Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks soar past Blackbirds
11/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh battled hard for its 19th win of the season Wednesday as the squad upended a spry Long Island squad 3-2. Lehigh improved its season record to 19-12, while Long Island fell to 18-15. The Mountain Hawks picked up wins in games one and three, however, the Blackbirds rebounded to win games two and four. With the match on the line and a shot at a 20-win season Lehigh stormed out to an early lead in game five, eventually winning 15-9.
Rochelle Healea and Jeannette Singleton led Lehigh with 18 kills each, while Healea also posted a match high 25 digs. Morgan Volkart tallied 14 kills and six total blocks. Sophomore setter Lisa Furusawa toppled the 1,000 assist mark with 55 assists and also led Lehigh with three service aces. Singleton and Furusawa notched 17 digs each, while libero Jill Kober managed 12.
For Long Island, a trio of Blackbirds soared Wednesday evening. Cristina Pintilie posted a match high 30 kills. Pintilie also managed 23 digs, four service aces, and four blocks. April Danzy reached 29 kills, four service aces, 13 digs, and two blocks, while sophomore Ivana Vasiljevic tallied a triple-double. Vasiljevic posted 13 kills, 54 assists, and 20 digs en route to the loss.
"It’s good to get back on the winning track," said head coach Patrick Nicholas. "We are trying to be more aware of playing with enthusiasm but we are still taking mental breaks in our team offense and team defense. Jeannette (Singleton) was really bringing it tonight. Morgan (Volkart) showed why she is one of the top rookies in the league with her performance tonight. Friday will be our last regular season match and we have to win to earn the second seed in the league. We control our own destiny."
Lehigh returns to action Friday evening in the final match at the original Grace Hall. The Mountain Hawks will face rival Lafayette in a 7:00 p.m. start. The match can be heard live on the Lehigh website at www.lehigh.edu.
Top Performers
Player/School | Kills | Digs | Assists | Blocks: | ||||||
Cristina Pintilie, LIU | 30 | 23 | 3 | 3/1/4 | ||||||
April Danzy, LIU | 29 | 13 | 1 | 1/1/2 | ||||||
Rochelle Healea, LU | 18 | 25 | 0 | 0/1/1 | ||||||
Jeannette Singleton, LU | 18 | 17 | 1 | 0/2/2 | ||||||
Morgan Volkart, LU | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1/5/6 | ||||||
Ivana Vasiljevic, LIU | 13 | 20 | 54 | 0/0/0 | ||||||
Game Scores | ||||||||||
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Team Records | ||||
Long Island | 22 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 9 | 18-15 | ||||
Lehigh | 30 | 26 | 30 | 23 | 15 | 19-12 | ||||
For more information, contact Mike Garland, Lehigh Sports Media Relations.
Posted November 13, 2002.
