NEWARK, Del. – The Elon volleyball team rattled off its second straight conference win with a 3-2 (25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 20-25, 17-15) victory at Delaware tonight, Oct. 1, in the Bob Carpenter Center. The match was highlighted by career highs from four Phoenix players: Sydel Curry, Sydney Busa, Ebony Scott and Maddie Jaudon, as the maroon and gold claimed its first win over Delaware.
The Phoenix (15-4, 2-1) saw a career-high 62 assists (12.4/set) from Curry, who also tallied a double-double after 14 digs, as the team hit .245 in the match. Busa also recorded a double-double with a career-high 25 kills and matched another career-high with 17 digs. Scott posted a career-high 22 kills to hit .390, while Michelle Klein finished with 10 kills. On defense, Jaudon recorded 34 digs (6.8/set) and rookie Elizabeth Coil tallied a team-high five blocks.
The Blue Hens (6-10, 0-3) were led by 14 kills from both Autumn Jenkins and Daria Robinson, while Jenkins had a double-double with 20 digs. Maria Bellinger and
Julia Anderson also finished with double-doubles after 12 kills and 13 digs from Bellinger and 52 assists and 10 digs by Anderson. Taylor Hollingsworth led the team with 32 digs, while Robinson posted six blocks.
How it Happened
Kills by Klein and Busa put the Phoenix up early, 5-3, in the first set before the score reached a tie 12 more times to get to 16-all. The Blue Hens moved in front by two, 18-16, forcing an Elon timeout. From there, Kills by Scott, Coil and Busa helped the maroon and gold to a 5-1 run to take a 21-19 edge. With Elon holding a 21-20 advantage, kills by Scott, Kayla Agae and Busa helped the Phoenix to four straight to win the set, 25-21.
With the maroon and gold holding an 8-5 lead, a kill by Agae, an ace by Kam Terry and two blocks by Scott and Terry led to a 4-1 run to move in front by six, 12-6. Kills by Scott, Klein and Busa extended the lead to seven, 17-10, before three straight UD points forced the Phoenix to call a timeout, 17-13. Holding a 21-15 edge, four kills by Scott led to set point for Elon, 24-17. The Blue Hens would not give up and managed the next six straight to cut its deficit to one, 24-23, before another Scott kill sealed the set, 25-23.
The third set was tight with nine ties before Elon led by two, 20-18, forcing UD to call its first timeout. Back-to-back kills by Scott moved the Phoenix ahead by four, 22-18, leading to another Delaware timeout before the Blue Hens evened the set at 22-all. UD claimed three of the next four points to win the set, 25-23, and keep the match going.
With the Phoenix trailing by four, 13-9, in the fourth set, Elon scored four straight off kills by Coil, Busa and Scott to even the score at 13-all. A kill by Klein and a kill and an ace by Agae gave the maroon and gold its first lead of the set, 16-15. The set remained tight and reached its seventh tie at 20-all before UD claimed the final five points to send the match to a deciding fifth set, 25-20.
In the fifth and final set, kills by Scott and Klein put Elon up by two, 10-8. The Phoenix held on to the edge and reached set point frirst, 14-13, after a kill by Curry. The Blue Hens responded and moved in front, 15-14, with a chance to win the match. The maroon and gold answered with back-to-back kills by Scott and a final one from Terry to take the set, 17-15, and the match.
Up Next
Elon stays on the road to take on Towson in its next match on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in Towson, Md.