Tuesday, October 28, 2003

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (October 28, 2003) - East Tennessee State's volleyball team was swept by Southern Conference rival Appalachian State Monday night from Brooks Gym, 30-22, 30-22, and 30-25. With the victory, the Mountaineers increased their lead in the north division standings by improving to 9-3 in league play (11-14 overall). ETSU (6-19, 4-9 SoCon) struggled offensively throughout the evening, finishing with a .115 attack percentage. The Mountaineers recorded six of their 10 team blocks in game one en route to the three-game sweep. The Buccaneers first lead of the match didn't happen until game three, when the Bucs took a 6-5 advantage. There were 10 ties in the final game, and ETSU held the lead on four separate occasions. However, the Bucs were unable to sustain the small push of momentum to force a game four. "They are tall, they served the ball hard, and any ball that we tried to hit they got a hand on," said ETSU head coach Lindsey Devine of visiting ASU. "In order for us to be successful against them or any other team, we have to be able to pass the ball better." Karen Freeburg (New Castle, Ind.) led ETSU with 11 digs and three blocks, but her performance was marred by the Mountaineers strong defensive presence. Freeburg had seven kills on 33 attacks, which led to an attack percentage of just .091. Senior Lissa Allen (Palm Bay, Fla.) and freshman Kelsey Sherich (Ogallala, Neb.) paced the Bucs with nine kills each, and sophomore Kristi Robinson (Knoxville, Tenn.) tallied 35 assists. On the other side of the net, Katherine Dean and Jackie Jennings led the ASU assault. Dean registered 13 kills and four blocks, while Jennings finished with 12 kills and three blocks. Stefanie Panzer recorded a match-high .357 hitting percentage and five blocks. Rachel Gates led all players with 16 digs, followed by Starla Gustafson (12) and Amy Lewis (11). Gustafson also tallied three of the team's eight service aces. The Buccaneers have some time in which to prepare for their next opponent. ETSU will not be in action again until Tuesday, Nov. 4, when Western Carolina comes into town. The match is set for 6 p.m. in Brooks Gym.