Fighting Saints turn the tides on Pride to take match 3-1
DUBUQUE, Iowa - In a quick return to non-conference action for one match, the Clarke University women's volleyball team was unable to return to the win column in a 3-1 loss to University of St. Francis on Tuesday night in the Kehl Center.
Winning the first set for the second-straight match, the Pride looked to take full control of the match up 24-23 for set point in the second, USF would take four of the next five point to come from behind and even the match at 1-1 then take full control themselves to take sets three and four by matching 25-12 final scores.
Outhitting or matching the Fighting Saints in the first two sets in both kills (13-13 and 15-12) and hitting percentage (.184-.154 and .167-.114), Clarke would struggle offensively in the final two sets combining for just 16 kills to finish with one more attacking error, 17, than kill in the third and fourth combined.
CU would produce the top two kill totals from individuals as Maya Watters led all playres with 17 kills but also had eight errors on 42 swings for a .214 hitting percentage while Rachel Haubert finished with her seventh double-double of the season with 14 kills and 16 digs while leading the Pride with a .294 hitting percentage.
Haubert had one of her best all-around matches of the season, tying her four-set season-high of 14 kills while adding a season-high four block assists to finish at 17 points with the 16 digs pushing her to a new career-high for digs in a season at 218 after setting a new career-high for kills in a season in her last match, nearing the 200-kill mark for the first time in her four years at CU.
Clarke's back row was active to finish with 71 digs compared to 67 for USF, as senior libero Rylie Bohanan led the match with 21 digs as Kortney Harms added 12 digs to get to a double-double herself with 16 assists as well with Mia Jaeger (7), Watters (5), and Ariana Rodriguez (4) all chipping in on the defensive end at different times during the match.
Where Clarke struggled to find depth in their attack, St. Francis had a balanced effort on the front row with five players at seven or more kills in the match led by Riley Hungate's 11 kills while Taylor Connolly joined her in double figures with 10 then Desiree Anderson and Sophie Knazur each had eight and Sarah Schmidt added seven kills.
This match starts a stretch of nine of 10 matches on their home court with their first home weekend in Heart Conference play starting on Friday when they host Central Methodist University on Oct. 11 with a 6:00 p.m. CT scheduled first serve.