Furman Spikers Emerge with Win Over The Citadel

Final	1	2	3	4	5	T
Furman (18-7, 11-2)	25	25	25			3
Citadel (7-20, 0-13)	16	18	22			0

Furman	Citadel
K: Kelly Kirby - 11 B: Alexis Shaffer - 5 D: Carolyn Nicoletti - 21 SA: 2 Players (#6, #12 - 2)	K: Rachael Farrell - 10 B: 4 Players (#1, #9, #11, #14 - 1) D: Rachael Farrell - 16 SA: 3 Players (#1, #4, #7 - 1)

TEAM STATISTICS	Furman	Citadel
Hitting %	.336	.138
Blocks	7.5	2.0
Digs	53	46
Aces	5	3

full stats

Charleston, S.C. – The tandem of Rachael Farrell and Ise d'Angelo combined for 18 kills, but The Citadel was unable to topple Furman, who emerged in three sets by scores of 25-16, 25-18 and 25-22 at McAlister Field House on Friday evening.

Farrell notched her second double-double of the season, finishing with 16 digs and 10 kills. Meanwhile, d'Angelo added eight kills and seven digs, helping the Bulldogs finish with 36 kills as a unit. Teammates Alexa Dahlstrom (14 assists) and Erin Bucherl (12 assists) guided the team to 33 total assists. The Citadel slipped to 7-20 overall, 0-13 in Southern Conference.

Kelly Kirby's 11 kills led six Furman players in kills. Joining Kirby among the leaders up front were Caroline Adams and Natalie Braun, who each finished with nine kills, along with Alexis Shaffer's eight kills. The Paladins (18-7, 11-2) closed with 46 team kills and a .336 attack percentage. Defensively, Furman was anchored by 21 kills from Carolyn Nicoletti. The Paladin pair of Kirby and Braun led the team in assists with 21 and 20 assists, respectively.

Kirby and Braun drove home four kills apiece as Furman captured the opening set by a score of 25-16. The Paladins jumped out to an early 5-3 lead before a kill by Lauren Hurt and a service ace by Emily Dalton quickly tied the game at five all. The Paladins regained their composure and put together an 11-4 run, highlighted by three Kirby kills, to take a 16-9 lead. They maintained their seven-point advantage before a series of kills by Adams and Braun brought the set to a close, 25-16.

The Citadel answered with a strong showing in the second set, assuming an 8-5 lead early after a kill by Farrell and an unforced error by Kirby. The lead remained at two, 10-8, before the Paladins capitalized on two attack errors and a Braun kill for the 12-10 lead. After enduring four ties, the last coming at 15-15, Furman used the six kills on the front row to close out the 25-18 victory.

The third set was a similar back-and-forth battle as that of the second, with Furman jumping out to an early 7-5 lead on a kill by Kirby. The Citadel fell behind by four points on two occasions over the next 10 points, before drawing even, 12-12, on kill by Bucherl. Furman regained a slim lead before Bucherl's service game allowed Jessica Maxwell to tally her second kill of the set and pull even with the Paladins, 16-16. The game reached a climatic 22-22 tie, following a late d'Angelo kill, before a pair of kills by Braun and Shaffer completed the sweep, 25-22.

The Bulldogs will host Wofford on Saturday, Nov. 5, with match time set for 4 p.m. The home season concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 8, when the Cadets host crosstown rival College of Charleston at 6 p.m.

For more information on Bulldog Volleyball, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.CitadelSports.com.