ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Thursday, November 8, 2007

Elizabethtown Defeats Neumann 3-0 in NCAA Division III Tournament Opener

Click here for the box score

View match pictures here

HAVERFORD, Pa. --- The Elizabethtown College volleyball team opened play in the NCAA Division III playoffs with a 3-0 win over Neumann College in regional action at Haverford College on Thursday evening. Game scores were 30-20, 30-24 and 30-27.

The Blue Jays (32-6 overall) won their 12th consecutive match overall and advanced to Friday's regional semifinal at 7:00 p.m. against Haverford, which defeated DeSales University 3-0 late Thursday night.

Senior Ashley Whitmarsh (New Castle, DE/Padua Academy) led Elizabethtown with 13 kills, while sophomore Paige Tanner (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) added 11 kills and 11 digs as the Blue Jays earned the first NCAA tournament win in program history.

Senior Kelly Downs (Airville, PA/Red Lion) finished with eight kills and seven blocks, in the process setting the Elizabethtown career record for blocks with 579, and senior Stacey Wasserman (Upperco, MD/Owings Mills) dished out 36 assists and posted a team-high 12 digs.

In game one, the Blue Jays won 30-20 as Downs led with four kills and four blocks. Wasserman recorded 11 assists while senior Kayla Kassis (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) and first-year student Amanda Ritchey (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle-Antrim) posted three digs apiece.

Game two saw the Blue Jays jump to a 23-13 lead before the Knights rallied to within 26-24. However, Neumann (23-11 overall) committed three hitting errors and a ball handling error to give Elizabethtown the final four points and a 30-24 victory.

Whitmarsh and Tanner led Elizabehtown in game two with five kills each, while Wasserman distributed 12 assists and added seven digs. Tanner added six digs and Ritchey five for the Blue Jays.

In game three, the Blue Jays rallied from an early deficit to take a 23-18 lead. The Knights pulled within 23-22, 26-25 and 28-27, but a kill by senior Jenna Schirmer (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) and an ace by sophomore Kayla Deats (Middlebury Center, PA/Wellsboro) clinched the 30-27 win.

Whitmarsh posted five kills in the third game, with Wasserman finishing with 13 assists and four digs.

Ashley Mathis led Neumann in the match with 14 kills while Kristen Verone added 30 assists and nine digs. Meghan Wilson finished with a match-high 17 digs for the Knights, and Julia Tarloski tallied five service aces to go with eight kills.

Elizabethtown 3, Neumann 0
(30-20, 30-24, 30-27)
Elizabethtown leaders:
Kills: Ashley Whitmarsh, 13
Assists: Stacey Wasserman, 36
Digs: Stacey Wasserman, 12
Aces: Kayla Deats, 2
Blocks: Kelly Downs, 7

Neumann leaders:
Kills: Ashley Mathis, 14
Assists: Kristen Verone, 30
Digs: Meghan Wilson, 17
Aces: Julia Tarloski, 5
Blocks: Julia Tarloski, 2