JONESBORO,
Ark. (8/28/12) – The Arkansas State volleyball team opened its 2012
home slate with a 25-17, 25-19, 25-19 victory over Memphis at the Convocation
Center on Tuesday night.
The
match marked the first time in over a year that ASU (2-2) volleyball team had
played in The Convo and it was also the first meeting between the Red Wolves
and Tigers (0-4) since 2009.
The
Red Wolves controlled the pace for much of the match and out hit the Tigers
.297 to .198. Memphis also committed 11 errors on the night, while ASU finished
with a sideout percentage of 70 percent.
“It
is nice to get win at home,” ASU volleyball coach David Rehr said. “We played
really well which is really good. A good Memphis team came in and we just kind
of handled our own business. We played the scouting report really well and we
did what we are supposed to do and played as team. If we play as a team we are
tough to stop.”
A-State
received even distribution from its attackers on the night. Taylor Szypulski
collected seven of her team-high 10 kills in the first set, while Ashley Tipps
and Kelsie Hodges each added eight. Amanda Chaparro and Jasmine Terry each had
seven kills, while Allison Kearney led ASU with 33 assists on the night. Megan
Baska led the team with 11 digs.
The
Red Wolves quickly jumped out to a 17-11 lead in the first set thanks to the
play of Szypulski. The redshirt-sophomore helped the Red Wolves to a .406
attacking percentage in the set and put away the set with a block assists on
the final point.
The
blocking game proved useful in the second as well, as the Red Wolves combined
for three blocks during the frame to help them take a 2-0 advantage in the
match.
Memphis
briefly held a 7-6 lead in the third set, but ASU pulled away late, including
collecting the match's final four points to put away the Tigers in a three-set
sweep.
“The
crowd was fantastic,” Rehr said. “For a Tuesday night with a lot of other
distractions going on around town it was really good and hopefully we can get
even more people here the next time we play. The crowd was awesome and it was
awesome to play in front of all those people.”
The
Red Wolves will return to the courts Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the Kansas Invitational
where they will play four matches in two days. The field includes Kansas,
Nebraska-Omaha, Same Houston State and Tulsa.
