JACKSONVILLE, FLA. – The Citadel Volleyball team is off to the best start in the program's history with a doubleheader sweep of Florida A&M 3-2 and Jacksonville 3-2.
Game Information
Score: The Citadel (3), Florida A&M (2)
Records: The Citadel (4-0), Florida A&M (0-4)
Location: Swisher Gymnasium (Jacksonville, Florida)
Series: The Citadel leads 3-0
How it Happened
- Both teams went back and forth to start set 1, with the Bulldogs taking the early 4-2 lead.
- A service error from the Rattlers allowed the Bulldogs to have back-to-back kills from Mackenzie Martin and Ali Ruffin to make it 13-8.
- The Bulldogs would continue to pressure FAMU with a kill from Ruffin and two service aces to make it 17-9.
- Angelina Sayles and Maddy Cardenas had back-to-back kills, which extended the Bulldogs' lead by eight.
- Efforts from Florida A&M would not be enough as the Bulldogs took set 1, 25-16.
- FAMU jumped to a 6-1 lead to start the second set.
- The Rattlers scored four straight points, giving them a 13-5 lead.
- A kill from Cardenas and a service ace from Kathleen Bula allowed The Citadel to tie the set at 16-16.
- The Citadel narrowed FAMU's lead at 22-21, but a bad set committed by the Bulldogs and two service aces from the Rattlers allowed FAMU to take set 2.
- The Citadel started the third set on a 7-0 run with two service aces from Sayles, two kills from Ruffin, and a kill from Cardenas.
- Two errors committed by FAMU allowed the Bulldogs' lead to grow to 12-3.
- A kill from Ruffin and a service ace from Bula gave The Citadel a 7-point advantage, making it 18-11.
- The Rattlers started to fight back to slim the lead of the Bulldogs to 22-19.
- Kills from Ruffin, assisted by Belle Hogan, allowed the Bulldogs to take set 3, 25-20.
- Four kills from The Citadel gave the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead to start the fourth set.
- The Citadel's lead grew to 13-9, but FAMU fought back to tie the match at 15-15.
- FAMU took the lead at 22-20; last-minute efforts from the Bulldogs would not be enough as the Rattlers held off a 25-22 set four victory.
- The Bulldogs scored three straight points from Ruffin kills to start set 5.
- Both teams couldn't pull away from each other as the set was tied at 8-8.
- Kills from Sadie Gomez and Ruffin allowed the Bulldogs to take the set and the match.
Inside the Box Score
- The Bulldogs had 63 kills against FAMU.
- Belle Hogan continues to impress as she posted her third 40+ assist match with 48 assists.
- Ali Ruffin had a match-high 28 kills on 62 with a .339 attack percentage. Ruffin has back-to-back 20-kill matches.
- Jaelynn Elgert led both teams with 29 digs.
Game Information
Score: The Citadel (3), Jacksonville (2)
Records: The Citadel (5-0), Florida A&M (2-3)
Location: Swisher Gymnasium (Jacksonville, Florida)
Series: Tied 1-1
How it Happened
- The Citadel started off the set with a kill from Ali Ruffin and an attack error from Jacksonville.
- Jacksonville jumped to a four-point lead to make it 7-3.
- Two service aces and a kill from the Dolphins made it 17-11.
- The Bulldogs made a late run to narrow the lead, but it was not enough, as Jacksonville took the first set.
- Kills from Mackenzie Martin, Belle Hogan, and Ali Ruffin gave the Bulldogs the 6-3 lead.
- Both teams battled back and forth to be tied at 15-15, and then The Citadel scored three straight points to make it 18-15.
- Jacksonville took a 21-20 lead, but then the Bulldogs went on a 5-1 run to take the second set.
- The Bulldogs took an early lead of 7-4 by kills with the help of Martin and Hogan.
- Jacksonville went on a 5-0 run to make it 9-7.
- A kill by Maddy Cardenas gave the Bulldogs a 15-12 lead.
- Cardenas and Gina Delancey's back-to-back kills give the Bulldogs a 21-17 lead.
- The Bulldogs ended the set on a 4-1 run by a block by Martin.
- Two kills and a service ace gave the Dolphins an 11-5 lead to start the third set.
- Jacksonville's lead would grow to 21-11.
- The Dolphins would take set four on a 25-15 set win.
- The Citadel opened up the fifth set with three kills and a service ace to make it 4-1.
- The Bulldogs had an 11-10 lead and then went on a 4-1 run to take the set and the match.
Inside the Box Score
- The Bulldogs had 56 kills against the Dolphins.
- Ali Ruffin, Belle Hogan, and Mackenzie Martin each had double-doubles. Ruffin recorded 22 kills and 12 digs, Hogan had 41 assists and 14 digs, and Martin had 11 kills and 14 digs.
- Hogan posted her third straight 40-assist match with 41 assists.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will face Northern Arizona on Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. for day two of the Jacksonville Invitational.