George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Charlotte
Volleyball Falls to Charlotte, 3-1
10/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 17, 2009
CHARLOTTE, NC -- The GW volleyball team committed costly attack errors at match point in three of four sets to drop a close A-10 Conference match, 3-1, to Charlotte Saturday afternoon at Halton Arena. The 49ers defeated the Colonials 26-24, 20-25, 27-25, 25-23.
GW senior Abby Syverson led three Colonials in double-figure kills with a team-high 15 and assisted on six blocks. Freshman Lauren Whyte added 13 kills and 10 digs while senior Katie Butz contributed 12 kills. Sophomore setter Alyssa Valentine had a solid all-around match assisting on 38 of GW's 50 kills and adding 13 digs and seven blocks.
Charlotte combined for 53 kills, just three better than GW's 50 kills, but the difference in the match was the 49ers' ability to dig GW's attacks. Charlotte combined for 71 digs, led by Kaitlin Knight's 23 digs. GW recorded 59 digs, led by Candace Silva-Martin's 14. Both teams blocked well with GW recording 12.5 to Charlotte's 11.5 total blocks.
Charlotte (14-8, 5-2 A-10) was led by Kathleen Hicks' 12 kills with 11 digs while Kara Raker hit .333 with 11 kills.
The entire match was close with 16 lead changes and 34 ties, 15 ties in the fourth set alone. The first set appeared to be going GW's way after the Colonials took an 18-12 lead on a kill by Whyte but the 49ers rallied to tie the set at 20-20 after three consecutive errors by GW. The teams traded points and were tied again at 24-24 on a kill from Butz before Charlotte's Hicks slammed a kill and GW followed with an attack error to drop the set, 26-24.
After the second set was tied at 2-2, GW took the lead on a Syverson kill and never trailed again en route to the 25-20 triumph. Set three was closely contested all the way to a 25-25 tie before a kill from the 49ers' Raker and a GW attack error gave the set to Charlotte, 27-25.
Neither team led by more than three points during the fourth set which was knotted at 23-23 on a GW attack error. Hicks came through with a kill to give Charlotte match point at 24-23 before another set-ending attack error by GW ended the match, 25-23.
The Colonials and 49ers will meet again Nov. 8 at GW's Charles E. Smith Center in the regular-season finale. Both teams are battling for one of six spots in the A-10 Volleyball Championship, hosted by Dayton.
GW (16-7, 4-3 A-10) returns to Smith Center Tuesday to host a non-conference match against Howard at 7 p.m.
