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 Seniors Kelita Sinclair, Megan Smolen, Kerri Royer and Elisa Joris with |
Nov. 5, 2005
DETROIT - For the first time since 1999, the Wayne State volleyball team earned a berth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament thanks to a 3-1 (30-23, 28-30, 30-20, 30-17) win over visiting Mercyhurst College on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei.
Elisa Joris (Walled Lake, Mich./Western) showed her senior leadership by starting the first game with a pair of aces for a 6-4 lead. Another ace by senior Megan Smolen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) and two more by junior Kristi Pieper (Roseville, Mich./Fraser) gave the Warriors a 14-9 lead. Later in the game, back row specialist Michelle Bittner (Hamtramck, Mich./Regina) recorded a serve receive for a kill and senior setter Kerri Royer (Lawton, Mich./Kalamazoo Central) had the game-winning point on a tip that surprised the Lakers.
After switching sides of the court, game two saw 13 ties. The Warriors led 28-26 when Mercyhurst called a timeout then scored the final four points of the game to even the match at one game each.
The Lakers' momentum looked like it was continuing early in the third with a 5-2 lead, but WSU went on a 5-0 run capped off by a block by Joris and Smolen. Smolen then had a kill land deep in the back corner for a 23-18 advantage followed by a block by Holly Soldenski (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) and Jordan Peek (Birch Run, Mich./Frankenmuth), forcing another MC timeout. The Warriors scored nine of the final 11 points of the game, including two aces by Pieper and a block by Nicole Jackson (Lansing, Mich./Sexton) and Joris, to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Joris dominated early and often in the final game. She recorded four blocks and two kills in WSU's first nine points as the Warriors were up 9-1. Joris then had a kill and block solo to put Wayne State ahead 23-12. Smolen then got hot with back-to-back kills and a service ace to end the match and send the seniors out with a win.
Joris finished with her second career triple-double with 17 kills, 13 total blocks and 12 digs. The block total (two solo and 11 assists) ties her career mark. Smolen added 13 kills and 11 digs as Jackson totaled six blocks on the day.
The Warriors (15-9, 7-9 GLIAC) host Gannon Sunday at 1 p.m. before heading to Ashland for a GLIAC Quarterfinal match-up on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
