Lehigh University
LaSalle
Lehigh shuts out La Salle for second-straight win
10/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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Mo McReynolds led the Mountain Hawks in both kills (11) and hitting percentage (.450), while also mixing in a team-high five service aces. The junior co-captain helped lead the Mountain Hawks to their eighth win of the season, the most since 2003.
“She was just so effective in so many different categories,” head coach Jenny Maurer said. “She had a tremendous service match and she just had a very complete match overall.”
Jessica Kudirka led the Brown and White with 18 assists on the match, while Chelsea Sheridan’s team-high six blocks helped lead the way.
Lehigh jumped out to an early lead off a 25-22 opening-set victory. The Mountain Hawks came out firing with 15 kills in the set, using their aggressive attack to seize the momentum from the beginning.
The Mountain Hawks exerted their dominance in the second set, hitting .440 from the floor with 13 kills and just one error in the frame. Lehigh’s efficiency led to a convincing 25-15 set win, helping the team take control of the match.
“There were stretches where we played very clean and very aggressive,” Maurer said. “Our goal is maintaining that consistency throughout. I really liked the fact that we were able to finish in three sets tonight.”
The Explorers battled back in the third set, taking an 18-12 lead late in the frame. Kudirka began a service run with the Mountain Hawks trailing 18-13 by driving home an ace. Before Kudirka was finished, the Mountain Hawks had reclaimed the lead at 19-18. While the two teams would trade points back and forth, Lehigh would not trail for the rest of the match, en route to a 25-22 final-set win.
“A lot of players stepped up,” Maurer said. “Jess with her serving, Maxie (McCoy) with her energy. We could have let that third set slip away, but our confidence was just too high.”
The Mountain Hawks return to action on Friday, when they host the Colgate Raiders in a pivotal Patriot League match. Colgate and Lehigh sit tied for the fourth and final Patriot League tournament spot, and the match will be essential for both teams’ postseason aspiration. Live video coverage of the match can be seen at 7 p.m. on Lehighsports.com with Robbie Aaron providing the commentary.
