George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Rhode Island
Volleyball Edged by Rhode Island, 3-2
10/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 26, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC -- The George Washington volleyball team attempted yet another come-from-behind rally Sunday but fell short in a 3-2 loss to visiting Rhode Island. URI defeated GW by the scores, 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-10, in a two-hour, eight-minute battle. The loss snapped GW's six-match winning streak, it's longest in two years. GW rallied from a two-sets-to-none deficit to defeat Fordham Friday and has pulled off the feat twice before that.
After droppoing the first set, 25-20, to the Rams GW roared back to take set two, 25-21. The Rams won the third set by the same score. The fourth set was a see-saw battle with GW breaking a 17-17 tie after a pair of URI attack errors. The Colonials ended the set on a pair of kills by Leah Hill, 25-20, to set the stage for the decisive fifth set.
GW took the early advantage in the fifth set at 9-6 on another kill from Hill that prompted URI to use a timeout. The Rams then rallied beginning with a kill by Chinny Okpara and Lindsay Lytle, an ace from Okpara and an attack error by Hill to take an 11-9 lead. After a GW timeout, Caitlyn Welsh slammed a kill followed by another kill from Lytle for a 13-9 lead. Another kill from Hill followed a GW attack error before URI's Lauren McIntosh put away the set, and match, with a kill.
Hill led the Colonials in scoring with 15.5 points on a team-high 13 kills but hit just .078 with nine attack errors in 51 swings. Senior Liz Moult added 12.5 points on 11 kills with three block assists. Sophomore Katie Zulandt and junior Abby Syverson were the most efficient Colonials hitting .462 and .316, respectively. For the second straight match, the Colonials were without the services of freshman hitter MacKenzie Knox who was sidelined with a possible stress fracture.
For the match, Rhode Island out-hit GW, .198 (69-33-182) to .150 (50-24-173) but the Colonials' defense amassed 15.5 blocks compared to 10 for the Rams.
URI (11-11, 3-5 A-10) used a balanced attack with four Rams getting double-figure kills led by Welsh's 16 to go with 21 digs. Her Ram teammates Kayla Newberg and McIntosh recorded 11 kills each and McIntosh assisted on seven blocks.
The last time GW won six straight matches was the beginning of the 2006 season when it began the year with six straight victories.
GW (12-9, 5-4 A-10) next plays at Howard (12-15) in a non-conference match on Tuesday at HU's Burr Gym beginning at 7:00 p.m.
