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| Colonials celebrate 3-2 comeback victory over American |
From our friends at GW Athletics...
GW Volleyball Rallies to Stun American, 3-2
Colonials improve to 5-0 against District teams with come-from-behind win
The George Washington volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit and erased an early 4-0 hole while fighting off match point three times in the final set en route to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over American on Wednesday night at the Charles E. Smith Center. Set scores were 13-25, 19-25, 25-20, 26-24, 20-18.
The George Washington volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit and erased an early 4-0 hole while fighting off match point three times in the final set en route to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over American on Wednesday night at the Charles E. Smith Center. Set scores were 13-25, 19-25, 25-20, 26-24, 20-18.
With the win, GW (16-7) ended American's (17-6) nine-match win streak and improved to a perfect 5-0 against Washington, D.C.-area teams this season.
"I really liked our grit tonight," said head coach Amanda Ault. "We did not back down. We put ourselves in a really tough spot and we fought our way out of it. The plays that were being made in the fifth set by both teams were incredible. I like that it didn't rattle us. There were times where they had match point and we still did not back down. It was a great win."
Junior Chidima Osuchukwu became the 13th member of GW's 1,000-kill club after finishing with a match-high tying 19 kills. She swung .295 for the match and added seven blocks (one solo, six assists) to pace three Colonials in double-digit kills.
Sophomore Aaliya Davidson added a career-high 17 kills in addition to 13 digs and four block assists for her first career double-double. Freshman Kelsey Clark contributed 12 kills, two digs and five block assists.
Senior Maddy Doyle, the Atlantic 10 digs leader, passed a career-high 30 digs and added seven assists and one service ace.
The Colonials fell in an early 2-0 hole after swinging a combined .049 (21k-17e-81a) across the first two sets as American picked up wins by scores of 25-13 and 25-19, respectively.
The momentum started to turn in GW's favor in the third set, as the defense posted 6.0 team rejections and 21 digs while limiting the Eagles to a .048 (11k-9e-42a) attack percentage en route to a 25-20 win.
American led for a majority of the fourth set, pulling ahead by three points at 24-21 late in the frame to serve for match point. Consecutive kills by Davidson and senior Maggie Skjelbred pulled the Colonials within one at 24-23, forcing an AU timeout. Out of the break, Davidson put down the match-tying kill to knot the score at 24-24. The Colonials' defense then proceeded to force consecutive attack errors to take the set, 26-24.
The Eagles sprinted out to a 4-0 lead to open the fifth set and led 8-5 at the changeover before using a service ace to extend the lead to 9-5 and force a GW timeout.
Out of the break, the Colonials scored five of the next seven points to pull within one point of the lead at 11-10 and force an AU timeout. The Eagles scored the next two points out of the stoppage to pull ahead, 13-10, and force the Colonials to use their second timeout. Momentum changed back to GW's side with two quick points to get within one at 13-12, forcing AU to burn its final timeout.
An attack error by AU knotted the score at 13-13 before the Eagles got to match point for the first time at 14-13, but a kill by Osuchukwu tied the score again at 14-14. GW then got to match point on a kill by freshman Hanna Justesen, but the Eagles retaliated to tie the score. Senior Jordan Timmer put the Colonials at match point again at 16-15, but two quick points by AU turned the tables and had them serving for the match at 17-16.
The teams traded kills until AU was serving for the match once more at 18-17, but a kill by Davidson tied the score for the final time at 18-18 before GW's defense forced consecutive attack errors to clinch the match, 20-18.
Timmer recorded her ninth double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career with 56 assists and 15 digs.
Skjelbred was a force at the net with six total blocks (one solo, five assists) and added six kills and three digs.
GW resumes its Atlantic 10 schedule with a pair of home matches this weekend. The Colonials will host Rhode Island on Friday (7 PM) and Fordham on Saturday (7 PM.)
Click here for last night's box score.
"I really liked our grit tonight," said head coach Amanda Ault. "We did not back down. We put ourselves in a really tough spot and we fought our way out of it. The plays that were being made in the fifth set by both teams were incredible. I like that it didn't rattle us. There were times where they had match point and we still did not back down. It was a great win."
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| GW head coach Amanda Ault |
Junior Chidima Osuchukwu became the 13th member of GW's 1,000-kill club after finishing with a match-high tying 19 kills. She swung .295 for the match and added seven blocks (one solo, six assists) to pace three Colonials in double-digit kills.
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| Chidima Osuchukwu (#8) led GW with 19 kills |
Sophomore Aaliya Davidson added a career-high 17 kills in addition to 13 digs and four block assists for her first career double-double. Freshman Kelsey Clark contributed 12 kills, two digs and five block assists.
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| Aaliya Davidson (#11) registered 17 kills |
Senior Maddy Doyle, the Atlantic 10 digs leader, passed a career-high 30 digs and added seven assists and one service ace.
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| Maddy Doyle (#17) led all players with a career-high 30 digs |
The Colonials fell in an early 2-0 hole after swinging a combined .049 (21k-17e-81a) across the first two sets as American picked up wins by scores of 25-13 and 25-19, respectively.
The momentum started to turn in GW's favor in the third set, as the defense posted 6.0 team rejections and 21 digs while limiting the Eagles to a .048 (11k-9e-42a) attack percentage en route to a 25-20 win.
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| Kelsey Clark (#4, 12 kills) celebrates |
American led for a majority of the fourth set, pulling ahead by three points at 24-21 late in the frame to serve for match point. Consecutive kills by Davidson and senior Maggie Skjelbred pulled the Colonials within one at 24-23, forcing an AU timeout. Out of the break, Davidson put down the match-tying kill to knot the score at 24-24. The Colonials' defense then proceeded to force consecutive attack errors to take the set, 26-24.
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| 6 kills & 5 block assists for senior Maggie Skjelbred (#12) |
The Eagles sprinted out to a 4-0 lead to open the fifth set and led 8-5 at the changeover before using a service ace to extend the lead to 9-5 and force a GW timeout.
Out of the break, the Colonials scored five of the next seven points to pull within one point of the lead at 11-10 and force an AU timeout. The Eagles scored the next two points out of the stoppage to pull ahead, 13-10, and force the Colonials to use their second timeout. Momentum changed back to GW's side with two quick points to get within one at 13-12, forcing AU to burn its final timeout.
An attack error by AU knotted the score at 13-13 before the Eagles got to match point for the first time at 14-13, but a kill by Osuchukwu tied the score again at 14-14. GW then got to match point on a kill by freshman Hanna Justesen, but the Eagles retaliated to tie the score. Senior Jordan Timmer put the Colonials at match point again at 16-15, but two quick points by AU turned the tables and had them serving for the match at 17-16.
The teams traded kills until AU was serving for the match once more at 18-17, but a kill by Davidson tied the score for the final time at 18-18 before GW's defense forced consecutive attack errors to clinch the match, 20-18.
Timmer recorded her ninth double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career with 56 assists and 15 digs.
Skjelbred was a force at the net with six total blocks (one solo, five assists) and added six kills and three digs.
GW resumes its Atlantic 10 schedule with a pair of home matches this weekend. The Colonials will host Rhode Island on Friday (7 PM) and Fordham on Saturday (7 PM.)
Click here for last night's box score.
