Sept. 17, 2004

DETROIT - The Warrior volleyball team dominated Gannon University in a 3-0 sweep Friday night on Wayne State's new parquet court of the Matthaei Center. WSU, who won 30-16, 30-15 and 30-24, improves to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with its second straight win over the Lady Knights (10-5, 1-1 GLIAC).

Junior outside hitter Megan Smolen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) set the pace for the Warriors with three straight kills for a 10-4 WSU lead in game one. After a couple of blocks by Wayne State, the Warriors held a 20-10 advantage. Then with a block solo by Elisa Joris (Walled Lake, Mich.) and one of Kerri Royer's (Lawton, Mich.) match-high six service aces, WSU went up 26-14. Redshirt sophomore Kristi Pieper (Roseville, Mich.) then hammered down the game-winning kill after two GU errors.

More blocking by Smolen and Sofi Berczely (Buenos Aires, Argentina) helped Wayne State jump out to an early lead in game two. The Warriors doubled-up Gannon, 24-12, as senior Toni Purgatori (Yale, Mich.) pounded down a Royer set and WSU went on to win 30-15.

Game three was close when Joris was left alone at the net for a big kill and a 24-21 Wayne State lead. Gannon came within one, 25-24, but Royer served out the game, including two more aces, for first-year head coach Ernie Gilbert's first conference win.

The Lady Knights had a negative hitting percentage in the first two games thanks to WSU's blocking. The Warriors recorded 12 total blocks in the match with Joris leading the way with two solo and six block assists.

The Warriors limited their errors, recording a .224 hitting percentage overall and allowed only two service aces while piling up 11 aces themselves.

Smolen (11 kills, 13 digs) and Pieper (10 kills, 11 digs) both recorded double-doubles and libero Sei Hee Hwang (Toronto, Ont.) led the team with 16 kills.

Wayne State hosts another GLIAC South Division opponent, Mercyhurst College, Saturday at 4 p.m.