Volleyball sweeps weekend away from home

Photo by Elizabeth Humphreys

Adam Cheek 
Staff Writer

Volleyball overcame two conference foes — the University of Dayton Flyers and the St. Louis University Billikens — on the road over the weekend and increased its Atlantic-10 winning streak to 20 straight matches. The Black and Gold (9-7, 4-0 Atlantic-10) shut out the Billikens 3-0 and topped Dayton 3-1, only giving up one set in the two conference games.

VCU will take on the Davidson College Wildcats in an away match on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. The Rams will then get a six-day break until they begin a two-game homestand against George Mason University and George Washington University the following weekend.

Dayton

The Rams improved to 9-7 with the victory over Dayton Sept. 30, sweeping the final three sets after the Flyers took the first. VCU snapped the Flyers’ streak of 34 consecutive home wins against league opponents, with junior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed tallying 13 kills, seven blocks and a service ace. Sneed hit .476 in the match.

Junior opposite Gina Tuzzolo and senior outside hitter Julia Adler contributed double-digit kills and at least three blocks each as the team’s offense hit .210 overall. Junior setters Dajah Ard and Tyler Sroufe combined for 40 assists. Sroufe also racked up 11 digs, as did freshman libero Alyna Draper.

The Rams out-blocked Dayton and served nine aces while Tuzzolo sent VCU on a 7-0 run in the third set, willing the Black and Gold to a win in that set. Tuzzolo also set the Rams up for the clinching victory in the fourth match, adding a kill and a block during a 4-0 run.

The win marked the Rams’ 20th straight victory against A-10 opponents.

 

St. Louis

Friday’s match against St. Louis resulted in a shutout in favor of the Rams. Junior outside hitter Vicky Giommarini hit .227 and tallied eight kills, eight digs and four aces.

Five Black and Gold roster members — including Sneed, Adler, Giommarini, Tuzzolo and sophomore outside hitter Paula Neciporuka — recorded at least five kills. Tuzzolo knocked down four kills and swatted two blocks to go along with three aces.

Sneed entered Friday night ranked seventh in the country in blocks per set, adding six blocks and five kills. Neciporuka hit .333 and tallied seven kills.

VCU outhit the Billikens .263 to .121, with the Rams airing out 11 aces.

 

             


 

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