The volleyball program at Shawnee State University dropped two three-set matches on the opening day of the Mid-South Challenge on Friday evening at Ephram White Park in Bowling Green, Ky. as the Bears fell to Brescia (Ky.), by counts of 25-17, 25-13, and 25-20 before falling to Loyola (La.) by a tighter 25-20, 25-17, 25-23 margin in the second and final contest of the evening for SSU.
In the first set, Susan Shelton's group, who initially took a 2-1 advantage following a kill by Macie Rhoads and an attack error by Brescia, was outscored by a 8-2 margin as Shelton's squad faced a 9-4 deficit over the first 13 volleys.
Two kills by Alexis Palazzo and a spike by Nashail Shelby allowed SSU to keep the margin respectable at a 17-11 tally, but five attack errors between the 27th to 33rd volleys allowed Brescia to take a 23-11 lead in the first set en route to a 25-17 victory. The Bears started off the second set with two kills from Rhoads and Shelby en route to accumulating a 3-2 lead, but never regained it as six attack errors allowed Brescia to go on a 16-6 run en route to a 25-13 second-set victory.
Despite the opening pair of losses, the Bears, after trailing by a 20-11 margin in the third set of action, roared to life as three kills by Shelby and a spike each by Alissa Kefauver and Miranda Hickey allowed SSU to close within four. However, a kill by Shelby Hardinson and a serving error allowed Brescia to put the opening match to bed.
For the contest, Shelby's six kills and .267 attack percentage led the Bears offensively. Rhoads, who added in 12 digs, collected five kills on her own accord, while Kolinoff's 13 assists and Stacia Martin's 13 digs led Shawnee State as far as the passing and defensive areas of the floor were concerned. Melissa Bell's 12 kills on a .286 attack percentage, Brittney Just's 29 assists, and Kristin Logsdon's 18 digs led the Bearcats' efforts.
In the second affair, Shawnee State found the going more successful against Loyola on all sides of the floor, opening up a 4-1 lead early on as Rhoads, Hickey, and Isabella Gill each collected a kill apiece over the first five tallies of action. However, when attack errors reared their ugly head again, the Ramblers came back and either tied or traded the point on 14 separate occasions before scoring the match's final five points to hand Shawnee State a 25-20 first-set defeat. The teams then tied or traded the point 17 additional times in the second set as Rhoads and Kefauver, who combined for 25 kills in the second match of the evening, kept SSU around before a 12-5 run by Loyola put the second contest to bed in favor of the Ramblers, 25-17.
After falling behind 15-9 in the third and final set, however, the Bears came to life once more as Rhoads and Kefauver got additional help from their frontline counterparts. Hickey obtained a kill to cut the Loyola lead to 17-13, and with the deficit at 22-17, Gill and Hickey combined for three consecutive kills to pull SSU within 23-21 -- a margin that was later cut to 23-22 and 24-23 on two kills by Rhoads. A third attempt to Rhoads that would've forced extra volleys, however, was erred as Loyola sealed the contest's result by winning the set, 25-23 and the match along with it.
During the second match, Rhoads' 13 kills, five digs, and .222 attack percentage, along with Kefauver's 12 kills and three digs on a .231 attack percentage, led the way for the Bears, while Maria Kolinoff, who posted 26 assists, nine digs, and four kills on a .333 attack percentage, performed masterfully at all levels en route to leading the team in assists and tying for the team lead in digs, along with Alexa Ball, who also posted nine digs in the match.
Loyola was led by Brittany Cooper, who posted 12 kills and a .286 attack percentage, Malea Howie, who garnered 11 kills and a .429 attack percentage on the evening, and Casey Aucoin, who added in eight kills, seven digs, and a .571 attack percentage without erring on any of her 15 attack attempts.
Shelton's group will return to action tomorrow afternoon as the Bears take on Florida College, then Indiana-Southeast later in the evening, in the second day of the MSC Challenge.
For more information on the SSU volleyball program and SSU Bears Athletics, visit www.ssubears.com.
