CHARLESTON, S.C. – An all-out team performance allowed The Citadel volleyball team to secure the 2023 Southern Conference Regular Season Championship in a 3-1 win over ETSU (25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-14) on Friday afternoon.
 
Game Information
Score:  The Citadel (3), ETSU (1)
Records: The Citadel (25-2, 13-2), ETSU (5-21, 5-10)
Location: McAlister Field House (Charleston, South Carolina)
Series: ETSU leads 29-3
 
Key Plays & Stats

• The Bulldogs took an early lead in the first set from an Ali Ruffin kill at 8-6.
• ETSU answered back with a 4-0 scoring run that made it 11-10.
• Kills from Maddy Cardenas and Ruffin allowed The Citadel to regain the lead at 18-15.
• Mackenzie Martin, Belle Hogan, and Gina DeLancey all had late kills in the first set to end the Bucs' chances at 25-22.
• A service ace from Angelina Sayles gave the Bulldogs a one-point advantage in the middle of set two at 14-13.
• ETSU regained the lead at 22-21, but a late push for the Bulldogs was not enough, as ETSU would take the second set at 25-23.
• Both teams would go back and forth to begin the third set, with the Bulldogs gaining the lead at 13-12 with an attack error from ETSU.
• Four kills in a row from The Citadel gave them the 3-point advantage at 18-15.
• ETSU gained momentum from an attack error committed by The Citadel, which narrowed Bulldogs' lead to just one at 21-20, but two kills from DeLancey and Cardenas at the end of set four ended the Bucs' chances.
• The Citadel started the fifth set on a 5-0 scoring run with help from four attack errors committed by ETSU.
• The Bulldogs' lead would grow to much as seven points with a kill from Martin at 10-3.
• A service ace by Ruffin and a kill by Sayles gave the Bulldogs a 20-11 lead in set four.
• A 5-1 scoring run at the end of set four from The Citadel ended ETSU's chances, giving the Bulldogs the match win at 25-14.
• Four Bulldogs were in double-figure kills with Ali Ruffin (14), Mackenzie Martin (12), Maddy Cardenas (11), and Angelina Sayles (10).
• Ruffin set the record for most kills in a season with 474 kills, beating the previous record set by Moriah Smith in 2016 with 469.
• Belle Hogan recorded an incredible performance with nine kills, 47 assists, nine digs, and four blocks against ETSU.
• Hogan surpassed 3,000 career assists as a Bulldog, which makes her one of three Bulldogs in the program to pass for 3,000 career assists.
• Jaelynn Elgert led The Citadel with 22 digs.

 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will return at McAlister Field House against Furman on November 11 at 7 p.m. for senior night.