Game 1
TALLAHASSEE, FL --The Jacksonville Volleyball team got the job done in three sets (25-17, 25-12, 25-10) to defeat New Orleans on Friday.
Breanna McDonough finished with eight kills on the day to lead the Dolphin's offense while finishing with a hitting percentage of .462. Ana Tobar played well defensively, leading the team with 15 digs.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Dolphins used four aces in the starting set to give JU a 1-0 advantage. After a back-and-forth start. the 'Phins took control of the opening set at 4-3 and held the lead the rest of the way to win 25-17. Jacksonville opened up its biggest lead, eight points, to close out the set.
SET 2 | Jacksonville carried the momentum from a set-one win by securing a 25-12 victory in set number two. The Dolphins grabbed control of the set lead early on at 3-2 and held the lead the rest of the way. Jacksonville led by as many as 14 points at 23-9 before finishing off the set. The Jacksonville offense also got a boost from six aces in the set.
SET 3 | JU earned their first sweep of the season, as the Dolphins finished off the match with a victory in set number three. After a competitive start to the set. the Dolphins took the lead 4-3 and held the lead the rest of the way to win 25-10. Jacksonville ended on a strong note, opening up its biggest lead of the match, 15 points, to close out the set. Four more aces helped the Dolphins secure the non-conference win.
Game Notes
- Ana Tobar had a match-high three aces in the win.
-Jacksonville served up six aces on the way to a second-set victory.
-Breanna McDonough had a match-high eight kills for Jacksonville.
-Jacksonville got a match-high 15 digs from Ana Tobar.
-Jacksonville attackers were helped by a match-high 24 assists from Emily Hodsdon.
Roth's Roundup
The team tallied 14 aces, with six coming in the second set alone. How important was the serving game to tonight's victory, and was this something you emphasized in practice?
Coach Roth: "Serving and putting pressure on the opponents passers is something we worked on all week. It helped us tremendously and allowed us to find our rhythm in transition."
This was the team's first sweep of the season. How important was it to close out in three sets, and how do you think that reflects the team's growth?
Coach Roth: "After last weekend, we talked a lot about sprinting through the finish and not letting up at the end of sets. I was glad to see we took that to heart and shows a lot of growth."
Game 2
TALLAHASSEE, FL --The Jacksonville Volleyball team totaled 54 kills on the way to a three-set sweep (25-15, 31-29, 25-17) over the Southern Lady Jaguars on Friday evening.
The Dolphins offense was paced by Breanna McDonough, who finished with 16 kills while accumulating a hitting percentage of .414, and by Cami Kelsay, who had 10. got 14 digs from Ana Tobar to lead them defensively.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Dolphins grabbed the first set 25-15 thanks to a strong showing on the attack. Jacksonville registered a .520 attack percentage with 16 kills in the set victory. The Dolphins ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the set. Jacksonville also supplemented their offense with three aces in the opening set.
SET 2 | After their win in the first set, Jacksonville put themselves on the cusp of a sweep with a 31-29 victory in set number two. Jacksonville registered a .417 attack percentage with 25 kills in the set win. After the lead changed hands nine times, the Dolphins took control for good at 30-29 and rode that advantage to victory.
SET 3 | Jacksonville closed the match in a 3-0 sweep after grabbing the third set. The Dolphins took control of the set early when the score was 2-1 and never looked back to win 25-17. Jacksonville led by nine points at 19-10 before finishing off the set.
Game Notes
- Ana Tobar had a match-high three aces in the win.
- Jacksonville put together a strong attacking performance, notching 54 kills in the match.
- Breanna McDonough had a match-high 16 kills for Jacksonville.
- Jacksonville got a match-high 14 digs from Ana Tobar.
- Jacksonville attackers were helped by a match-high 43 assists from Emily Hodsdon.
Roth's Roundup
Who were some key players who really stepped up today, and what impressed you about their performances?
Coach Roth: Bre McDonough was a key offensive spark for us today with 16 kills and a hitting percentage of .414%. Also both Madison Clark and Alija Heins were impact players out of the middle, each adding kills and blocks in key moments.
What are some key takeaways from today's wins as you focus on as you prepare for the next match against FAMU?
Coach Roth: Today was pivotal for our growth and we saw some major improvements that we can expand on. We talk about getting 1% better every day and I can say that today we got better!
Up Next
Jacksonville finishes off the FAMU Tournament facing off with the host Rattlers tomorrow at 2:00 PM.
