Sophomore Kirsten Boyd of the LaGrange College volleyball team finished with 59 assists and 25 digs in two matches against Covenant Friday afternoon in Mariotti Gym, but the Scots emerged victorious in both matches.
"Covenant outplayed us today," said LaGrange College volleyball head coach Madison Machurek. "Ultimately, we made too many errors. We gave them 18 points in service errors and reception errors combined in the first match. Regardless, the girls fought hard each set. We were very dependent on our outside hitters due to a high percentage of out-of-system passes. I am proud of our outsides for handling the pressure in both matches."
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Prior to the first match, the Panthers honored graduating senior Hailey Owen for her dedication to the LC volleyball program.
The Scots (9-4, 5-2 USA South) won the USA South-counting match, 3-0, and then followed up with a 3-1 win during the non-conference match. The Panthers (5-5, 4-2) are in a three-way tie with Berea and Huntingdon for the third-best record in the West Division. Maryville (11-1, 7-0) and Covenant are in the No. 1 and 2 slots, respectively.
The top-four teams qualify for the 2021 USA South West Division Tournament, with the top-two seeds hosting first-round games on April 14. The winners will meet in the divisional championship match on April 17.
In the two matches, the Panthers received strong performances by junior McKenzie Richards (21 kills, 14 digs) and freshman Heidi Shrontz (15 kills). Sophomore Ariel Modeste (9 kills), freshman Journey Oden (9 kills) and senior Yasmin Roper (8 kills) played vital roles.
Sophomore Bailey Moss (19 digs), freshman Maggie Vo (13 digs) and sophomore Bre Dufault (12 digs) all logged big minutes in the back row.
MATCH ONE (COVENANT 3, LAGRANGE 0):
Boyd finished with 21 assists, tied for the most in the match with Covenant's Rachel Bartlett. Bartlett tallied 10 digs and Boyd had nine of her own. At the net, Richards and Shrontz registered nine and six kills, respectively.
A service ace by Richards evened the first set at 4-4. The Scots took control with a 6-0 surge, building a 10-4 lead on a kill by Sara Delk. A kill by Bartlett sealed a 25-14 first-set victory for Covenant.
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Covenant raced out to a 9-4 lead in the second game, but LaGrange fought back and went on a 10-5 run. Richards slammed a kill off a set by Vo, evening the set at 14-14. LaGrange built a 20-17 lead on three straight service points by Boyd. Covenant closed out the set, scoring eight of the final nine points, as back-to-back aces by Delk gave the visitors a 25-21 win.
An ace by Moss brought LC to within two at 9-7 in the third set. A kill by Alexa Spurling gave the Scots a 19-12 lead during a 25-16 third-set triumph.
MATCH TWO (COVENANT 3, LAGRANGE 1):
Richards posted a match-high 12 kills and Boyd led all players with 38 assists. Boyd and Moss each tallied a match-high 16 digs. Bartlett led the Scots with 30 assists and 13 digs.
A kill by Richards, assisted by Boyd, gave LaGrange a 4-3 advantage in the first set. The Panthers took an 18-17 lead behind back-to-back service points by Vo. Covenant won the first set, 25-22, with the game-clinching kill coming from Grace Logterman.
The Panthers rallied from a 21-16 deficit to win Game 2, 25-23. Richards gave the hosts a 23-22 advantage with a kill, and then sophomore Karson Troth slammed the game-sealing kill.
The Scots won the third and fourth sets by scores of 25-12 and 25-13, respectively.
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THE HAILEY OWEN PROFILE:
Owen appeared in 20 matches and 49 sets during the 2019 indoor season, finishing with 80 digs and seven aces. The defensive specialist recorded a career-high 11 digs during matches against Centre and Maryville.
The Jonesboro, Georgia, native was a part of the first beach volleyball team in school history, competing at the second flight in three matches during the 2020 season. She participated in the first match in program history on Feb. 21, 2020, against Huntingdon in Waveland, Mississippi.
Owen has accomplished a great deal off the court. She has worked a part-time job, while being a student-athlete and managing a 21-credit course load. She has overcome and managed a lifelong chronic skin condition.
Owen started school at LaGrange College in 2019 and will earn her degree in 2021. She is majoring in sociology and minoring in criminology.
UP NEXT:
The Panthers will compete in a doubleheader against Huntingdon, starting at 6 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday in Montgomery, Alabama. The first match will be the USA South-counting one.
"The girls will have a few days off to recover and will be back to business Monday," said Machurek. "Huntingdon will be another tough match. We have some work to do with our fundamentals."
Assistant Sports Information Director Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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