Sept. 23, 2007

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Jacksonville used 13 aces to its advantage, as it handled the USC Upstate volleyball team, 3-0 (30-17, 30-19, 30-24) in Atlantic Sun Conference action on Saturday evening at the Hodge Center. Upstate falls to 4-9 overall and 0-2 in conference play and Jacksonville moves to 6-9 overall and 1-1 in the A-Sun.

Sophomore Katie Downey (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) led the Spartans with nine kills and 11 digs, just missing her second straight double-double. She added two blocks. Sophomore Jesicah Ambrisco (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina Catholic) posted eight kills and two blocks.

The Spartans had seven blocks in the game, with freshman Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)) and junior Angie Varnum (Salinas, Puerto Rico/New Mexico Military Institute) each contributed three assisted blocks.

After jumping out to a 6-3 lead in the first game, the Spartans fell victim to nine straight points from the serve of Michelle Walroth. Later in the game, Brittany Lehman also served for 10 straight points later in the game to lead Jacksonville to the 30-17 win. Junior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) kept the Spartans in the game, though, serving for eight points in the game.

Melissa Merchant helped lift the Dolphins to the win in the second game, posting six kills in as many attempts and adding four block assists in the 30-19 win.

Upstate kept the third game close, as an authoritative kill from Downey tied the match at 18, but a ball handling error led to two straight kills from Jacksonville's Kelsey Clark. The Dolphins finished the match on a 12-6 run.

Clark and Lehmen led the Dolphins with nine kills each. Both Hannah Munneke and Michelle Walroth added four aces and Walroth added a match-high 16 digs. Abby Gruenbacher led the Dolphins with five blocks.

Upstate will try to rebound on Tuesday, as it heads to the coast, playing The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. at 7:00 p.m.