College of Charleston
Clemson
Cougars Drop Carolina Challenge Finale to Clemson
9/5/2010 12:24:00 AM | Volleyball
ROCKHILL, S.C. -The College of Charleston volleyball team ran out of steam, as they played in their third consecutive five set match, dropping a 2-3 decision to Clemson to close out the Carolina Challenge at Winthrop Coliseum Saturday night (17-25, 26-24, 25-15, 19-25, 15-13).
"I was extremely proud of the way they played," said CofC Head Coach Jason Kepner. "We had to deal with a lot of adversity with some injuries. Playing 15 games in two days is a lot for anyone. I was proud of how hard they fought, especially after Cole hurt her hand. To win the fourth game and force a fifth game and then comeback from being down 8-4 and take the lead 10-9 and have a shot at winning."
It was a senior and a freshman who led the attack for the Cougars (5-2), as senior Whitney Russell connected on 17 kills and freshman Madelyn McGinnis added 17 kills of her own.
In the first set Clemson (6-0) built a 12-8 lead. Following a timeout by Kepner, the Cougars responded and went on a 12-4 run to take the lead at 20-16. CofC hit used a .333 hitting efficiency to carry them to a 25-17 victory for the set. The loss for Clemson was their first lost set of the season in five previous games.
In the second set the Cougars made 12 attack errors but still had a chance to go up 2-0. In the end though, it was the Tiger who evened the match 1-1 with a hard fought 26-24 win.
After dropping the third set 15-25, the Cougars elevated their play in the fourth set, hitting at a .341 percentage. McGinnis stepped up in the set with six kills and only one error and individually had a hitting efficiency of .625.
The Cougars entered the fifth set having already played a five set match on only about two hours of rest. Showing some signs of fatigue, Clemson took an early 8-4 lead. In the same way CofC battled back to win the fourth set, the Cougars used a 6-1 run to claim a 10-9 lead. In the end the Tigers were too much and close out the match with a 15-13 victory.
"Overall it was a great weekend," Kepner said. "I think our level of play was better than last weekend overall. We had some mental errors here and there that cost us, and when you play those five set matches a point here or there makes a big difference."
The Cougars finished the Carolina Challenge going 2-1. The team will resume play for their home opener on Tuesday at 7p.m. against Presbyterian.
