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| Chidima Osuchukwu (#8) - GW's 1-Woman Blocking Crew |
Colonials Top Rhode Island in A-10 Quarters
Charles E. Smith Center was rockin' last night, as it hosted day one of the A-10 Women's Volleyball Tournament. Third-seeded George Washington won a thrilling quarterfinal war with Rhode Island, rallying to win 3-1 (25-27, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19.) The Colonials advance to a semifinal contest with second-seeded VCU tonight at 7:30. GW stopped VCU last month in what I labeled the, "best volleyball match ever." The Rams will be looking for revenge, no doubt.
Speaking of revenge, GW got some of its own last night, reversing a 3-1 loss on Senior Day last week. For a moment or two, it looked as if Rhode Island still had the home team's number. The Rams (15-16, 7-7 A-10) rallied from a 22-20 deficit to win the first set 27-25, a set that featured 16 ties! That's about the time when freshman sensation Chidima Osuchukwu began to take over. The A-10 All-Conference Second Team selection dominated play at the net, finishing tied for a team-best 15 kills and a match-high five blocks (including four solo.)
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| Kelsey Newman (#15) chipped in with 12 kills |
Osuchukwu wasn't the only Colonial who brought her "A" game to the court: Teammates Rachel Goss (15) Kelsey Newman (12) and Landon Garvik (10) registered double-digit kills, part of a 63-52 overall advantage for the match. GW also held a 9-3 edge in blocks, and attack percentage (.266 to .208) Frosh Emily Clemens paced GW with 48 assists; while Maddy Doyle topped all players with 25 digs. Extra kudos to Clemens for some nifty "slight of hand" at the net, scoring several key points.
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| Bombs Away! Senior Rachel Goss (#1) scored 15 kills |
The Colonials return to the conference semis for the first time since 2008, and seem poised for another win versus VCU (24-7, 11-3.) Last night's announced crowd of 688 was plenty raucous. Expect even more fans (and raucousness) tonight. Tickets are still available at the door ($6 per day, $15 for an all-tourney pass.) Raise High!
Click here for last night's box score.
