In continuing their early-season romp over their competition with victories over St. Andrews, N.C. and West Virginia Tech, the Shawnee State volleyball program was able to sweep the weekend by taking home 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 27-25) and 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-10) triumphs over the pair Saturday afternoon in the second and final day of the Emileigh Cooper Invitational at Rio Grande University in Rio Grande, Ohio.
With the wins, Shawnee State not only collected the 2021 Emileigh Cooper Invitational Championship for its perfect 4-0 record and its margin of victory in sets, but officially collected the program's second-best start to a season in its history in the wins. Only the 2008 group, which won its first 24 matches en route to the program's all-time best season mark of 40-4 overall, holds a better start to the season than the 2021 version of the Bears.
Along with those numbers, SSU also matched the 2008 group for the most straight-set victories by a team through its first nine games in program history. The 2021 group, like the 2008 unit, posted six straight-set victories over its first nine affairs.
Boggs continues bright freshman season
Again starring in the two-match-per-day setup as she did at the Vette City Classic, Emily Boggs had perhaps her finest day to date in her young career Saturday, proving to be a catalyst for Shawnee State's undefeated weekend.
Between the two matches, Boggs proved to be tremendous, posting a .361 attack percentage Saturday by notching 29 kills and just seven errors in 61 attack attempts. She notched 13 kills and a .333 attack percentage against St. Andrews, then dialed up the heat further against West Virginia Tech, posting 16 kills, a .382 attack percentage, and two solo blocks against the Golden Bears in all.
The freshman out of Wheelersburg High School especially turned up the heat in the second set of each match against St. Andrews and West Virginia Tech, helping the Bears hit .389 and .349 in the second sets against both teams, respectively with the latter performance allowing SSU to regain control after falling behind early against West Virginia Tech.
For the season, Boggs has notched an impressive 78 kills on a .299 attack percentage.
Shelby keeps up defensive dominance in front
Building on Shawnee State's impressive frontline defense in Friday evening's victories, Nashail Shelby was an absolute menace in that area Saturday.
While posting three kills against St. Andrews and stepping up her efforts further offensively against West Virginia Tech with 10 kills on a .381 attack percentage, her presence defensively was akin to a one-person wrecking crew.
En route to posting an absolutely dominating effort with nine solo blocks and two assisted blocks in Saturday's wins, Shelby now has 21 solo blocks for the season and 37 in total as one of the main faces of a smothering frontline -- both offensively and defensively.
Rhoads shows off All-American form against West Virginia Tech
Following a 12-dig, nine-kill effort that helped Shawnee State hold off a late St. Andrews charge en route to a straight-set victory, fourth-year outside hitter Macie Rhoads kicked her performance into overdrive against West Virginia Tech, notching 17 digs and 14 kills on a .286 attack percentage to claim a double-double in SSU's four-set win to close out the undefeated weekend.
In the West Virginia Tech victory, Rhoads did a bit of everything, as the Circleville, Ohio native posted three assists, two service aces and two solo blocks in addition to the double-double in Saturday's capper.
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Maria Kolinoff, who added in a double-double of her own with 23 assists and 10 digs in just three-quarters of a match of playing time against West Virginia Tech, posted an impressive outing in Saturday's capper while Emilee Cochran added in a strong defensive effort, matching Rhoads' high of 12 digs against St. Andrews and then setting the team-best with 25 dives against West Virginia Tech.
Maddie Payne posted 34 assists between the two matches in Saturday's affairs while Abbie Kallner (14 dimes in the St. Andrews victory) and Bella Gill (seven kills, .500 attack percentage against St. Andrews and four solo blocks between both matches) capped off the successful weekend.
Shawnee State faces a big test in its conference opener at Waller Gymnasium Monday afternoon as Lindsey Wilson -- the No. 20-ranked unit in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll -- comes to Portsmouth for a major battle. The contest is set for a 4 p.m. start.
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