia Commonwealth University victories Saturday in the final day of the Third Degree Sportswear Invitational at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The Rams completed the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record, their best start since the 2000 season.

VCU hit .264 on the day as it dismantled both Wright State and East Carolina by 3-1 margins. In addition to Clegg, juniors Mariel Frey (Lititz, Pa.) and Lenka Melicharkova (Zlin, Czech Republic) earned All-Tournament honors.

VCU returns to action on Friday, Sept. 4 when it kicks off play in the University of Virginia’s Jefferson Cup with Campbell at 10:30 a.m. The Rams will also meet Virginia and North Carolina Central in the tournament.

MATCH RECAPS
VCU 3, Wright State 1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18)
Clegg was nearly flawless, dropping 16 kills and hitting .457 without recording an error. The 6-5 middle added four blocks for the Rams, who out-blocked Wright State, 7-6.

VCU, which hit .248 for the match, also received 16 kills from Frey. Senior Ivana Rich (Cumberland, Va.) hit .381 with 10 kills, while sophomore Courtney Hott (Fredericksburg, Va.) hit .345 with 13 kills and Melicharkova added 45 assists and 22 digs for the Black and Gold.

The Rams surrendered a 23-20 lead to drop the opening set, and then found themselves behind 16-10 in the second. However, VCU reeled off 10 straight points, including four on kills by Hott, to grab the lead for good at 20-16. The Rams remained in control the rest of the way, including a fourth set in which they hit .438.

VCU 3, East Carolina 1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 25-23)
Frey uncorked a team-best 13 kills, while Melicharkova dished out 37 assists and served up five aces in a mostly one-sided performance for VCU. Clegg, who averaged 1.24 blocks in four weekend matches, provided seven total blocks against the Pirates (1-2).

The Rams were dominant in nearly every major statistical category against ECU, out-hitting their opponent .285 to .148, and out-blocking it 11-6.
Melissa Zentner led East Carolina with 15 kills and 15 digs.    

THIRD DEGREE SPORTSWEAR
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Kelsie Clegg, VCU
Lenka Melicharkova, VCU
Mariel Frey, VCU
Becca Awaa, Wright State
Shaunda Sandifer, Wright State
Stephanie Turner, East Carolina
Melissa Zentner, East Carolina
Yun Zi Zhang, Temple

Tournament MVP
Kelsie Clegg, VCU

OTHER SATURDAY SCORE
Temple 3, St. John’s 0

TOURNAMENT RECORDS
VCU 4-0
Wright State 2-1
Temple 1-2
East Carolina 1-2
St. John’s 0-3