Volleyballs bouncing on the court. Photo credits: Erin Cater.
Kennesaw State volleyball wrapped up a successful weekend, defeating an aggressive Delaware team in two thrilling matches, 3-2, 3-1.
In the series opener on Friday, the Owls overcame an early stumble to beat Delaware in five sets, 3-2 (24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9).
After dropping the opening set, Kennesaw State rallied behind a dominant attack, finishing with a season-high 75 kills to Delaware’s 55.
Senior outside-hitter Manu Johnsen led the way with a season-high 24 kills, along with three aces, two blocks and 13 digs, posting a double-double and tying for ninth-most in program history.
The Owls also served nine aces, and allowed only two to the Blue Hens. Delaware challenged early, taking the first set 26-24 after a late rally, but KSU regrouped significantly in sets three and five, taking control to secure the win.
The second meeting proved more straightforward as the Owls closed the series with a 3-1 victory on Saturday, (22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22).
Almost every set in Saturday’s match had several lead changes and long, aggressive rallies.
Senior Maggie Butkovich and junior Maggie Byrd had great chemistry at the net throughout set one. Sophomore Haley Patterson had a dominating performance at the beginning of set three with a lot of energy. Sophomore Kiernan Stamey was a clutch player gaining leads for KSU, and got praise from head coach, Keith Schunzel.
“She’s learning when to not crush the ball,” Schunzel said. “She’s learning when to chip it into the court, she’s learning how to tool the block and stay higher.”
With the series sweep, the Owls improved to 14-6 overall and 8-2 in CUSA play. They out-killed Delaware 59-42, and junior middle blocker Olivia Burrage posted 14 kills and six blocks while hitting an impressive .423.
Johnsen again paced the offense with 18 kills and five aces in the match, while the team recorded 11 total service aces. After a tight first set that featured eight ties and five lead changes, KSU rattled off key runs in sets two through four to seize the momentum.
The Owls’ two-win weekend lifts their winning streak to five and keeps them in contention near the top of the conference standings. The sweep also sends a clear message about the Owls offensive firepower and resilience under pressure.
