Sept. 10, 2004
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette volleyball team opened its home tournament with an impressive three-set win against Sacred Heart (1-4) on Friday night.
Lafayette (4-3) put down 15 kills and made just four errors in the first game, a 30-17 win. Sophomores Veronica Canto-Ponce and Shannon Fisher combined for 11 of the Leopards' 15 kills in a 30-18 second game.
Each game was competitive through the first 20 points, and then the Leopards were able to make a push to open a commanding lead on both occasions.
Lafayette closed the third game, and the match, with an 8-2 run after the score was 22-21.
Canto-Ponce finished with 15 kills on 27 attacks, for a .481 hitting percentage. Fisher was nearly as good, with 11 kills and a .364 attack percentage. Senior setter Heidi Olichwier set the two big hitters up all night and posted 35 assists while recording five kills of her own.
Four Leopards were in double-figures in digs, led by freshmen Michaela Donohue (15) and Lauren Dalsky (12).
In the evening's first match, Howard (1-5) opened up a 2-1 lead but was unable to hold off the comeback of Fairleigh Dickinson (1-3), which won its first match of the year in five sets.
Each side had three hitters with 10 or more kills. Howard's Kollin Hoskins had a match-high 21 kills on 31 attacks, and setter Shannon Grant had 49 assists.
Fairleigh Dickinson's two setters led their team to a .239 hitting percentage, including 8 kills on 15 attacks in the deciding game. Elena Schmidt (17), Sharon Becker (15) and Kate Tucker (13) led the Knights in kills, while Schmidt had 22 digs.
The final four matches of the tournament will be played tomorrow, with Lafayette hosting Howard at 10 a.m. The Leopards will close the day's action with a 4 p.m. match against Fairleigh Dickinson.
