#6 Kourtney Brown serving the ball on Sept. 5 at VyStar Arena. Photo by Hunter Triplett
Volleyball closed out its home-opening weekend on a high note Saturday afternoon, sweeping Alabama A&M 3-0 (26-21, 25-16, 25-22) at VyStar Arena.
The win moved Kennesaw State to 5-1 on the season after playing three matches in four days. The Owls also finished the weekend with back-to-back sweeps after defeating West Georgia in Friday’s Griffin’s Game.
Freshman outside hitter Ashley Theiss led KSU in offensive and defensive performances against the Bulldogs, with 12 kills, three aces and nine digs for a team-high 15 points. Theiss’ three aces were a match-high, and the Owls finished with seven as a team.
Theiss reflected on her impressive start to the season after Saturday’s match.
“I’m coming back from a shoulder injury, so I’ve been focused on swinging high, getting off that block and being super aggressive at the net,” she said.
KSU opened the match aggressively, jumping out to a 9-1 lead in the first set. Alabama A&M responded with a late push, but the Owls held on to take the opening set 26-21.
KSU established control early in the second set. After the teams were tied at 5-5, the Owls used a 7-0 run to further their lead. The Owls hit .458 in the set, leading to a 25-16 victory.
The Bulldogs responded in the third set, building a 12-5 lead and putting KSU in an early deficit. The Owls stayed composed, battling back to tie the set at 15-15 before taking its first lead at 16-15. KSU maintained the momentum to close out the match 25-22.
Theiss was one of several offensive contributors for the Owls. Haley Patterson led the team with 13 kills, while Olivia Burrage added 11 kills on 15 attacks for a .600 hitting percentage and three blocks. Ashlyn Anderson contributed seven kills, an ace and a block.
KSU hit .317 as a team and recorded 49 kills. Freshman libero Alexis Sowers continued to make an impact defensively, finishing with a match-high 22 digs.
Coach Keith Schunzel praised his team’s performance and their growing chemistry from the match against Alabama A&M.
“We are going to be evolving for a while. We are young and new in many positions, and every game, I feel like we are getting more and more rhythm,” he said.
The victory ended a weekend that began with a difficult road match against Georgia State on Thursday. The Owls fell 3-2 after winning the second and fourth sets, with the Panthers pulling away in the deciding fifth set.
KSU bounced back Friday in its home opener, sweeping West Georgia 3-0 (25-23, 25-9, 25-21). Burrage led the way with 12 kills on 16 attacks and a .688 hitting percentage, while Anderson added 10 kills. Kourtney Brown recorded 41 assists, three aces, eight digs and three blocks.
The Owls will take the weekend’s momentum into the South Alabama Invitational, where they face South Alabama on Sept. 11, followed by Tulane and Georgia on Sept. 12-13.
