Oliver's 21 kills lead volleyball past Houston in 5 sets

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Win Thrilling Five-Setter Against Houston
Oliver has second straight 20+ kill performance

Oct. 2, 2011

DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU volleyball team rallied to take the final two sets for a 3-2 victory over the Houston Cougars Sunday in Moody Coliseum behind Jessica Oliver's 21-kill performance, her second-straight match with at least 20 kills.

Dana Powell finished with 15 kills and 13 digs, while freshman Caroline Young added 10. The Mustangs had a season-high 14.5 blocks, led by Courtney Manning who had 10 blocks and eight kills. Kelli Becerra had 28 assists and a team-high 18 digs, and Sidney Stewart added 16 digs.

With the 3-2 victory (26-28, 27-25, 12-25, 25-21, 15-12) the Mustangs improved to 5-11, 1-3 in Conference USA, while Houston fell to 10-5, 3-2 in C-USA.

In the fifth set, the Mustangs were the first team to eight points, forcing the side change with an 8-6 lead, but Houston evened it up with the next two points. SMU head coach Lisa Seifert called a timeout, and the Mustangs responded with the next three points, a kill by Carla Armstrong, a block by Manning and Young, and an ace by Sidney Stewart. The Cougars didn't get within two points down the stretch, and Powell closed out the match with a thundering kill.

The Mustangs continuously fought off rallies by the Cougars in the fourth set, tenaciously working to force a fifth set. Trailing 10-9, SMU went on a 4-0 run to take a 13-10 lead. The Mustangs extended the lead to four, but the Cougars managed to tie the set at 17-17. Houston retook the lead 18-17, and led 19-18, but the Mustangs out-scored the Cougars 7-2 to end the fourth set, scoring the final three points on kills by Oliver for a 25-21 victory to force a decisive fifth set.

Each of the first two sets took extra points to determine a winner. SMU rallied from as many as six points down in the first set and fought off four straight set points to tie the score 24-24, but the Cougars eventually took an early lead in the match with a 28-26 win in the set.

SMU bounced back to take the second set 27-25. The Mustangs again had to rally from behind late in the set, this time trailing 23-20. SMU tied the set 23-23, and then erased a pair of set points by the Cougars before Manning teamed up with Young and again with Powell for a pair of blocks to end the set.

The Mustangs will play at Tulsa Wed. at 7 p.m., before returning to Moody Coliseum on Sat., Oct. 8 against Tulane at 2 p.m. SMU is teaming with the Side-Out Foundation and participating in the Dig Pink program to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer awareness during the Tulane match.

[Dutch]

way to go Jessica! Go Ponies