It was a rough weekend for the Kennesaw State volleyball team, as it lost road matchups with No. 12 ranked Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” said head coach Keith Schunzel. “It took a set to adjust to Kentucky’s height and physicality at the net, but once we did that, it was game on. We not only battled and scrapped like we always do, but we executed at a really high level for much of the match on both sides of the ball.”
Despite the loss, shining moments in the match included Anaiah Boyer racking up her 1000th career kill in the second set and Maddie Jones notching her second career double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs.
“Another huge performance from Maddie Jones, who we’ve given so much responsibility to with passing, defending, serving and attacking,” Schunzel said. “She’s playing with an impressive amount of confidence right now, and it’s awesome to watch.”
The Owls had a quick turnaround as they traveled to Louisville to take on the Cards less than 24 hours after playing Kentucky. The lack of rest worked against the Owls as they lost in three straight sets.
The opening set featured nine lead changes and 18 ties, but Louisville closed the first set on a 6-1 run. The Cards kept the momentum going, winning the second set quickly thereafter.
The final set was a dogfight, being tied at 14 apiece late. Louisville weathered the storm and eventually went on a 4-0 run to close out the set and match.
The Owls finished 6-3 in non-conference and will open up conference play this Friday at 7 p.m., as they face ASUN rival Lipscomb.
