B-CU LadyCats Swat the Hornets with Strong Net Presence - Bethune-Cookman Official Athletic Site

ASU didn't have an answer for B-CU's outside hitters or blockers putting the ball right back

Sept. 8, 2010

Box Score | Cat Chronicles: Coaches,Teammates Dig Jimenez' Defense

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The LadyCats remained undefeated at home, Wednesday night, as they topped the Lady Hornets of Alabama State in three sets. ASU was unable to keep up with the quick attack of the LadyCats' high-speed attacks at the net, as B-CU played well in system for the win. B-CU won is sets of 25-17, 25-18, 25-22.

"Definitely happy with how we started out," said Head Coach Vanessa Cogswell. "We really drove it to our players about starting out strong. We let it get away from us in the third set, but the start is what we wanted to accomplish."

Though the Lady Hornets kept it tight early in the first set, making a big rally to come back and knot it up at 10-all, the LadyCats changed gears and finished off the first, outgunning ASU 15-7 to grab the 25-17 win to open the match.

B-CU carried over that momentum to the second, gaining an early lead and maintaining safe distance throughout the entire set. However, likely to the dismay of Coach Cogswell, they allowed ASU to creep back into the match when a win seemed imminent. After completing an 11-4 run at the hands of strong serving by Shanicka Reddick and Jennifer Jimenez, B-CU found themselves up 22-11. The teams traded scores, but as the scoreboard struck 24, the LadyCats hit a rough patch, filled with unforced errors, allowing a rally. Four consecutive attack errors allowed ASU to move in closer, but not far enough, as Sydney Smith put in the final point with a solid kill to end the second set, 25-18.

In the third, ASU showed that they were not prepared to lie down, as they countered every B-CU lead with a rally to claw back within reach. After breaking out a tight game at 19, B-CU play solid, fundamental volleyball to finish out the set, wrapping up with a hard kill over the middle by Linda Nwabuko to signal that this one was over, with a 25-22 win in the set, and a 3-0 victory in the match.

Krysta Gardner made a solid showing at the outside hitter spot, taking several hard attacks to the bank for 15 kills (.281 Hit %) to lead the team. Choosing her shots carefully in the middle, Kaiyana Johnson came up with 10 kills on a .615 hitting percentage. Janeen Davis tied with Johnson, racking up 10 of her own from the hitter spot, while also co-leading defensively with 8 digs. Jennifer Jimenez shared the lead spot for digs, while Gardner also came up with six of her own. Setting up the attack, Alexis Bliese set a new career high, tallying 39 assists on the night to help the team hit .255 cumulatively.

"Coaches like to see other players step up when a player with experience isn't in the lineup," said Cogswell, praising her players role-shifts in the absence of junior hitter Jessica Wilson. "I'm also pleased that it hasn't been one player, but many players contributing."

The LadyCats (2-8) have played extremely well at Moore Gymnasium, but undergo one more weekend of working to make it click on the road, at neutral sites. They head to Coral Gables, Fla. this weekend for the final road tournament of 2010, the Miami Hurricane Invitational. The LadyCats will face FIU on Friday, then Miami and San Francisco on Saturday. Stay tuned to www.B-CUathletics.com for complete coverage of their results.

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