CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel fell in straight sets to IU Indy 16-25, 23-25, 25-13 and Loyola Maryland 20-25, 17-25, 22-25 at the Buccaneer Invitational.
Match vs. IU Indy
The Bulldogs (0-1) hit .118 compared to the Jaguars' (1-0) .442 attack percentage. The Citadel led IU Indy in blocks 5 to 4. The Jaguars outkilled the Bulldogs 46-18.
In her first career start as a Bulldog,
Savannah Freeman was tied with
Sam Barnes with four kills each, while graduate transfer
Sammie Sabra contributed three.
Luci Lippelgoos led both teams with four total blocks, including one solo block and three block assists.
Jillian Tippmann recorded 12 kills with a .500 attack percentage, and Maia Long added 11 kills for IU Indy.
Set 1: The Jaguars took an early 5-1 lead over the Bulldogs with three kills and two service aces. A ball-handling error by the Jaguars cut the gap to 6-4 for The Citadel. IU Indy then went on a 5-1 run, extending their lead to 14-8. The Bulldogs couldn't turn the tide, and the Jaguars pulled away to win set one 25-16.
Set 2: The Citadel took an early 3-0 lead in the second set after three attack errors by the Jaguars. Two kills from the Jaguars and a service error by the Bulldogs changed the score to 8-7. A 6-1 scoring run by The Citadel allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead and extend it to 15-10. IU Indy managed to tie the set at 19-19. Both teams battled from 19 to a tie at 22-22, but two kills from Tippmann and a kill from Long helped the Jaguars secure a 25-23 victory in the second set over The Citadel.
Set 3: A service ace from IU Indy gave the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead to start the third set. Three straight kills from the Jaguars flipped the score to give them a 7-6 lead over The Citadel. A 7-1 run by the Jaguars increased their lead to 15-8. The rest of the third set did not go in favor of the Bulldogs, as the Jaguars closed the set on a 9-0 run to win 25-13.
Match vs. Loyola Maryland
The Citadel (0-2) lost in straight sets to Loyola Maryland (1-1). Loyola Maryland topped the Bulldogs in hitting percentage (.188 to .023), kills (37-21), blocks (10-6), and digs (41-40).
Sammie Sabra led the Bulldogs with six kills.
Alexa Psotka had four kills.
Luci Lippelgoos recorded her second straight match with four total blocks.
Riley Hamilton led the Greyhounds with nine kills.
Set 1: The Greyhounds gained a four-point lead over the Bulldogs at 7-3, but a 6-0 scoring run sparked by a Postka kill allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead at 9-7. Loyola Maryland scored five unanswered points to regain the lead at 16-13. A kill from Sabra narrowed the gap to four at 22-18, but the Greyhounds responded with a kill and a solo block to go up 24-18. A service error by the Greyhounds and a solo block from Lippelgoos brought it within four again, but a kill from the Greyhounds ended the Bulldogs' chances at 25-20.
Set 2: Loyola Maryland jumped to an 11-8 lead, but a service error by them sparked a 3-0 Bulldog run. The Greyhounds responded with a 6-0 run, including three kills, to go up 16-11. Loyola Maryland extended their lead to 21-12 and pulled away to win the set 25-17.
Set 3: The Bulldogs jumped to an 8-6 lead on a kill from Psotka and two errors committed by the Greyhounds. The set was tied on a service error from Loyola Maryland at 9-9, but a 3-0 run from the Greyhounds gave them the lead at 12-9. A service ace from
Mia Watson narrowed the lead to one at 14-13, but a 4-0 run from Loyola Maryland gave them a five-point lead at 18-13. The Citadel responded with its own 4-0 run to tie the game at 18-18, which included four errors. The Bulldogs had a chance at 24-22, but a service error from The Citadel closed out the set at 25-22.
"It was a tough day results-wise, but we knew, given the entirely new group and system, that it would be a challenge," said head coach
Dave Zelenock. "Some spots in there really showed the athleticism and talent that we have, but self-inflicted wounds and miscommunications were far too present."
Up Next
The Citadel faces the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Aug. 30 at 3 pm. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
