VCU DOWNS SDSU, FALLS TO ALABAMA AT HURRICANE INVITE
9-5-08

VCU 3, South Dakota State 2 (Box Score)
Alabama 3, VCU 0 (Box Score)

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Virginia Commonwealth University pulled out a 3-2 victory over South Dakota State before losing a 3-0 decision to Alabama Friday at the University of Miami’s Hurricane Invitational.

Here is a recap of both matches:

VCU 3, South Dakota State 2 (29-31, 25-22, 15-25, 25-18, 18-16)
VCU’s first match-up of the day proved to be a knockdown-drag out affair, as South Dakota State pushed the Rams to the limit.

The Rams rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the match and captured an 18-16 win in game five. Freshman Marketa Janeckova (Olomouc, Czech Republic) recorded three of her seven kills in the deciding frame to help lift the Black and Gold to victory.

Senior Elisa Kuehnel (Dresden, Germany) led VCU with 15 kills and six blocks. She hit .262. Sophomore Kelsie Clegg hit .474 and added 10 kills, while junior Ivana Rich (Cumberland, Va.) chipped in with seven kills and eight blocks.

Mackenzie Angner led the SDSU (1-5) with 28 kills and 24 digs.

Alabama 3, VCU 0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-21)
Ivana Rich had nine kills and hit .375, while freshman Alyssa Foster (Richmond, Va.) had 16 digs in two games for VCU in a 3-0 loss.

Elisa Kuehnel added eight more kills for the Rams, who slipped to 3-2 with the loss.

Alyssa Meuth paced Alabama (4-1) with 15 kills. She hit .538 for the match.