MARIETTA, Ohio - The unforgettable Centre volleyball season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as the Colonels fell in four sets to the University of Chicago in their postseason debut.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- The opening set went back and forth as the Colonels held a small lead for the majority of it. Centre held an 18-15 lead before Chicago stormed back with an 8-1 run to take control as the Maroons eventually won by a score of 25-21.
- In the second set, the Colonels dominated from the onset. Centre had one of its hottest starts to a set all season long, outscoring Chicago 13-1 at the beginning and never looking back as
Abby Swartz put home the winning kill on a 25-16 Centre victory to tie the match.
- Chicago utilized an early 7-0 run to grab the lead in the third set and while the Colonels kept it close for a while, they were unable to get back over the hump, with the Maroons retaking the lead in the match with a 25-16 win after scoring the final six points.
- In the fourth set it was Chicago who got off to the hot start as they outscored Centre 9-2 to begin the set. The Colonels could get no closer than four the rest of the way and Chicago took the match with a 25-15 win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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Ally Knueven led the Colonels with 12 kills, followed by 11 each from
Mack Turner and
Hollye Tate. Turner hit .500 for the match, tying for a game high among qualified hitters.
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Emily Gardner led the way with a game high 45 assists.
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June Padilla led all players with 26 digs, with
Emersyn Pannell recording 13 and Gardner finishing with ten.
Centre's final record in their finest volleyball season in program history is 22-7 with an SAA regular season title, a sweep of the SAA major postseason awards and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
