CHARLESTON, S.C. – Bolstered by notable efforts from
Ali Ruffin,
Angelina Sayles and
Mackenzie Martin, The Citadel (16-0, 4-0 SoCon) outlasted visiting Mercer (6-9, 2-2 SoCon) in a back-and-forth battle late Sunday afternoon at McAlister Field House, claiming a 3-2 victory over the Bears en route to preserving the program's perfect season.
Game Information
Score: The Citadel (3), Mercer (2)
Records: The Citadel (16-0, 4-0 SoCon), Mercer (6-9, 2-2 SoCon)
Location: McAlister Field House (Charleston, S.C.)
Series: Mercer leads 4-9
KEY PLAYS & STATS
- The Citadel opened the match with back-to-back set victories, topping the Bears in 25-21 fashion in the opening frame before surging back to capture the second via a 28-26 mark.
- Mercer fought back with a relentless showing during sets three and four, outgunning the Bulldogs down the stretch in both for 25-23 and 25-22 wins, respectively.
- Despite faltering in back-to-back sets, The Citadel recovered during the early-going of the fifth frame, jumping out to a 11-6 advantage before closing out the victory at 15-11.
- Ruffin, who led the Bulldogs with a strong 22 kills, surpassed the 1,000 kill mark for her career midway through the match, settling at 1,008 following the final point.
- Sayles and Martin also picked up double-digit kills as well, with the latter hitting 14 while the former finished with 11 on the day.
- The Bulldogs also posted a notable 10 service aces with Ruffin garnering four, Belle Hogan notching three, Kathleen Bula posting a pair and Jaelynn Elgert adding one.
- Ruffin, Sayles and Mackenzie also all concluded the match boasting double-doubles, as the former collected 14 digs to pair with her 22 kills while the latter two totaled 15 and 16 digs apiece, respectively.
- Hogan posted a solid performance as the team's primary setter, registering 60 for the match.
- Elgert also compiled a competitive showing, grabbing 25 digs to lead the Bulldogs as well.
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs head to Greensboro, North Carolina, to face UNCG on Oct. 5 at 6:00 p.m.
