WEST CHESTER, Pa. – After defeating Goldey-Beacom 3-0 to start the afternoon, the West Chester University volleyball team wrapped up day one of Ram Fest 2018 by defeating Franklin Pierce 3-1 (25-13, 25-13, 17-25, 25-9) inside the Hollinger Field House on Friday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Golden Rams started set one up 5-1, but Franklin Pierce punched back with a 5-1 run of its own to knot the opening frame at 6-6. Sparked by four kills from Rachel Robb (BLACKWOOD, N.J./PAUL VI), West Chester was able to score six of the next seven points in the frame to go up 12-7 midway through the set. Up 18-13, the Golden Rams shut the door on the Ravens by scoring the next seven points in a row to take the opening set 25-13 to start the match.
- Set two proved close early on, with both teams battling to four ties in the early going. With the score tied at 7-7, the home team took control with a 7-0 spurt to go up 14-7. The Golden Rams then notched seven-unanswered points – three coming from kills by Julia Vreeswyk (YARDLEY, PA/PENNSBURY) – to put an insurmountable cushion between themselves and the Ravens en route to the 25-13 victory.
- West Chester was its own worst enemy in the third frame, as the Golden Rams committed 11 errors against 11 kills for a .000 hitting percentage. WCU dropped the third stanza to Franklin Pierce 25-17 to mark the first time this season that West Chester has surrendered a set to an opponent.
- Fueled by its first lost set of the season, the Golden Rams pummeled the Ravens with 16 kills while committing just one error (.652) to handily take the final frame 25-9. FPU's nine total points in the third set marked the fewest by a West Chester opponent this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Four Golden Rams finished the match with double-digit kills, as Vreeswyk (11),Allie Duffy (CARLISLE, PA./CARLISLE) (11), Abbie Dischert (WILMINGTON, DE./CONCORD) (10) and Robb (10) each eclipsed the 10-kill plateau against the Ravens.
- Jillian Grammer (CENTER VALLEY, PA./SOUTHERN LEHIGH) logged her first double-double of the season with 42 assists and 13 digs, while Nicki Yates (COOPERSBURG, PA./SOUTHERN LEHIGH) tied a season high with 20 digs in the win.
- Grace Whitney (GLENSIDE, PA /ABINGTON) notched four blocks against the Ravens to give the freshman a total of 10 swats on Friday.
- West Chester held Franklin Pierce to a .000 overall hitting percentage on the night.
UP NEXT
- The Golden Rams close out play at Ram Fest tomorrow, September 1, with matches against Salem (10:00 a.m.) and Fairmont State (2:00 p.m.)
