WOOSTER, Ohio – The Capital University volleyball team took to the court again on Wednesday night, this time facing off with the Fighting Scots of the College of Wooster. This would be the first non-tournament game of the season for Cap as the Purple and White traveled northwest to Wooster. It was quite the night for the Comets as solid overall play led to victory in four sets, 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22).
The triumph made two for new head coach
Rosanna Sguerra as she continues to move the team in a positive direction for the future. The Comets now sit at 2-3 for the fresh campaign.
This will not be the last time that the Comets face the Scots this year as the two schools are set to face off again in ten days. Capital will return to Wooster for the Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic on September 16 and 17 with the second match against the Scots set for 2:30 PM on the second day.
FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
The Comets came out with one of their most successful matches of the young season in terms of overall performance. Cap took the 1-0 lead with a 25-20 win in the first set but was met with a strong resistance in the second as Wooster played the reverse card and also won by a score of 25-20, knotting the match 1-1. However, the young Comets did not panic, but remained calm and made a statement in the third set, roaring out to an early lead and ultimately defeating their opponents by seven points, 25-18. In the final showdown, the Purple and White were also met with some pushback as Wooster wound up coming back from a sizable deficit to tie the game at 21 and even take the lead on the next point. Once again, the Comets stayed calm and rallied to take the set 25-22 and, more importantly, the match 3-1.
Capital outplayed the Scots in all offensive categories, outscoring them 69-54 in overall points, 48-45 in kills, 12-6 in aces, and 45-43 in assists. When it came to defense, the Comets shut down Wooster with nine blocks as compared to three. The only statistical category that was not led by the Purple and White was digs where Wooster totaled 82 compared to Capital's 64. However, that also indicates that the Comets were on the attack for the majority of the night, forcing the Scots to make a number of defensive plays.
As stated before, Capital was on the attack for much of the match, led in no small part by
Alissa Holler,
Larissa Smith, and
Simone Daniel. The trio totaled 34 kills for the Comets. Holler turned in 11, Smith had 17, and Daniel had 10. No small feat was Smith's incredible attack percentage of .524 as she converted 11 of her 21 attempts. Both Smith and Daniel recorded new career highs.
In terms of team play, two members of the Purple and White stood out, accounting for all but 6 of Capital's 45 assists.
Jordyn Hoffman recorded 21 helping-hands in the contest. Added to
Reagan Willoughby's 18, it was a good night for the Comet setters.
Lindsay Rich led the way from behind the serving line with three aces. Smith and Willoughby each got two apiece.
Abby Brunner once again made an impact as the leading digger. She had 16 on the night and was joined by
Paree Furness (10) and Rich (7).
The wall up front was led by
Caleigh Hamby with five blocks. She was assisted by Smith with four and Rich with three.
OPPOSITION LEADERS
Kills - Hailey Nash (18)
Aces - Caroline Dillard (3)
Blocks - Tamara Turner (2), Troy Johnson (2)
Assists - Tyara Thompson (35)
Digs - Sydney Fitzcharles (23)
UP NEXT
The Comets will be at home for the first time this season on Friday, September 9, hosting the Pam Briggs Classic. Capital will first hit the court at 4:00 PM to take on Hanover College, and again at 6:00 PM for a matchup with Defiance College.
