Volleyball Drops Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge Opener

Friday, September 14

Iowa City, Iowa

4:30 p.m.

Ball State University

vs. College of Charleston

Volleyball Drops Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge Opener

September 14, 2007 | Women's Volleyball

By: Ball State Athletics

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Despite double-digit kills from Abby LaVigne (Swanton, Ohio/Swanton H.S.) and Brittany May (Gaston, Ind./Wes-Del H.S.), the Ball State women's volleyball team suffered a 3-0 (30-24, 30-15, 30-25) setback to the College of Charleston in the opening match of the Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge Friday afternoon in Iowa City, Iowa.

With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 1-9 on the year, while the Cougars improve to 5-3.

LaVigne finished the contest with a match-high tying 11 kills, marking the third time this season the freshman outside hitter had smashed double-figure kills. She also added three digs and a block assists.

May, who came off the bench in the second game, collected 10 kills in the final two frames, while adding a dig and a block assists.

Defensively, freshman libero Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) paced all players with 19 digs, marking the 10th-straight match she has collected double-digit digs. Rio, who ranks first in the Mid-American Conference with a 6.41 digs-per-game average, also scored a career-high four service aces.

The Cardinals opened the match strong, pulling out to a 9-3 advantage in the opening set, thanks in part to a pair of kills from LaVigne. BSU maintained a five-point advantage at the 14-9 mark, only to see the Cougars rally off the next six points to take a 15-14 edge.

After playing to an 18-18 tie, a kill from COC's Tiffany Blum and back-to-back BSU attack errors put the Cougars ahead for good at 21-18. Blum ended the game at 30-24 with back-to-back kills.

In the second game, the Cardinals built a 5-3 advantage, only to see the Cougars post an 11-1 run to take control of the set. COC went on to win the game 30-15.

The third stanza was a back and forth battle through the first 36 points, with the teams playing to an 18-18 deadlock. Unfortunately, four-straight College of Charleston points put the Cougars ahead for good, as they won the game 30-25.

Blum was COC's top attacker, logging 11 kills in the contest, while Deanna Patrick and Annie Uthe each scored 10. Cole Dawley was one of four Cougars with double-digit digs, logging 13.

For the match, the College of Charleston held a .236 (45-15-127) to .043 (33-27-140) attacking advantage, while out-blocking the Cardinals 10 to 5, and out-digging BSU 63 to 56. Ball State held a 7 to 6 advantage in aces, thanks to Rio's career-high of four.

Ball State continues play in the Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge Saturday, with a 10 a.m. (CT) match versus host Iowa, and a 5 p.m. (CT) contest versus Texas-Arlington.