Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Canisius volleyball team won both of its matches in the consolation bracket at the 2014 MAAC Championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Friday. Canisius defeated Saint Peter's in four sets (24-26, 25-20, 25-20, 25-20) and then defeated Rider University in four sets.
Canisius advanced to the fifth-place match on Satuday against rival Niagara University. Match time for the Griffs' final match of the 2014 season is set for 11 a.m. The Purple Eagles won both matches between the teams this season.
“We had two great team wins today, especially defeating Rider for the first time this season when we really struggled with them during the regular season,” Canisius coach Cathy Hummel said. “We showed a lot of heart to get those two wins, and I'm proud of what they showed today.”
Canisius 3, Rider 1
The teams played a tight first set that featured 13 ties and 11 lead changes as neither team led by more than three points. Canisius (11-20) took a 17-14 lead before Rider used a 6-1 run to take a 20-18 lead. The Griffs battled back with four straight points, capped by a kill from junior Rachel Kline and sophomore Jacklyn Malusa, to go up 22-20. The Broncs used a four-point run of their own to go up 24-22. Canisius against answered with a four-point run, fending off two set points in the process en route to winning the opening set.
Rider (17-17) won the final three points to take the second set and even the match at one set apiece. Canisius played one of its best sets of the 2014 season in the third set, posting 15 kills and zero attack errors to hit .556. Kline had seven kills on nine swings while sophomore Katlyn Tyler had five kills on eight attempts. Holding a 16-15 lead, Canisius closed the set on a 9-1 run to go up 2-1 in the match.
Rider took a quick 4-1 lead in the fourth set and maintained the lead until late in the set, which the Griffs closed with a flourish. Rider led 19-16 before Canisius won nine of the last 10 points to close out the match. Junior Lauren Siebert had three kills during the run, which was capped by a kill from Malusa.
Kline posted a career-high 19 kills in the match while Tyler recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 15 kills and 15 digs. Streicher had 43 assists, and Siebert posted 12 kills and a .409 attack percentage.
Canisius 3, Saint Peter's 1
Saint Peter's (6-23) won the final seven points of the first set, fending off five set points, to steal the first set. Canisius built a 22-12 lead before Saint Peter's tried to make a late run, but the Griffs' lead was big enough to hold off the Peacocks.
The Griffs closed out the third set with kills from Siebert and Kline along with a block from the duo to go up 2-1 in the match. A five-point run in the fourth set broke a tie score and put Canisius up 20-15. The Peacocks cut the deficit to 21-19, but the Griffs scored four of the final five points to wrap up the win
Kline had her 14th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 16 digs. Malusa added eight kills and five blocks while hitting .412. Streicher also had a double-double (her 12th of the season) with 39 assists and 11 digs. Senior Emily Litwin added 28 digs.
Notes: The 16 digs for Kline against Saint Peter's gives the junior 11 matches with 15 or more digs this season, the most by a Canisius outside hitter in the last 12 years… Malusa has 15 blocks in 15 sets in the tournament while hitting .343… Litwin was 41-for-42 on service receptions against Rider… Streicher had 40-plus assists for the ninth time this season.
