JONESBORO, Ark. (10/2/21) – Who doesn't love a good block party?
Arkansas State volleyball sure did Saturday night at First National Bank Arena, ousting Troy 3-2 (28-30, 25-21, 21-25, 25-18, 15-7) to the tune of 22 total blocks – the most by an A-State team in a single match since the beginning of the 25-point rally-scoring era (since before 2008).
The Red Wolves (11-5, 2-2 SBC) defended well, holding the Trojans (9-6, 2-2) to a .047 attack percentage and amassed 81 digs. Kendahl Davenport led the block party with a career-best 12 blocks, the most by an A-State player in a match since before 2010.
Elise Wilcox recorded a career-best night with 15 kills and 6 blocks to lead the way. Josie Stanford and Macey Putt also posted double-digit digs with 14 and 10, respectively. Lauren Musante handed out 24 assists while Julianna Cramer registered her second double-double of the weekend with 20 assists and 10 digs. Defensively, Tatum Ticknor collected a season-best 34 digs while Mariah Hesselgesser joined in on the block party with 6 blocks.
In a match that was back-and-forth, the first frame set the tone, featuring 13 ties and 10 lead changes. Neither side led by more than three in the set, and included two set-point opportunities for A-State. However, the Trojans were able to hold off the Red Wolves 30-28 in the opener to lead 1-0 in the match.
A-State managed to break open the second set midway through the stanza, leading 17-13 after a 5-0 run. The Red Wolves would keep Troy from any momentum, tying the match at 1-all with a 25-21 decision. A-State led midway through the third set as well, but Troy surged ahead down the stretch to win 25-21 and take a 2-1 lead in the contest.
The hard-nosed Red Wolves led from the start in the fourth set and continued to add to their block total, notching five in the frame. A-State closed on a 6-1 run to take a 25-18 decision in the set and force a match-deciding fifth set.
After Troy took an early 2-0 lead, the Scarlet and Black clawed back and took the lead for good with a pair of 4-0 runs, leading 9-4 and forcing a pair of Trojan timeouts. A-State continued to ride the wave of momentum, taking six of the final eight points in the match, fittingly ending things on a block by Davenport and Wilcox to take the match.
NEXT UP
A-State returns to the road for a three-match swing, first traveling to Little Rock to face the in-state rival Trojans on Tuesday, Oct. 5. First serve at the Jack Stephens Center is set for 6 p.m. and the action will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State University Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team
