KSU’s women’s volleyball team fell to in-state rival Mercer by a score of 3-0 at the KSU Convocation Center in their final game of the season on Thursday, Nov. 8.
With the loss, the Owls finished the season with an overall record of 16-17, and a 5-13 finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Seniors Baylee Strachan and Turea Jones competed in their final game as Owls, combining for six total blocks. Jones recorded 18 digs in the contest.
“I credit a scrappy Mercer team and a raucous crowd,” head coach Karen Weatherington said. “They really got into it and disrupted our offensive flow, but I’m so proud of my team for the maturity we showed in the game. Every team in the conference is fighting hard for every point and tonight, we did just that.”
The Owls found themselves in a battle early in the opening set. Neither KSU nor the Bears were able to secure more than a two-point advantage. With the score tied at 20, the Bears strung together a 5-1 run, taking the set 25-21. Following the first set victory, the Bear’s offense began to takeover. Mercer took command with a 6-1 lead to begin the second set. Strachan was able to pull the Owls within five twice during the set, but the Bears offense never allowed the Owls to claw their way back, claiming the second set 25-16, and a 2-0 match lead.
Jones and Emily Bean helped the Owls grab a 3-2 lead early the third set. The Bears and Owls exchanged leads, with Mercer going up by three only to see KSU score four straight, and take a 20-19 lead on a Mercer service error. Neither team would back off, as the set was extended to 28- 28. However, the Bears were able to make the third set the final, scoring two straight to win it 30-28, and take the match.
The loss knocked KSU out of contention for the final spot in the A-Sun Conference Tournament, and came after they dropped a match on the road to East Tennessee State on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Despite the efforts from Jones and Keyaira Stevenson, the Owls lost 3-1 and fell to 0-2 in the season series against the Bucs. Jones recorded her 13th double- double of the season with 17 kills and 17 digs. Stevenson had 21 kills, the most individual kills for any Owl this season.
“Keyaira and Turea had awesome offensive determination,” Weatherington said. “They were tough to contain and Keyaira played amazing volleyball and equaled the A-Sun’s best hitter swing for swing.”
The Owls fell down 5-0 early in the first set, but after tying the set 9-9 on an attack error by the Bucs, Stevenson gave the Owls its first lead of the match at 11-10. Strachan sealed the set for the Owls on a service ace.
Again Stevenson led the Owls in the second set, after KSU went down 8-3. She scored four straight to knot the set up at 10, however the Bucs offense overcame the Owl surge and tied the match with a 25-18 win in the second set.
In the third set, the Owls were in the lead for much of the set. Three straight points by the Bucs put them on top, taking the set 26-24. The Owls made things interesting in the following set, fighting back from a 16-11 deficit. Stevenson had four kills, and the Owls recorded five straight points to tie the set at 16-16, but a 4-0 run by ETSU allowed them to win the set 25-21, and the match.
With the two losses in their final two games of the season, the Owls finished their 2012- 2013 campaign. The team will take the off-season to regroup and prepare for next year.