MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (9/6/24) – Kaitlin Whitlock recorded a match-high 17 kills with 12 digs, but the Arkansas State volleyball team could not overcome Lehigh's 16 blocks in a 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 20-25, 23-25) loss to the Mountain Hawks Friday at the Blue Raider Bash inside Alumni Memorial Gym.
A-State (3-1) hit just .086 in the match, while knocking down 10 blocks and holding Lehigh (4-1) to a .185 clip – its third match holding foes below .200.
Whitlock's double-double performance was her first of the year and 15th of her career. Devyn Lewis added nine kills and three blocks, while Daedrianna Cail had six blocks. Sarah Martinez led all players with 22 digs, her second consecutive match with 20-plus digs.
Madison McCartney tallied 10 blocks for Lehigh, with Alysia Fingall adding nine with 12 kills.
The slugfest began with the opening set, as both teams hit sub-.100. The frame featured nine ties and five lead changes, with A-State leading 16-12 midway through the stanza after a block by Lewis. Lehigh battled back to take a 20-18 lead, and then led 23-21 before back-to-back points by the Red Wolves tied it at 23-all. After a timeout, the Mountain Hawks took the first set, 25-23.
A-State leveled the match at a set apiece by taking the second set, 25-21. Whitlock put the Scarlet and Black up 19-17 with her eighth kill, forcing a timeout and giving her team a lead that would not be surmounted. A block by Cail and Lewis forced set point, and the set would be clinched two points later on a Lehigh service error.
A pair of Mia Maloney aces helped the Red Wolves get out to a 4-1 lead to start the third set, but once again the lead see-sawed until Lehigh led 19-12 on a block by Fingall and Emily Stewart. A-State cut the deficit down to two on a block by Haley Glunz and Grace Wiley, but could not complete the comeback to go down 2-1 in the match.
A-State once again took an early lead in the fourth set, leading 10-7 on a Wiley kill, and later winning the race to 20 points on a Whitlock kill. The Mountain Hawks opted for a timeout after a Cail and Addison Collum teamed up for a block to make it 22-19, and then went on to take six of the final seven points to clinch the match.
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves look to bounce back Saturday morning with their second of three matches on the weekend, facing Austin Peay. First serve is set for 11 a.m. and the match will be shown on ESPN Plus.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State Red Wolves Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.
