ASHLAND, Ohio (Sept. 6) – The Vulcans started the 2019 season with a split at the Ashland Invitational with a 3-2 victory over Fairmont State before suffering a 3-0 sweep versus the host Eagles on Friday.
Against Fairmont State (0-1), Cal U featured five players with at least six kills and tallied nine service aces in a 3-2 comeback victory (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-8). Junior
Madison Kline (Hastings, Pa./Cambria Heights) and freshman
Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) each registered a team-leading 11 kills against the Falcons. Kline notched a career high in kills while posting a .529 hitting percentage on 17 total attacks, while Burkey also collected 13 digs to earn a kill/dig double-double in her college debut. Sophomore
Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) finished with nine kills in the match, while junior
Madeleine McKenna (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and sophomore
Kiandria Cowart (East Liverpool, Ohio/East Liverpool) each contributed six kills.
Sophomore
Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) recorded an assist/dig double-double in the win, pacing the team with 41 assists and 11 digs. Junior
Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) and Moehring directed the defense with each notching a team-high 16 digs. Burkey led the team with three service aces, while Moehring and sophomore
Shelby Alloway (Dunkirk, Ohio/Hardin Northern) each tallied two aces in the season-opening match.
Against Ashland (2-0), the Vulcans suffered a 3-0 loss (25-21, 25-22, 25-23) after being held to a .129 hitting percentage over three sets. Moehring paced the team with 12 kills against the Eagles, while senior
Rachel Priore (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) and Kline added eight and seven kills, respectively.
Benson guided the offense with 19 assists and fellow sophomore
Marley Goff (Geneva, Ohio/Geneva) set a career high with 14 assists on Friday evening. Silbaugh led the defense with 19 digs, while Burkey tallied 10 digs in the loss. Benson and Moehring also added nine and eight digs, respectively. Priore controlled the net with three blocks, while Moehring and freshman
Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) both notched two blocks in the second match of the day.
The Vulcans continue play at the Ashland Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 7, when they face Notre Dame (Ohio) and Felician (N.J.), starting at 11 a.m.
