On Saturday the Golden Eagles logged a four-hour drive to take on WVU Potomac State (17-3) in Keyser, WV. It was the second time they faced off against a top NJCAA team on the road this season and the second time they recorded an in-transit victory against a perennial power JUCO---winning 3-1 over the host Catamounts. The Eagles are now 7-0 on the road this season and also ended PSC's nine-game winning streak.
With the score tied 17-17 in the first set, KSU Tusc went on a 7-0 run to take a 24-17 lead with Makenzie Ailes serving. She aided herself with two service aces and Alivia Spaulding assisted with two stuffing blocks at the net as the Eagles took control. Lizzy Keller ended the set with a kill down the left sideline for a 25-20 win to take a 1-0 match lead.
The Eagles opened the second set with a 5-0 lead thanks to the serving of Kylie Culbertson, but PSC rallied back with seven straight points for a 7-5 lead. The stanza was knotted 9-9 as the teams traded the lead four times and were tied five times, before KSU Tusc grabbed the upper hand taking a 19-14 lead as Ailes once again held service. KSU Tusc outscored the hosts 11-4 down the stretch taking a 2-0 match lead with a 25-18 victory.
Potomac State kept the Golden Eagles at bay for most of the third set after taking an early 4-0 lead. And even though the Catamounts never built more than a four-point lead, the navy and gold just could not gain any traction as they fell 25-22 but still led the match 2-1.
In what would be the final set of the day, the Eagles broke open a 6-6 set with a flurry of six consecutive points for a 12-6 lead. The spurt was led by two Spaulding kills, a block by Culbertson and an Addison Gordon ace.
They went on a 5-0 spree soon after on two Cayla Shrimplin aces and a Taliyah Johnson kill to blow the set open 17-7. They were not seriously challenged as they took a 25-18 set win with the winner coming on a patented Keller kill down the sideline for the match winning point in a 3-1 victory.
The No. 2 ranked Golden Eagles won their fifth match in a row and are now 15-2 on the season. The travel to Cincinnati Clermont on Saturday, October 28th in a 1 p.m. dual and have two matches left in the regular season.
Lizzy Keller tracks down a serve and Taliyah Johnson sends down a kill in a recent match.
(Photos by Patty Tolloti)