Sept. 10, 2005
Quinnipiac Box Score
Hartford Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette women's volleyball team picked up a pair of wins in the final day of its own invitational, defeating Quinnipiac and Hartford, to remain undefeated for the weekend. The Leopards' 3-1 win over Hartford marked the team's seventh straight victory.
The Leopards competed in the day's opening match and handed Quinnipiac a 3-0 loss. The Leopards maintained a fairly safe margin of victory, winning 30-25, 30-23, 30-26.
Lafayette's top three hitters showed their power against the Bobcats, as junior Veronica Canto-Ponce, senior Catherine Herchenroder and sophomore Michaela Donohue combined for 39 of the team's 62 kills. Canto-Ponce recorded a match-high 14, while Herchenroder and Donohue chipped in with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.
Lafayette held the Bobcats to a .224 hitting percentage, as Quinnipiac's Katlyn Hundley finished with a team-best nine kills. Quinnipiac fell to 0-5 on the season.
In the nightcap, Lafayette rebounded from a game-one loss to defeat Hartford 3-1. The Leopards dropped the first game, 30-23 before mounting a 30-28, 30-23, 30-23 comeback. Both teams entered the match undefeated on the weekend.
In the second set, Lafayette pulled ahead early, but Hartford capitalized on two straight Lafayette attack errors to go ahead 11-9. Lafayette rebounded and knotted the score at 11 with a kill from freshman setter Megan Carter. The teams exchanged points as the game remained close throughout.
With the score tied at 28 apiece, Carter found Canto-Ponce for the kill to put the Leopards up 29-28. Donohue finished the job as she drilled a kill to the right corner to complete the comeback.
The ensuing sets were very similar, as again Lafayette went ahead early only to see the Hawks pull back within striking distance.
In the third set, Lafayette's Kathleen Kretzmer ended the game with an ace to force the fourth set. In the final game, sophomore Venessa Wilcox earned the match point with a kill, sealing the Lafayette win.
The Leopards improved to 7-1 as the team went 4-0 on the weekend.
Lafayette returns to action Sept. 16-17 at the Marist Red Fox Invitational. Tournament participants include host Marist, Stony Brook and Dartmouth.
