Volleyball Recap
By: Connor Brown FM88 Sports
Huntington, W.Va (WMUL-FM). – Marshall volleyball opened Sun Belt Conference play Thursday night inside the Cam Henderson Center looking to carry over the momentum it built to close non-conference play.
For the first two sets, Georgia State never let the Thundering Herd find it.
The Panthers controlled the match early and never trailed through the opening two sets. Georgia State took the first set 25-18 before following with a 25-19 victory in the second to put Marshall on the brink of defeat.
“The first two sets, it felt like Georgia State had full momentum,” Marshall head coach Heather Stout said. “They were serving really aggressive; they were attacking really aggressive.”
Marshall entered the third set searching for its first lead of the night. The Herd finally found it. With the contest tied at four, middle blocker Marae Reilly blocked Georgia State’s Mina Olgar to put Marshall ahead 5-4, marking Marshall’s first lead of the evening. That first lead helped change the direction of the night.
Marshall began finding more success at the net and created its separation as the third set continued. The Herd turned its first lead into its first set victory of the contest, taking the third 25-19 and slicing the Panthers’ advantage to 2-1.
Instead of allowing Georgia State to regain its control, Marshall kept grinding in the fourth set.
Marshall grabbed the first two points off a block from Beatrice Ciccarelli and a thunderous kill by Carys Kerr and eventually created itself a six-point advantage at 22-16 following a Reilly kill. The Panthers attempted to work its way out of the hole it dug itself into during the set, but Marshall held off the Panthers and took set number 4 with a score of 25-21.
After playing the entire opening two sets without a lead or a set win, Marshall had forced a fifth and final set.
Neither team created much separation in the deciding fifth set.
Marshall and Georgia State traded points for the entire set, and deep into the fifth before the Panthers moved ahead 14-13, giving the Panthers match point and leaving Marshall one point away from a Sun Belt Conference opening loss.
The Herd would answer with three straight points.
Carys Kerr and Beatrice Ciccarelli, the brick walls at the net combined to block Georgia State’s Julie Arias and notch the match up at 14 apiece. Kahea Carvalho then found Kerr for a kill that propelled Marshall ahead 15-14.
The Panthers and head coach Jorge Martinez used a timeout with the match hanging in the balance.
Marshall went right back to the exact same connection on the next and final point.
The dynamic duo of Carvalho and Kerr would meet again as Carvalho set Kerr, and Kerr delivered the dagger to close the fifth set 16-14 and complete the Herd’s comeback from two sets down.
“Definitely feeling blessed,” Kerr said. “I think it’s really awesome to get the opportunity to get to come in. Like she said, she always talks about strength in numbers, and honestly, it could have been anyone’s night.”
Marshall defeated Georgia State 3-2 (18-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-21, 16-14) to open Sun Belt play with a statement win.
Maddie Smith led Marshall offensively with 15 kills while also recording 12 digs, four blocks and two service aces. The Appalachian State transfer’s performance gave her a kill-dig double-double.
Kerr finished with 10 kills and committed only three attack errors on her 27 attempts, hitting at a .259 clip. Her final two kills proved decisive after she joined Ciccarelli on the block that erased the Panther’s match point.
“To be able to have CK come in and be a huge spark for us in the night with her. We trust that she’s going to do her job,’” Stout said. “I think that’s been the common theme this year, is we have people to come in to perform all throughout that roster.”
Marshall spread its attack across the floor. Logan Henderson and Marare Reilly each tallied eight kills, as sophomore Emma Barnett added seven and graduate student Beatrice Ciccarelli finished with six kills of her own.
The Herd also received major contributions defensively. Barnett and Emma Sayre each recorded 21 digs apiece, while Ciccarelli led Marshall with six blocks. Reilly followed with five blocks as well.
Carvalho orchestrated the offense with 31 assists giving her 331 on the season and added eight digs. Maya Hunt contributed 14 assists and six digs as well.
Marshall finished the contest with 54 kills, 51 assists, seven service aces, 75 digs and 12 blocks. Georgia State recorded 52 kills and outhit the Herd .138 to .112 while also holding a 16-12 advantage in blocks and an 11-7 edge in service aces.
Despite those advantages, Georgia State lost its momentum and looked discombobulated to where it could not score the final point it needed.
Marshall instead scored the last three points of the evening, completing the reverse sweep and moving to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Herd will look to complete the two-match sweep when Marshall and Georgia State meet again Friday inside the Cam Henderson Center.
“Anytime you can get a win in this league, it’s everything,” Stout said. “It’s dog-eat-dog every single night, but that’s why we love it.”
Game two of the series will be available on WMUL-FM 88.1 and online at www.marshall.edu/wmul on Stream 1. Where FM88 Sports’ Connor Brown and Zane Quentrill will be on the call with pregame coverage scheduled for 3:45 p.m. and first serve beginning at 4:00 p.m.