Liberty Falls to KSU in Straight Sets

Kennesaw State posted a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-19, 25-21) in both teams’ ASUN East Division opener, Friday at KSU Convocation Center.

The Owls (8-7) improve their record to 2-2 in ASUN play, bouncing back from a 3-2 setback at Jacksonville State on Sunday. Meanwhile, Liberty’s record stands at 6-5 overall, including 2-2 in conference play following its second straight setback.

Notable Numbers

• KSU outhit the Lady Flames .320-.061 for the match. Both teams served up two aces, but the Owls committed 15 service errors. The hosts led in blocks (9-5), digs (45-39) and kills (44-27).

• Lauren Chastang led all players with 14 kills, hitting .343. Emma Schurfranz scored eight kills, while Claire Parsons posted a match-high six blocks. McKinley Ferguson dished out 33 assists, while Shelby Dennis collected 15 digs.

• Trinity Watts connected for a team-high eight kills at a .250 clip. Caitie Mueller, making her second career start and second in a row, dished out 14 assists. Lindsey Hardesty collected 10 digs, while Aspen Thompson recorded a team-high three blocks.

Turning Point

• Kennesaw State raced out to a 2-0 match lead with 25-18 and 25-19 wins in the first two sets.

• Liberty found its footing on the attack in the third set, hitting .321 with 13 kills after managing 14 total kills over the first two sessions. However, KSU hit .371 during set three, building an 18-12 advantage. The Lady Flames battled to within three at 23-20, but could get no closer.

Quick Hits

• Kennesaw State is now 12-0 all-time against Liberty in volleyball.

• The Owls’ .320 tied Loyola Marymount (Sept. 11) for the highest opponent hitting percentage against Liberty this season. Meanwhile, Liberty’s .061 was its lowest attack percentage in a single match this season.

• Hardesty has reached double figures in digs in eight out of Liberty’s first 11 matches this season.

• Watts and Leah Kodat both made their first appearance on the court in a match since Sept. 11 against Loyola Marymount.

• Tonight in the ASUN, five out of the six matches ended in a sweep. Bellarmine’s 3-2 win over North Alabama was the only match to last more thank three sets.

Up Next

The Lady Flames continue their stretch of away matches, heading to Florida next week to take on Stetson on Friday before playing at FGCU on Sunday.