NEWS

The ‘Cats were back in the win column this weekend.

KINGSTON, R.I. –Bella Brady and Isabel Decker captained the Davidson volleyball team to its second win over Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon, as the ‘Cats downed the Rams 3-1 from inside Keaney Gymnasium.

Brady recorded 27 digs out of the back line, while Decker had a season-high 18 kills (.406) on the outside. Over the weekend, Davidson’s libero averaged 5.71 digs per set as the Wildcats improved to 4-3 in Atlantic 10 Conference play and 12-5 overall.

The ‘Cats had their third 10-block performance of the season, powered by five block assists from Kayla Davis, and held the Rams to a .061 attacking percentage. Davidson swung .134 for the match, but worked at a .212 clip over the final two sets to spark the 3-1 victory.

After winning set one narrowly, 26-24, Rhody settled the match with a 25-21 set two defeat of the ‘Cats.

Despite trailing 10-8 early in set three, the Wildcats hit a match-best .233 and responded with a 7-1 run, that included a pair of Sola Omonije service aces and three Decker kills, to create enough separation from the Rams to pull out the 25-19 win.In the final frame, freshman Elena Garcia-Guerrios led the ‘Cats on a 7-0 run from the end line to all but put the game out of reach. Davidson aced the Rams seven times in the final game and cruised to a 25-13 match-clinching victory.

Saturday Afternoon Summary

The Davidson volleyball team snapped a three-game losing streak by sweeping Atlantic-10 opponent Rhode Island on the road Saturday afternoon. 

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 11-5 overall and pull to an even 3-3 in conference competition. Additionally, Saturday’s win was the fifth three-set sweep of the season. 

The first set saw the Rams with a three-point lead at match point (24-21) over the ‘Cats. However, Davidson rallied using a four-point run to reclaim its advantage and secure a 27-25 opening-set victory. Despite trailing through the first, the Wildcats’ dominated from the front line, swinging .500 percent with 23 kills on 38 attempts. 

The final two sets were all Davidson as it trailed Rhode Island on just four occasions over the second and third frames, ultimately taking 25-16 and 25-12 wins respectively. 

As a team, Davidson had a stellar performance while hitting a season-high .371 against Rhode Island in addition to posting its ninth game of the year with at least 50 kills (53). 

Outside hitters Isabel Decker and Anna Withee helped pace the offensive attack with 16 and 12 kills apiece while opposite hitter Emma Slusser also tallied double-digit kills with 11. Decker and Withee each registered new season-high’s in kills against Rhody. 

Bella Brady and Xuan Nguyen tallied 13 digs apiece while Nguyen and Jessie Doyal finished the contest with 18 and 22 assists respectively. 

Up Next
The ‘Cats return to Belk Arena on Oct. 13 & 14 to host a weekend series with perennial league power Dayton.