Volleyball Drops a Pair of Close Matches on Final Day of LIU Blackbird Invitational

Saturday, September 13

Brooklyn, N.Y.

12:30 PM

Temple University

6-2

Northern Kentucky

6-2

Northern Kentucky

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Volleyball Drops a Pair of Close Matches on Final Day of LIU Blackbird Invitational

9.13.14 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box vs. Northern Kentucky l Box vs. LIU Brooklyn

BROOKLYN - Temple volleyball lost two close matches on the final day of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbird Invitational, dropping a four-set match to Northern Kentucky (6-2) and a five-set match to host LIU Brooklyn (7-3). The Owls (6-3) came into the weekend with a perfect record, but came out on the wrong end of three very intense contests.

Against LIU, Temple dropped the first set 25-17 before pulling out a win in the second, 25-23. The Owls then took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 28-26 third-set win, but lost 25-21 in the fourth and 15-11 in the fifth.

The Owls lost their first match of the day to Northern Kentucky in four sets, dropping the first two by close scores of 25-22 and 25-23 before rallying to win the third in convincing fashion, 25-14. The momentum did not stay on Temple's side in the fourth set, as the Owls suffered a 25-20 loss.

Dara Peric led Temple with a double-double of 13 kills and 12 digs against LIU, while Caroline Grattan recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs as did Sandra Sydlik with 14 digs to go with 45 assists.

Temple's blocking effort in the late match was its best all season. Kirsten Overton led all players with nine blocks, while freshman Janine Simmons recorded eight blocks and Sydlik had seven. Halle McCullough added five blocks to nine kills, and as a team the Owls put up 17 blocks to LIU's 12.5.

Down 18-13 in the third set, Temple used an 8-1 run to take a 21-19 lead. The Blackbirds later had a set point at 24-23, but a Peric kill evened the score at 24 all. The Owls then had two set points of their own fended off by LIU, but back-to-back Blackbird errors gave Temple a 28-26 win.

After dropping the fourth set 25-21, the Owls had an early lead in the fifth and final set before LIU came back to tie the score at 6-6. Four more ties followed, but a couple of errors by Temple made the difference in the end as the Blackbirds pulled out the 15-11 win.

Grattan led all players with 19 kills against NKU, while Alyssa Drachslin tied for match-high honors with 22 digs. Kirsten Overton recorded 10 kills, and Alex Schmitt led all players with five blocks.

Temple trailed NKU 20-15 in the first set before getting back in it with a 6-2 run, but the Norse took three of the final four points to finish out the set. The second set was even tighter, with the Owls able to fight off one set point and come within one at 24-23 before a kill from NKU's Jenna Ruble.

In the third set, the Owls jumped out to a big lead and held it the rest of the way. Grattan, Tyler Davis and Peric combined for 11 kills in leading Temple to an 18-9 lead, and the Owls went on to win 25-14.
The fourth set was tight early on, but after the final tie at 13-13, Northern Kentucky pulled away to win the set and the match.

Temple will be back in action closer to home next weekend as the Owls head to the Palestra for the annual Big 5 Tournament hosted by Penn.