Boxscore
BOWIE, Md. – The Goldey-Beacom College volleyball team swept Bowie State, 3-0 in its 2010 season opener on the road Thurs. night with a balanced team effort. The Lightning won in straight sets, 25-22, 25-7, 25-20.
Freshman Tyla Wells impressed in her Lightning debut with 12 kills, and junior Roni Shaner and freshman Rebecca Stoffer each added eight kills apiece as well. Shaner hit the ball with great accuracy, as her hitting percentage was an impressive .462 for the night.
Sophomore co-captain Monica Dempsey added team highs of 29 assists and six service aces, and senior co-captain A.J. Hicks tallied a team-high eight digs to lead the team defensively.
The first set featured both teams struggling offensively, as the Lightning hit -.103 and the Bulldogs hit -.217 and the two teams combined for 20 errors. Six times the score was tied and there were four lead changes, but it was the Lightning who would prevail on the strength of a 10-1 run late in the set.
Trailing 19-14, an attack error by BSU's Jasmine Nixon began a Lightning rally. Senior captain A.J. Hicks collected two points on a serve to bring GBC within two, 19-17. Two kills by Stoffer, a service ace by senior Lauren Witzke and three attack errors by the Bulldogs, and suddenly the Lightning were up 24-20.
GBC would go on to win the set 25-22 after another attack error by BSU.
The Lightning would dominate the second set, jumping out to a 10-2 lead and never looking back. Dempsey collected two of her six aces on the night, and Hicks and Witzke each tallied one apiece as well.
GBC hit .333 and held BSU to -.133. Wells led the Lightning with three kills, and Shaner pitched in with two. They went on to win the second set in a breeze, 25-7.
The third set was much like the first as the Lightning took over a very competitive set near the end to claim victory. Trailing 19-16, Wells collected her fourth kill of the set, and then Witzke served for four straight Lightning points to put GBC in front 21-20. Shaner collected two kills during that run.
After a kill by BSU's Nixon, the Bulldogs were serving down 22-20 when Stoffer came through with a kill for the Lightning.
Freshman Stephanie Kline picked up a service ace, followed by a BSU bad set, and then Stoffer added a final kill to give the Lightning match point as they won the third set, 25-20.
The Lightning had 31 kills to just 15 by BSU and they had a .945 serve percentage to the Bulldogs' .863. They also had 31 digs to BSU's 24.
GBC is back in action on Sat. when they play a tri-match at Mercy College. The Lightning will first play the host, Mercy at 11 a.m., and then take on St. Anselm College at 1 p.m.
