Boxscore
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Coming off a thrilling comeback road win on Thurs. night, the Goldey-Beacom volleyball team cruised past the host University of D.C., 3-0 on Sat. afternoon.
The Lightning dominated the first set, 25-11, and then took the next two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-19, to win their second straight match and improve to 4-8 on the season.
Freshman Monica Dempsey led the way offensively for GBC with 10 kills and a game-high seven service aces. She also supplied 12 assists, but it was sophomore Roni Shaner who did most of the directing with 16 assists.
Defensively, Dempsey led the Lightning with 12 digs and fifth-year senior Christine Hudock had nine. Hudock is now just three digs short of 1000 for her career, at 997.
In the first set, the Lightning got off to a quick 11-2 lead on the service of Dempsey. The freshman setter tallied five service aces and a kill in the run. The Firebirds would never get within eight points of GBC as the Lightning ran away with the first set, 25-11.
The two teams traded points early on in the second set. Senior utility player Emily McMichael ran off three straight service points following a Charlott Minshall kill to give the Lightning a 10-5 cushion. Then Shaner also ran off three straight service points to put GBC up 17-11, but UDC was not going away without a fight.
Following a Karen Trevino kill, Carmen Smith led the Firebirds on a 5-0 run to bring UDC within one at 18-17. But Shaner set up Dempsey for a kill to stop the bleeding, and McMichael scored three straight service points to put GBC ahead 22-17.
After a GBC attack error, the Lightning scored the last three points to win the second set, 25-18.
Wanting to force a fourth game, UDC again traded points with the Lightning early in the third set. Joi Upton led a 4-0 Firebird run that included a Shakira Watford kill that gave UDC a 12-11 lead.
The two teams would trade points some more, with UDC taking a 16-14 lead before Shaner led the Lightning on a 6-0 run to go ahead 20-16.
The Firebirds would respond with three straight points to get within a point at 20-19, but the Lightning would score the next five points to win the set 25-19 and claim victory, 3-0.
Hudock ran off four straight service points, including two aces in that final 5-0 Lightning run to win the match.
GBC is back in action at home on Tues. night at 7 p.m. as the Lightning host the University of the Sciences (Philadelphia).
