Volleyball Outlasts Ohio for 3-2 Win

Saturday, September 12

CARDINAL ARENA

7:30 PM

University of Louisville

5-3

OHIO

7-3

OHIO

Louisville

Tess Clark

September 12, 2015 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Nancy Worley

Senior outside hitter Erin Fairs had 22 kills, leading five Louisville players in double figures as the Cardinals came out on top of a five set slugfest 25-19, 25-27, 23-25, 25-22, 15-9 in the final match of the Active Ankle Volleyball Challenge at Cardinal Arena in Louisville, Ky.

Louisville was crowned tournament champions as they hit .228 for the match compared to .163 for Ohio. Tess Clark added 19 kills, hitting a torrid .760. Maya McClendon 13, Maggie DeJong 10, and Janelle Jenkins contributed a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs to pace the Cards offensive attack. MVP Katie George finished with a double-double of her own, including a season-high 67 assists along with 12 digs. Freshman libero Molly Sauer added 30 digs. The Bobcats were led by Jaime Kosiorek's double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs and Shelby Walker added 11 kills.

"That was a heck of a comeback. Their defense and blocking got us tentative. We started getting tight," UofL head coach Anne Kordes said. "Tess kept us in the match. We scouted out the 3-1 play and I'm just amazed that she was able to keep running it."

In the first, Louisville jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead but Ohio battled back and eventually used a 5-0 run to take a15-12 advantage. The Cards then used a 7-1 run of their own, including two Janelle Jenkins aces, to gain a 19-16 lead on a block by Maggie DeJong. A Cardinals 5-2 run, paced by two kills and a block from Tess Clark gave Louisville set point at 24-18. Tess Clark's sixth kill of the set gave Louisville the 25-19 victory.

The second set was tightly contested early before the Cardinals rallied with a 7-1 run as three straight Tess Clark kills forced an Ohio timeout with Louisville holding a 13-8 lead. Ohio hung around and pulled within 20-19 using a 7-2 run to force a UofL timeout. The Bobcats took their first lead of the set at 21-20 on a kill by Mallory Salis, and forced another Louisville timeout ahead 23-22. The Cardinals hung tough but an ace by Mallory Salis gave Ohio the 27-25 win.

Ohio took an early 7-3 lead in the third and led until the Cards gained their first lead of the set at 15-14. A 10-4 Bobcats run gave Ohio set point at 24-19. Louisville climbed back within 24-22 behind three straight kills from Erin Fairs to force a second Bobcats timeout. A kill for Aubree Hord earned the Bobcats a 25-23 third set win.

In the fourth, the Cardinals built a 10-8 lead before using a 10-1 run to extend their advantage to 20-9. A quick Ohio 5-1 run forced a Louisville timeout as the Cards led 21-14. Ohio chipped away with a 7-2 run to force another UofL timeout with the Cards leading 23-22. Kills by Erin Fairs and Tess Clark closed out the set for Louisville, 25-22.

The Cardinals stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth but the Bobcats hung tough before back-to-back Maya McClendon kills forced a timeout with Louisville clinging to a 7-5 lead. A 4-2 Cards run capped by an Erin Fairs kill forced another Ohio timeout with UofL leading 11-7. Back-to-back Erin Fairs kills closed out the final set 15-9 and the match for the Cardinals.

"Janelle Jenkins struggled at the midpoint but came in and got us three big time kills early in the fifth set," Kordes said. "Great match and a good win against one of the scrappiest teams we've played. I loved the way we fought back for the win."

All Tournament Team
Adora Anae. Utah
Tessa Fournier, Seton Hall
Meredith Ashy, Ohio
Abby Gilleland, Ohio
Molly Sauer, UofL
Tess Clark, UofL
Katie George, UofL **MVP**