Liberty Wins 5th Straight, Tops Austin Peay 3-1

Liberty extended its winning streak to a season-best five matches, downing Austin Peay in four sets (25-20, 21-25, 25-13, 26-24) on Friday at Liberty Arena.

With the win, Liberty (16-7, 9-2 ASUN) remains tied atop ASUN standings with both Kennesaw State and Lipscomb. Austin Peay falls to 10-12, 3-8 in ASUN play.

Notable Numbers

• Liberty outhit the Governors .234-.065 for the match, as APSU’s hitting percentage was the lowest by a Liberty opponent this season. The Lady Flames led in kills (55-39), blocks (19-10) and digs (59-55), while the guests led 9-7 in aces.

• Trinity Watts led Liberty with 14 kills, adding three aces and five blocks. Kamryn Bacus registered 13 kills and five blocks, while Kate Phillips (12 kills, 17 digs) and Delaney Dilfer (47 assists, 13 digs) both registered double-doubles. Madison Blane posted a Liberty Arena-record 12 blocks, while Lydia Burts hit .44 with 11 kills and added seven blocks. Erica Lowery collected 14 digs.

• Tegan Seyring scored 14 kills to lead APSU, followed by 10 kills and five blocks from Mikayla Powell. Marlayna Bullington served up a match-high four aces, while Sadie Edmonston collected 14 digs.

Turning Point

• With the match tied at 1-1, Liberty put together arguably its best defensive set of the season with seven blocks while holding APSU to a -.167 hitting percentage in a 25-13 win.

• The Lady Flames trailed set four 22-20 before staging a 4-0 rally to take the lead at 24-22. Austin Peay fought off two match points, tying it at 24-24. Watts then sent down a kill before Burts and Bacus teamed up for the match-clinching block.

Quick Hits

• Liberty and ASUN newcomer Austin Peay met for the first time in volleyball tonight.

• Liberty’s five-match winning streak is its longest since winning six in a row, Sept. 20 through Oct. 4, 2019.

• Burts has posted eight straight 10-kill matches, the first Liberty middle blocker since Chelaine McCarty (nine matches, Sept. 15-Oct. 12, 2007) with eight or more consecutive double-digit kill contests.

• Liberty’s 19 blocks tonight were the second-most in program history in the rally-scoring era (since 2001), with the record being 20.5, Sept. 23, 2011 at Radford. The last time before tonight that Liberty posted 19 blocks was Oct. 5, 2018 against Lipscomb.

• Blane’s 12 blocks tonight are tied for the second most by a Lady Flame in a single match in the rally-scoring era, trailing only Loren Thomas’ 13 rejections at Winthrop, Oct. 21, 2011. Thomas last posted 12 blocks at Radford, Sept. 23, 2011.

• Dilfer recorded her 13th double-double of the season, while Phillips registered her eighth. Dilfer’s 13 double-doubles are the most by a Lady Flame since Jade Craycraft totaled 13 double-doubles as a senior in 2013.

Up Next

The Lady Flames host Lipscomb on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Liberty Arena in a battle of two out of the three teams currently tied for first place in ASUN standings at 9-2.

[gallery display="slider" wpmf_folder_id="2066,0" size="large" ids="441002,441005,441007,441022,441020,441017,441014,441011,441009,441023,441026,441029,441032,441034,441035,441050,441047,441051,441044,441041,441038,441037,441054,441056,441057,441060,441061"]