Falcons Close Out Unbeaten Weekend With Five-Set Win Over Duquesne

Saturday, August 29

Pittsburgh, Penn.

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Duquesne

Falcons Close Out Unbeaten Weekend With Five-Set Win Over Duquesne

August 29, 2009 | Volleyball

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Box score

Pittsburgh, Pa. – With a tournament championship on the line, the Bowling Green volleyball team battled host Duquesne through five sets, finally closing out the Dukes to win the Duquesne/Robert Morris Tournament championship. The Falcons fought back from a set down twice to win the match 20-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10.

Senior Shari Luther was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and she was one of four Bowling Green players to finish with at least 11 kills in the match. Senior Kaitlin Jackson and freshman Allison Kearney were named to the all-tournament team.

After winning two of the first three sets, Duquesne seemed to have things well in hand with a 9-4 lead in the fourth. But the Falcons scored seven of the next nine points to tie the score at 11-11 and broke open a 14-14 tie on kills from Jackson and Cassie Berning sandwiched around a service ace from Kearney. Bowling Green led the rest of the set and sent the match to a fifth and deciding stanza.

The Falcons jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the fifth but Duquesne scored three consecutive points to tie the score. A Mizgalski kill put BGSU on top 7-5 and forced the Dukes to call a timeout. With the Falcons clinging to an 11-9 lead, Corey Domek, Emily Kauth, and Kearney posted three consecutive kills that gave the team the breathing room it needed for the win.

Domek ended with a team-high 14 kills, followed by Kauth with 12 and Jackson and Luther with 11 apiece. Jackson added 23 digs for her second double-double of the tournament and Alex Zlabis added 16 digs. Kearney had 49 assists, 14 digs and three service aces.

As a team, Bowling Green struggled offensively through the first three sets, hitting just .202, but the Falcons hit .286 and .292 in the final two sets when the pressure was on the most.

Luther was named tournament MVP by posting 42 kills in the four-match tournament, second most on the team. She posted a strong .430 attack percentage and led the team with 13 blocks. Jackson was named all-tournament by driving home 37 kills and leading the team with 48 digs to go with eight blocks. Kearney was also named all-tournament by averaging 11.5 assists per set (161 total), leading the team with nine aces and posting 35 digs.

Bowling Green has started the year 4-0 for the first time since the 2001 team won the first five matches of the year and went on to share the MAC East crown. Head coach Denise Van De Walle now has 491 career wins, leaving her nine shy of 500.

The Falcons will have almost a full week to prepare for the Radisson New Orleans Airport Privateer Invitational Friday and Saturday, hosted by the University of New Orleans.