CHARLESTON, S.C. – After a two week delay, The Citadel volleyball team opened the season in thrilling fashion with a five-set (28-26, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-8) victory over Idaho State Tuesday evening inside McAlister Field House.
Match Information
Score: The Citadel 3, Idaho State 2
Records: The Citadel (1-0), Idaho State (1-3)
Location: McAlister Field House (Charleston, South Carolina)
Series: The Citadel leads 1-0
How it Happened
- Things started slow for the Bulldogs as ISU jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first set.
- The Citadel responded with an 11-3 run to take a 15-13 advantage.
- Back-to-back errors from the Bengals helped the Bulldogs open a four-point advantage, but that didn't last as ISU with a 9-2 run to take a 24-22 lead.
- Sharlissa de Jesus brought the Bulldogs within one with a kill before Gina Delancey tied the match with a kill of her own.
- The teams went back-and-forth before a hitting error, followed by an ace from Brooke Shively gave the Bulldogs the set
- The second set was more of the same as each team opened a slight advantage before the other battled back to tie the set. This time it was ISU that got the final two points to take the set 25-23.
- The Citadel wasted little time in jumping out to a lead in the third set as a pair of kills from Makaya Middleton opened a 6-1 advantage.
- The lead would grow to 11-3 before ISU went on a run to pull with 14-12.The Citadel responded by rattling off the next five points and used two-straight errors to take the set.
- The fourth set was the tightest of all the sets as neither team was able to open up more than a three point advantage in the entire set. The set featured nine ties before the Bengals put away the set.
- The fifth set was all Bulldogs as de Jesus put away a pair of kills that helped The Citadel jump out to the 8-3 advantage.
- The Citadel kept the momentum the rest of the set and used kills from Alicia Roberts and Kenzie Kellerman to set up match point.
- A service error put away the match.
Inside the Box Score
- The match marked the fourth time in program history the Bulldogs have played five sets in the season opener. The Citadel is now 4-0 in those matches, including going 3-0 in matches played inside McAlister Field House.
- Sharlissa de Jesus paced the offense with 25 kills. She added 14 digs and five service aces.
- The match marked the 18th time in her career de Jesus has recorded at least 20 kills in a match.
- It was also the fourth time she has registered five service aces in a match.
- Ali Ruffin was impressive in her collegiate debut as she finished with 15 kills and 12 digs.
- Fellow freshman Belle Hogan dished out 49 assists and a match-high 22 digs.
- Kenzie Kellerman added 20 digs to go along with one kill.
- Gina Delancey led the way with five block assists, while Makaya Middleton finished with four block assists and a solo block.
Up Next
The Citadel returns to action Sept. 10-11 at the CSU Buccaneer Invitational. The Bulldogs will take on Northern Illinois Friday at 6 p.m. before facing Bethune-Cookman Saturday at noon and Charleston Southern at 6 p.m.