NEWARK, Del. – The Elon volleyball team fought hard but fell to Delaware in a 3-2 final (24-26, 26-24, 25-18, 13-25, 7-15) tonight, Oct. 31, in the Bob Carpenter Center.
The Phoenix (6-20, 2-10) was led by a double-double from Sydney Busa, her seventh of the season, after 16 kills and 10 digs. Kam Terry posted 13 kills, while Ebony Scott finished with 11 kills in the match. Sydel Curry also tallied 47 assists and 12 digs for another double-double for the maroon and gold.
“We played some really good volleyball tonight on the road against a strong Delaware team,” said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. “We just didn’t have enough left to finish. Credit goes to them for their execution at the end of the match.”
The Blue Hens (12-12, 4-7) saw 16 kills and 10 digs from Autumn Jenkins and 10 kills and 18 digs from Katie Hillman for two double-doubles, while Ariel Shonk posted a match-high 24 digs.
How it happened: Delaware got out to a 5-1 lead over the Phoenix in the first set before kills by Terry and Curry pulled Elon to within two, 17-15. A kill by Busa and another by Terry helped the maroon and gold pull within one, 22-21, but the Blue Hens would take the advantage and move it to a two-point victory, 26-24, to win the set.
With the second set tied at 10-all, blocks by Catherine Head, Busa and Terry and kills and an ace by Busa helped the Phoenix to a four-point advantage, 15-11. UD would even the set with the score at 24-all before a kill by Scott and an error by the Blue Hens gave Elon a 26-24 victory to claim the set, 26-24, and even the match at one-all.
After the break, Elon used kills by Terry, Head, Michelle Klein and Scott and aces by Busa and Head to move ahead by seven, 22-15. The Phoenix closed out the set with a block by Busa and a kill by Terry to win, 25-18, and gain the match lead, 2-1.
With the fourth set tied at four-all, UD used a 16-6 run to take 20-10 lead. The Blue Hens went on to claim a 25-13 final to win and send the match to a fifth set.
Delaware took the early lead in the fifth set, 5-2, forcing an early timeout by the Phoenix. The Blue Hens would move to a 10-2 advantage before kills by Terry, Curry and Kayla Agae moved the maroon and gold within six, 12-6. Delaware went on to take a 15-7 win to take the set and match, 3-2.
Up next: Elon takes its final road trip of the regular season next weekend, beginning with a match at College of Charleston on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. in Charleston, S.C.