VCU’S DRAMATIC RALLY FALLS JUST SHORT, 3-2
9-25-2008
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – It was the comeback that almost was.

Virginia Commonwealth University climbed out of a big early hole, but came up just shy of completing the comeback in a 3-2 (25-15, 25-23, 23-25, 17-25, 18-16) loss to William & Mary Thursday night at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

Sophomore Ariel Newman (Greensboro, N.C.) and senior Elisa Kuehnel (Dresden, Germany) recorded 14 and 12 kills, respectively, to pace the Rams (7-6, 0-1 CAA). The Tribe (11-3, 1-0 CAA), which has won eight straight matches, snapped VCU’s four-match winning streak in the series between the two schools.

In a fifth set that featured six ties and four lead changes, Kuehnel helped bring the Rams back from the brink of defeat. Trailing 14-13, VCU pulled even when Kuehnel and junior Ivana Rich (Cumberland, Va.) combined on a block. On the following play, Kuehnel took a soft, arching William & Mary attack and hammered it to the floor for a 15-14 lead. The Tribe’s Lauren Powell knotted the score moments later with a kill, and the two teams traded the next two points.

At 16-16, William & Mary took the lead when Erin Skipper converted a Kim Mount assist. Mount then combined with Katie McCarney on right-side double block to clinch the match.

VCU stumbled out of the gate, recording 21 hitting errors in the first two sets on the way to a 2-0 deficit.

But in set three, the Rams turned up the defense, held the Tribe to an .077 hitting percentage, and gained a 25-23 win.

Rich took over in fourth set, blasting six of her nine kills and hitting .857, in a 25-17 victory to knot the contest at 2-2. VCU also got a boost from freshman Marketa Janeckova (Olomouc, Czech Republic) who came off the bench to provide four kills in five swings.

Rich finished with nine kills and four blocks, sophomore Jessica Ojukwu (Sao Paulo, Brazil) chipped in 11 kills and three blocks and senior Laryssa Goncalves (Curitiba, Brazil) (pictured) managed 23 digs for the Black and Gold.

Skipper and Bray combined for 24 kills and eight blocks to lead William & Mary.

VCU returns to the court on Tuesday, Sept. 30 when in meets Liberty in Lynchburg, Va. at 7 p.m.