Alcantara Locked In Set One, Volleyball Fell in Five Sets Against Carolina
Quakers get knocked off by Bruins in five-set matchup despite strong start
from Reagan Hune, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant at Guilford College
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Chrisbel Alcantara (San Juan, P.R.) was focused from the jump as she collected 17.5 overall points and a .394 clip, Natalie Moore (Talbott, Tenn.) had seven digs paired with three aces, and Kaci Johnson (Winterville, N.C.) finished with 11.0 points and five digs in the loss against Carolina University, 3-2 (25-20, 17-25, 25-16, 19-25, 13-15) on Tuesday evening on Jack Jensen Court in the Ragan-Brown Field House.
Key contributors for Guilford were Alcantara who finished the night with 16 kills, Kaci Johnson tallying ten kills, and Moore with nine kills. Meanwhile, teammate Maddi Page (Jonesboro, Ga.) earned another assist/dig double-double of 38 and 11, respectively.
Stars for Carolina included Sion Murrain who controlled the match with game-high 20 kills, Kamara King who finished with a dozen kills and digs, and Rebecca Walker who ended the night with game-high 28 digs.
It was a showdown in set one up until 13-11 due to kills from Alcantara, Page, Kaci and Vanessa Johnson (Charlotte, N.C.), and Madison Duvall (Sophia, N.C.) who ended with game-high four assisted blocks. GC extended their lead by four unanswered points, driven by two of Vanessa Johnson’s four kills, a play from Alcantara, and an attacking error from CU. Carolina returned the favor by scoring the next four points, making it 17-16. Kills from Alcantara, who tallied five kills in this single set, and Duvall followed along with a handful of attacking errors from the Bruins. The Quakers snatch the first set, 25-20.
A kill from Kaci Johnson started set two on the right foot for Guilford right before the flood gates were opened for Murrain as the next three points belonged to her, making it 8-3 Carolina. Alcantara and Vanessa Johnson were responsible for the spark GC had in order to create a 4-0 run. Included in this run was a service ace, a Kaci Johnson kill, and a series of attacking errors from CU. Even after climbing out of the hole the Quakers were in to make it 14-13, the Bruins rebutted with a 7-1 run with a couple of kills coming from Murrain and a point from Sarah Elizabeth Samueals, leaving it 21-14. Moore secured a kill to briefly halt Guilford’s slump, but ultimately, Hayley Stull, King, along with an ace and an attacking error, propelled the Bruins to a 25-17 set victory.
During set three, GC had a 7-3 run to start things off. A kill by Alcantara, Kaci Johnson, and Moore soon followed, all assisted by Page. These kills happened right before Moore earned two of her three service aces back-to-back, making the score 11-4. A 6-0 extension was made by Guilford thanks to two attacking errors, double service aces from Page, a bad set, and a kill from Alcantara. Carolina countered by scoring the next seven of eight points, two of these being Murrain’s. GC fired back with a 7-2 push with the help of kills stemming from Page and Moore. Guilford was the victor of set three, 25-16.
Murrain owned set four as she walked away with six kills in this set alone. The Quakers were off to a slower start as the Bruins brought a 16-5 edge. The 6-1 run woke up the Guilford offense with kills from Moore, Duvall, Alcantara, and a service ace coming from Madison Bozarth (Greensboro, N.C.), who finished with team-high 15 digs. Zoe Whisnant (Greensboro, N.C.), with eight digs, delivered an ace while Moore and Alcantara contributed to make the score 19-15. Kaci Johnson, who ended the match with ten kills and 10.5 points, and Moore put up a fight towards the end of the set, however Carolina came out on top, winning the set with a score of 25-19.
The fifth set was where Alcantara shined yet again with four kills. Carolina and Guilford were evenly matched towards the start of the set as Alcantara, Moore, Samueals and Stully had everyone on their toes. The intense back-and-forth showcased a crucial test of resilience for both teams, with a pattern emerging where neither side could score more than two points consecutively. Although the Quakers and the Bruins fought tooth and nail, Carolina escaped with the set win of 15-13. The final score of the match ended in CU’s favor, 3-2.
Guilford will be back on Jack Jensen Court before the next stretch of away games facing ODAC opponent Randolph College on Friday, October 11th, at 6 PM.
#GoQuakes