SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A talented group of freshmen and newcomers set the tone for the Jacksonville University volleyball team in the first two matches of 2019. Though neither result went in the Dolphins (0-2) favor, Jacksonville showed an impressive spark Friday in a pair of 3-1 decisions to DePaul and Missouri State on day one of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational.
Adding to their decorated careers, seniors
Mallory Mattingly (22 kills, 13 digs, 6 aces) and
Natalie Wehner (29 digs) continued their leadership as mainstays on the court.
Hailing from Easley, S.C.,
Sydney Bolding had an impressive debut with 16 kills and 11 blocks, while Statesville, N.C. native
Madison Dagenhart combined for 49 assists and eight blocks on the day. Bolding was selected as the
Hodges Mazda Player of the Game.
vs. DePaul
Bolding (1 solo block, 5 block assists) and junior
Madison Rayam (5 block assists) – now fully healed from an injury that sidelined her during her freshman campaign – defended the net with a combined 11 blocks to set the tone in the season opener against DePaul.
Though the Dolphins trailed 25-15 after the first set, they quickly found their momentum in the second. After calling a timeout trailing by five, 18-13, Jacksonville went on a 5-0 run to rally within one point, 20-19. DePaul (1-0) won its first point out of its timeout, but its effort fell in vain as Jacksonville rolled on a 6-2 run to close out the set.
The Dolphins picked up where they left off with the first two points of the set, as Rayam had a hand in both – the first ending in a kill and the second on a block assist with Bolding. The teams traded points, but a decisive 5-0 run in the middle of the set allowed the Blue Devils to stay one step ahead en route to a 25-18 win.
Six lead changes highlighted the competitiveness of set four, though an identical 5-0 DePaul run proved to be the demise of the Dolphins as the set concluded, 25-20 in favor of the Blue Devils.
at Missouri State
Five different Dolphins tallied four or more kills – including an awakening from Bolding on the offensive side of the net in the second match of the day, as she posted 10 kills and five more block assists. Mattingly (1 solo block, 2 block assists) and freshman
Bailey Foy (3 block assists) tacked on three blocks each in the effort.
A tightly-contested opening set showed grit early as the Dolphins used a 4-0 run to gain an 11-6 lead and force the tournament hosts to call a timeout. A 5-1 rally brought Missouri State (1-0) within one, 14-13, and the Bears continued to chip away with four of the final five points to take the first set, 26-24.
Holding the lead for much of the second set, the Dolphins found themselves facing a 22-21 Missouri State lead late in the set. Following a timeout, the Dolphins stormed back with four of the final five points of the set – including a kill and service ace from Mattingly – to even the match up, 25-22.
The Bears returned fire with a 25-16 win – thanks in part to a 5-0 run followed by a late 6-1 surge – to go up two sets to one.
In search of forcing a fifth set, the momentum swung back in Jacksonville's favor as a 5-0 rally sandwiched a Bear timeout to give JU a 14-12 advantage. However, Missouri State forced an 11-2 run to seal the Dolphins' fate, 25-20.
Jacksonville seeks its first win of the season on Satuday, Aug. 31 as it takes on Southeast Missouri State at 11:30 a.m.
