Spalding Topples Eureka in Three
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Eureka College junior Lexi Dooley (Sutter, Ill./Warsaw H.S.) put down eight kills without an attack error and freshman Sara Worrell (Jacksonville, Ill./Routt Catholic H.S.) totaled 12 assists, but Spalding attacked at a .294 clip and finished the match with 14 service aces in a 25-21, 25-20, 25-16 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Red Devils in Louisville, Ky., Wednesday night.
Spalding scored the first two points of the night and never trailed in game one. The Red Devils nearly overcame a 23-17 deficit by scoring four points in a row during service from Caitlin Miller (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.), but SU's Ashley Chase and Kaitlin Hall put down kills on consecutive rallies to stave off the visitors' rally and earn a 25-21 win.
Miller's service ace early in game two highlighted a brief run that pushed the Red Devils to a 4-2 advantage. The EC lead swelled to as large as six points when back-to-back kills by Dooley and Anna Crank (Washburn, Ill./Midland H.S./Clarke) made the score 13-7, but the Golden Eagles roared back by scoring eight of the next nine and snagged a 15-14 edge on a kill by Chase. The score was tied as late as 17-17, but three straight SU kills put the set out of reach. Claudia Spivey put the exclamation point on the set win with a kill for a 25-20 score.
In game three, Spalding scored four of the first points and wouldn't trail in the game. Eureka trailed by as many as nine points down the stretch, 20-11, and an EC error ended the set with the hosts in front 25-16.
Eureka committed only seven attack errors on 83 swings for a .253 attack percentage. Dooley and Crank shared the team lead with eight kills. Miller finished with two aces and Jordan Detmers (Hartsburg, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden H.S.) led the Red Devils' back row with 10 digs.
Spivey led all players with 13 kills. SU finished the match with 43 kills overall. Hall had 31 assists and served up five of the Golden Eagles' 14 aces.
Eureka will continue a season-ending four-match road trip Friday night at Blackburn. The SLIAC match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Carlinville, Ill.