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John Carroll University Athletics

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VB Day 1 of Nazareth Tournament
Sam Herr
The Blue Streaks enjoyed a balanced effort with several standouts playing well up front. 
3
Winner John Carroll JCU 4-2,0-0 OAC
1
Nazareth Naz 1-3,0-0 Empire 8
Winner
John Carroll JCU
4-2,0-0 OAC
3
Final
1
Nazareth Naz
1-3,0-0 Empire 8
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
John Carroll JCU 25 27 25 25 (3)
Nazareth Naz 14 29 16 13 (1)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Volleyball Shines at the Net in Win over Nazareth to Start Rochester Trip

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Blue Streaks headed east today on about a 4-hour drive to Rochester for the Nazareth Tournament, a nice scenic drive to Western New York.

The Blue Streaks got the tournament started on a great note by defeating the host school, Nazareth College, 3-1.

The set scores from the tournament opener were 25-14, 27-29, 25-16, and 25-13. 

One of the top stories of the night was the dynamic offense of the Blue Streaks. John Carroll showcased strength up front with a hitting percentage of .279, including a marvelous .500 in the opening set. The JCU defense also stood strong, with 10 blocks to just one by Nazareth.

The Blue Streaks flexed their muscles early on, getting out to a 9-6 start. A 5-point run for JCU powered by three Jessica Liddle kills helped JCU double up Nazareth, 14-7. The lead proved to be insurmountable, especially once Marissa Lynch got going. Three of JCU's final five points were provided by Lynch, as the Chicago native played excellently down the stretch of the 25-14 set win. 

The Golden Eagles opened up with fire in the second set, roaring to an 11-5 early lead. The Blue & Gold gradually chipped away at the lead, but it took a while, as JCU could not get any runs going. Natalie Glowe helped JCU close the gap late in the set, with two kills knotting the set at 21. The juniors played a key role in the stretch run, as Steph Conley and Jillian Kellick helped to power the offense. However, JCU could not press the advantage and get the winning point. Nazareth battled back from down 27-26 to score three straight points to take the set in an absolute battle, 29-27.

With the match deadlocked at 1-1, either team could have taken control of the momentum. JCU's freshmen stole the limelight early in the third set, as Hailey Williams, Glowe, and Mary Kate Sheehan all provided key early plays to rev up a promising 11-4 start. Thanks to Jessica Liddle and others, the lead quickly ballooned to 17-7. Nazareth got a couple of modest 3-point runs going, but JCU's athleticism up front prevented a comeback, as the visitors finished with 4 blocks to stymie any Nazareth momentum. Liddle supplied the set point with a kill at 25-16.

Veteran leadership ensured that JCU did not take the foot off the gas pedal. Aided by kills by Jennifer Follmer, Glowe, and Liddle, the Blue Streaks burst out to a 14-6 advantage. Nazareth errors aided the JCU cause, but the Blue Streaks did not let up, and a Williams kill off a Maddie Maziarz assist ended the night with a 25-13 set four win. 

A balanced effort in the stat sheet helps to tell the tale. Ten different Blue Streaks recorded kills and nine different players tallied blocks. Amongst them, Glowe topped the team with 12 kills and Sheehan led the way with 4 block assists (Glowe, Williams, Liddle, and Kendra Dziubinski followed closely behind with three). The lack of attack errors also stands out, as Glowe went errorless, while Liddle was outstanding with a .636 attack percentage (8 kills, just 1 error). 

Looking at assists, Maziarz stood atop the squad with 21, with Haley Nicholson chipping in 16. Lexi MacDonald set the standard with 14 digs, while Maziarz (11), Nicholson (10), and Williams (10) all reaching double figures.

Two matches await the Blue Streaks on Saturday. John Carroll will play SUNY Geneseo at 2 pm, with the final match of the weekend to follow vs. St. John Fisher at 4 pm.
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