Red Team Serves Way Past White Team in Scrimmage
August 18, 2012 | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 18, 2012
LOUISVILLE - The Louisville volleyball team concluded their preseason with the Red-White Scrimmage on Saturday evening in Cardinal Arena. After starting out slow and dropping the first set, the Red Team stormed back and never looked back after a 15-0 run in the third set.
"I had a lot of fun and it is great to see the tradition continue. The program is in such good hands," said guest alumna coach Becky Verst Houston. "I am just glad I didn't have to put on the bun-huggers and play."
Courtney Robison served up five aces during the monster run in the third set for the Red Team and added five digs for the White Team. Three of the aces were consecutive to put any chance of a comeback by the White Team out of reach.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Lola Arslanbekova slammed home nine of her match-high 20 kills in the third set and finished the third set hitting .529. The senior narrowly missed a double-double finishing with nine digs.
"What I can't get over is the height of the girls at every position," said alumna Denise Dzik Ranney. "I was tall for a setter back in the day and our middle, Donna Webb, from my era are the size of the defensive specialists. The game has changed so much in terms of physicality and speed, but it really is the same game I played."
Newcomers Davionna Holmes and Allie Miller showed lots of promise for the white team. Holmes dominated at the net finishing with seven kills and six blocks on the evening while Miller tallied a match-high 13 digs.
Gwen Rucker added nine kills and four blocks for the Red Team. Senior Kaitlynn James added nine kills and four digs.
The evening also recognized numerous alumnae of the volleyball program who were in attendance. Those alumnae included: Denise Dzik Ranney, Beth Kuhnell, Sherry Hurley, Donna Webb, Kathie Carman, Laurie Maxwell Londot, Tina Naehr Davies, Gina Smith Blumeier, Jennifer Craven, Shannon Dingwall Greenwald, Sonia Gubaidulina, Janet Craddock Vanlieu, Kelly Giloolly Watts, Michelle Husted, Dawn Wafzig, Tiffany Cebe Winters, Tatiana Kolesnikova, Becky Verst Houston, Lindsey Mango, Maci Wachtel, Anne Kordes and Sarah Drury Petkovich.
The University of Louisville volleyball team opens their season with the Active Ankle Challenge on August 24-25. The Cardinals will play Western Kentucky on August 24 at 7:30 p.m. before taking on Morehead State at 11 a.m. and Penn State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
