Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Stetson University
Trojans Get Season Opening Win
8/28/2009 11:45:00 PM | Volleyball
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Trojans got 2009 started out on the right foot with a 3-1 victory over the Stetson Hatters on Friday evening at the Holiday Inn Invitational hosted by the Georgia Southern Eagles.
The win marks the first time that the Trojans have won a season-opener under head coach Sonny Kirkpatrick.
The Trojans took the first two games fairly easily, 25-18, 25-13. However, the Troy hit a bump in the road in game three, falling to the Hatters by a score of 22-25. However, the Trojans didn't falter in game four, cruising to a 25-9 win.
"With the exception of the third set, we played really well," Kirkpatrick said, "we finished hitting at .366 which is great."
The Trojans were led offensively by senior Meghan Gilroy who posted a .469 attack percentage and 20 kills. Also pacing the Trojans was junior setter Megan Henderson who accounted for 51 of Troy's 61 assists. Sophomore Brittany McClelland had a career day by spiking down a career-high 15 kills. Troy was led defensively by Emily Strader who had 12 digs.
"Gilroy and Brittany both played well, and Henderson dished it out really well," Kirkpatrick said.
The Trojans took the first point of the season when Gilroy posted a kill off of a Henderson assist. Stetson then took the next two points to pull ahead 2-1.
However, after that, the Hatters didn't score consecutive points until after Troy had already posted 17 points of their own and led 17-10. It was then that the two former A-Sun foes traded points until the game was over with Troy taking game one 25-18.
Game one highlights included three of the first four points coming off of Gilroy kills. She finished the game with seven kills on eight attack attempts. Also during game one, Lauren Barney-Baker recorded two of her six total kills. The Trojans started three freshmen in game one: Kayla Giles, Devin Von Pingel and Lizzie Clough.
Game two was much of the same for Troy as they once again made quick work of the Hatters. The two teams went back and forth to start the game, splitting the first ten points and finding themselves tied 5-5.
Then the Trojans went a run that put the game away. Troy scored 10 of the next 13 points to build a 15-8 lead that the Hatters couldn't overcome. During that run the Trojans scored four points of the serve of Giles and five off of the serve of Emily Strader.
After that Stetson scored three of the next four to make the score 16-11, and then the Trojans then went on another run. This time they outscored Stetson 6-0 to make the score 22-11. In that run, Clough served six times and McClelland posted three straight kills, all off of Henderson assists.
Game three was a much different story as the two teams swap leads throughout. During this game Laura Mackley saw her first action of the season and scored the Trojans first three points with kills.
The two teams went back and forth all the way to a point when the Trojans lead 13-11. It was then that the Hatters rolled off five straight points to take a 13-16 lead. Stetson took four of the next seven to make the score 16-20. Then the Trojans took four straight to tie the score 20-20.
The squads traded points until they were tied at 22-22 before the Hatters took over and closed out the game. Mackley was the highlight of the set for the Trojans as she posted six kills.
"Mackley played very well in role we had her in," Kirkpatrick said.
The Trojans were able to make adjustments and close out the Hatters in set four, 25-9. Much like set two the Trojans and Hatters split the first ten points and found themselves tied 5-5. The Trojans once again went another run, scoring 13 of the next 16 to take an 18-8 lead. From that point, the match was all but over. Ironically, the match ended just the way it started, with a Gilroy kill off of a Henderson assist.
"We've got two tough ones tomorrow and hopefully we can get out there in the morning and start our season 2-0," Kirkpatrick said.
The Trojans will be back in action on Saturday morning when they take on the Presbyterian Blue Hose at 10 a.m. in the Holiday Inn Invitational, hosted by Georgia Southern.
