VCU STARTS CAA PLAY ON THE RIGHT FOOT, TOPS WILLIAM & MARY
9-26-09
Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Junior Mariel Frey (Lititz, Pa.) (pictured, above) blasted 13 kills and four players recorded 16 or more digs as Virginia Commonwealth University won a defensive standoff with William & Mary, 3-1 (16-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-23), Saturday afternoon at Kaplan Arena.

VCU, playing in its Colonial Athletic Association opener, improved to 11-5 this season. William & Mary is 7-7.

Although it was the first CAA contest for both schools, it was a pivotal one.  VCU and William & Mary were each selected second in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll, and the implications of Saturday’s victory could be felt for some time.

“No matter how you stack it up, William & Mary is our rival in volleyball in this league,” VCU Coach James Finley said. “It’s huge to start 1-0 instead of 0-1. It’s a huge thing in building our confidence for next week.”

VCU out-blocked William & Mary, 12-8, and recorded a season-high 88 digs, a product of the match’s numerous extended volleys. Sophomore Alyssa Foster (Richmond, Va.) was credited with 20 digs for the Rams, whole freshman Marisa Low (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Frey collected 19 apiece.

“The rallies were ridiculous,” Finley said. “Both teams were playing really good defense.”

Freshman Michala Kvapilova (Liberec, Czech Republic) (pictured, left) overcame a disastrous second set to provide 11 kills for VCU, while junior Kelsie Clegg (Boise, Idaho) and senior Ivana Rich (Cumberland, Va.) each booked five blocks.  

The Tribe looked poised to draw even in the fourth set, when three straight VCU hitting errors pushed William & Mary to a 22-18 lead. But Kvapilova blasted three kills down the stretch, and the Rams closed the match with a 7-1 blitz to secure the win.

The Rams sputtered out of the gate, hitting .118 in the first set, a 25-16 loss. However, VCU was able to turn to passing and defense to right the ship.

“We brought Courtney Hott off the bench in the second set, and she came in and got a couple of blocks early, and it changed the whole demeanor for us,” Finley said.

Erin Skipper led the Tribe with a match-high 15 blocks, while Lindsey Pflugner led all players with 29 digs for William & Mary.

The Rams return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 29, when they travel to Washington, D.C., to battle Georgetown a 7 p.m.