Oct. 21, 2009 (EMPORIA, KAN.) – Freshman Megan Sharpe hit a blistering .517 on 17 kills, and the 19th-ranked Truman volleyball team held No. 7 Emporia State to just .122 hitting as a team in a key 3-1 (-17, 26-24, 21-25, -23) road win on Wednesday night.
The Bulldogs (19-8, 7-4 MIAA) picked up a critical conference and regional win by knocking off the Hornets (22-3, 9-2 MIAA) in four sets in front of 1,042 fans at White Auditorium. ESU entered the match ranked third in the region, while Truman was ranked sixth.
Truman jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the match by holding Emporia to a negative hitting percentage in the first set. The Bulldogs put down just nine kills as a team in the opening frame but forced ten Hornet hitting errors to take a 25-17 decision.
The Hornets looked poised to even the match when the home squad took a 21-17 lead in the second set, forcing a Truman timeout. However, the Bulldogs took the next five points to pull ahead by one, before the teams traded points to 24-24. Freshman Heather Hargadine and junior Allison Barker posted back-to-back kills though to send the Bulldogs to the intermission with a 2-0 lead in the match.
After falling behind 7-6 to start the third set, the Bulldogs rattled off a 6-1 run to take a 12-8 lead and force an Emporia timeout. But the Hornets pieced together a run of their own, regaining the lead at 14-13 and never surrendering it on the way to a 25-21 win.
The fourth and final set went back-and-forth, with neither team leading by more than three at any point, all the way to 19-19. The Bulldogs took three of the next four points to lead 22-20, and though ESU pulled to within one three times, Truman never allowed the host Hornets to tie the match before winning the final set 25-23.
After being out-blocked by ESU 13-5 in the first meeting on Sept. 16, the Bulldogs were out-done by just one (13-12) this time around, including securing the match with two blocks for the squad’s final two points of the night.
Sharpe’s 17 kills were a match-high, while Barker was the only other Bulldog in double-figures with 14. Sharpe added seven solo blocks to total 20.5 points on the evening with Barker tacking on 16 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.
In all, five Bulldogs recorded double-figure digs to help Truman out-dig ESU by nine, led by junior Casey Bruno’s 23. Both of Truman’s setters – junior Ashley Petak (26 assists, 14 digs) and senior Krysta Tholen (20 assists, 14 digs) – notched double-doubles, while Hargadine logged ten digs of her own to go with six kills.
Senior Lauren Graybeal had nine kills and six block assists for 12 points, while freshman Emily Briseno hit .263 with six kills, three service aces and five block assists to also reach double-digit points with 11.5.
Truman attacked at a .202 clip on the night and hit a high of .255 in the fourth set.
The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend, returning home to face No. 9 Washburn on Friday night at 7 pm before battling Fort Hays State on Saturday night at 6 pm.