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Furman Volleyball Blanks Davidson 3-0
Nov. 5, 2006
Greenville, S.C. - Furman hit .440 as a team, and recorded 49 digs to Davidson's 28 as the Paladins beat the Wildcats 3-0 (30-14, 30-16, 30-26) on Saturday afternoon at Alley Gym. Furman celebrated Senior Day as seniors Whitney Purser, Ally Hock, and Kim Tonkin participated in their final regular season home games for the Paladins.
Furman has now won eight of their last nine matches, with all eight victories during that stretch coming by a 3-0 margin. With the win, Furman takes over second place in the Southern Conference.
Chibuzo Aguocha led the Furman offensive with 16 kills and just four hitting errors (.364). Purser and Nicole Palazzo each recorded nine kills, and Kerry Wooten added seven kills. Palazzo and Wooten, Furman's starting middle hitters, did not commit a hitting error during the match in 21 total attempts and combined to hit at a .762 clip (16-0-21). Courtney Stewardson added four kills and no attacking errors in seven attempts for a .571 hitting percentage.
Tonkin led the Furman defensive play with 11 digs, while Aguocha added 10 defensive saves for her tenth double-double of the season. Aguocha had just ten career double-doubles entering the 2006 season. Purser and Hock added nine and eight defensive saves, respectively for the Paladins. Stewardson recorded 40 set assists and directed a Furman offense that hit better than .440 for the third time this season.
Furman held an 8-1 advantage in service aces, led by Wooten's career high five aces. Wooten and Palzzo both tie for the game-high with three total blocks, with each recording one solo block.
Liz Williamson led Davidson with ten kills, while Jenna Dykstra added 34 set assists. Katie Pierucci had a team-high six digs and Emily Mims recorded a service ace.
In game one, with Furman holding a 5-3 lead, the Paladins broke through with five straight points to earn a 10-3 advantage behind the serve of Hock. Then, with Furman holding a 22-11 advantage, the Paladins reeled off six straight points to take a 28-11 lead. Furman outhit Davidson .542 to .000 in the first game, asAguocha recorded six kills for the Paladins.
The Paladins jumped out quickly in game two as well, building a 22-9 lead. Furman took advantage of ten Davidson hitting errors, as Furman held a .375 to -.026 advantage in hitting percentage. Aguocha again led Furman with five kills in the second frame.
Davidson improved its play following the intermission, and the two teams battled back and forth in game three. With the score tied 15-15, neither team could manage more than a two point lead. Furman then won four straight points to take a 19-15 lead. The Paladins then held on to close out the match 30-26. Palazzo recorded six kills in seven attempts during the third game, and Aguocha added five more kills for the Paladins.
With the win, Furman improves to 17-10 on the season, 13-3 in the Southern Conference. Davidson falls to 18-13 overall, 10-6 in conference action. The Paladins return to action next weekend in their final action of the regular season. Furman is on the road on Saturday at Chattanooga, and then again on Sunday at Western Carolina.
