|
 FLORENCE
– After battling back from an 0-2 deficit, the University of North
Alabama volleyball team came up on the short end of an 18-16
decision against Northern Kentucky in the fifth game to open the
2007 season with a 1-1 record at the UNA Classic. The Lions knocked
off Tusculum 3-0 earlier in the day at Flowers Hall and will play
twice on Saturday.
Things look
grim for the Lions early against the Norse. UNA hit just .102 in the
first two games, falling 24-30 and 22-30. In the next three games,
senior Danielle Palasak got hot. The outside hitter from Garden
City, Mich., had 16 of her match-high 22 kills in the final three
contests. UNA won games two and three 30-27 and 30-22 before
dropping the final contest by two points.
After the
dominating performances in games three and four, the Lions jumped
out to a 5-0 lead in the fifth game. After a Norse rally, UNA was
still able to get to match point twice before NKU closed the game by
scoring four of the last five points.
Kristina
Eisenmenger led NKU with 13 kills, while two UNA players joined
Palasak with double-digits kills. Whitney Sanders had 18 kills while
Kelly Pratt added 11.
Defensively,
Jessica Hansen led all players with 22 digs for the match. Palasak
added 10 to compete a double-double performance, while Alison Jacobs
turned in 53 assists.
Against the
Pioneers, Palasak and Beyaca Martin recorded 10 kills each during
the 30-19, 30-20, 32-30 victory. Jacobs paced the offensive attack
with 31 assists.
The Lions got a
big lift from the service line, picking up 18 aces in the match.
Hansen served
up eight aces to lead the team and was also one of eight UNA players
to get eight digs in the three games. Palasak also got eight digs,
while Kelly Pratt had a well-rounded match with nine kills, five
assists and eight digs.
Defensively,
UNA held Tusculum to a .192 hitting percentage, including a .125
showing in the opening game. As a team, the Lions hit .265 for the
match.
Match Statistics - Match 1 - Tusculum
Match Statistics - Match 2 - Northern Kentucky |
