PHOTO COURTESY OF A-STATE ATHLETICS

Arkansas State volleyball swept Old Dominion 3-0 on both days last weekend at home, clinching the win for the seniors in the last home game series of the season. 

It was an easy win for the Red Wolves volleyball team as Old Dominion didn’t make it into the 20s either day, including only scoring seven points during set three in Friday’s match.

A-State overwhelmed ODU first set of the first match, with the visitors only scoring once for every two home points. The most ODU scored in a row was two, only happening three times during the set. 

The Red Wolves, on the other hand, scored four in a row twice during the first set and only scored one before handing the serve back to ODU five times. A-State ended up taking the first set 25-14 after a four-score run, which included an ace by libero Libby Gee-Weiler. 

It seemed like Old Dominion woke up during the first set because after following two points from the Red Wolves with four of their own. That was short-lived, however, as A-State scored seven in a row, putting them up 9-4 early before reverting back to the same rhythm at the beginning.

Old Dominion and A-State continued their back and forth for a while; however, in the end, it didn’t matter as A-State took set two 25-15.

The Red Wolves started off red hot in the third set, scoring eight in a row, followed by multiple three-score runs, causing ODU to score only seven points throughout the entire set. A-State took set three and the match, 25-7.

Outside hitter Kaitlin Whitlock had 14 kills, almost doubling ODU’s best player’s total. Libero Mia Maloney had three aces, three more than the entire ODU team combined. Middle blocker Daedrianna Cail had eight blocks, setter Erin Madigan recorded 16 assists and Gee-Weiler had 6 digs during the match.

ODU scored first during the first set on Saturday. It was only two points in a row, but it was something going for Old Dominion. The Red Wolves didn’t let anything else happen though as multiple runs of 4, 5, and 4 points in a row respectively helped them win the set 25-14.

A-State struck first, and while ODU kept the score tied, right-side hitter Addison Collum ignited a seven-score run for A-State. 

The Red Wolves led 11-6, traded possession with ODU but A-State eventually won set number two 25-13.

It seemed as though Old Dominion would come into the third set with some life, unlike the previous match, as they scored more points in that set than they had all series.

A-State would strike first but ODU kept the score close. However, six scores in a row by the Red Wolves pulled the score and victory further away from the visitors.

Finishing as they began, the Red Wolves beat Old Dominion 25-17 in this final set. The Red Wolves recorded 37 kills, 17 errors, 81 team assists, 10 aces, eight blocks and 41 digs during A-State’s final match of the regular season.

Collum recorded the most kills during the match, scoring nine. Maloney would, once again, have the most aces with five and Cail would, once again, have the most blocks with seven. Madigan had 18 assists and Whitlock had 10 digs. 

The Red Wolves head to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Friday as the one seed in the West. A-State will go head-to-head at 1:30 against the winner of Georgia State vs Southern Miss. 

Categories: Sports