Charleston, S.C. – Kathleen Bula and Ali Ruffin both collected 11 kills on Wednesday evening to guide The Citadel Bulldogs to a 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-15) victory over the Furman volleyball team in Southern Conference play at McAlister Field House.
The Citadel improves to 10-12 on the season and 3-6 in league play. With the loss, Furman drops to 5-14 overall and 1-8 in the conference.
For the sixth consecutive match,
Mary Beth Headley registered double-digit kills to pace the Paladins offensively. The Newnan, Ga. native poured in 10 kills while also contributing six digs and two assisted blocks.
Lauren Haynes added seven kills and 10 digs.
Sarah Turner recorded her team-leading ninth double-double of the season on 14 assists and 19 digs.
Ella Abraham totaled 10 assists and
Andrea Aceveda eight digs.
Bula and Ruffin both led the Bulldog offense with 11 kills apiece while Makaya Middleton provided eight. Belle Hogan dished out 35 assists and Kenzie Kellerman had a match high 26 digs.
The Citadel opened the first set on an 8-2 run and would build its lead out to 12-6 midway. Furman rallied with a 5-1 run and cut its deficit down to 13-11 following a Bulldog attack error. The Citadel outscored the Paladins 12-3 the remainder of the set and went on to the 25-14 victory.
The Bulldogs scored the initial three points of the second set and held an early 5-2 lead. Furman got to within a point twice beginning at 12-11 when
Sydney Tanner and
Kelsey Watkins combined for a block. A few plays later, a service error made the score 13-12. The Citadel later extended its lead out to 20-15, leading to a Paladin timeout, courtesy of a 7-3 run. Furman made a late charge and trailed 20-18 following a kill from Headley. The Bulldogs closed out the set scoring the final five points for the 25-18 win.
The Paladins were down just two points several times early in the third set and trailed 9-7 after a combination block from
Grainne McGrath and
Chandler Parker. The Citadel broke the set open with an 11-5 run to hold a 20-12 advantage. Furman would get as close as 22-15 late after Aceveda's service ace. The Bulldogs recorded the last three points for the 25-15 set win and 3-0 match victory.
The Paladins concluded the contest with nine total blocks led by five (four assisted, one solo) from Watkins. Parker, McGrath and Tanner each had three assisted blocks.
Furman closes out the month of October with three straight home matches beginning this weekend, October 21-22, hosting East Tennessee State and Chattanooga. Fans can follow the action on www.furmanpaladins.com via live stats. Saturday's match versus Chattanooga will be streamed via paid subscription on ESPN+.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased on www.furmanpaladins.com or at the main entrance of Alley Gymnasium. Tickets for Furman students are free with their student ID.
