Mercer University
Memphis
Volleyball Falls Twice at Lady Vol Classic
9/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Molly Locke piled up 24 kills and 17 digs on Friday as the Mercer volleyball team dropped two matches to start the Lady Vol Classic. The Bears fell to Memphis 3-1 (27-29, 25-18, 25-23, 25-18) before losing to Austin Peay 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-19).
Mercer's losses dropped the team to 3-8 on the year while Memphis moved to 8-4 and Austin Peay jumped to 6-9 after Friday's action.
Locke's team leading seventh double-double of the year featured 17 kills and 11 digs in the day's opener against Memphis. Later, Locke came back to collect seven digs and six digs against the Lady Govs.
Mercer got the day off to a strong start as the Bears were able to break away from a 27-27 tie against Memphis for a first set win. Locke was paramount in the victory, notching nine kills in the frame including the final two set-clinching scores.
Late in the second set, the Tigers used a 7-2 run to gain separation and ultimately even the match at 1-1. In the third set, Memphis was able to gain the upper hand after finishing the stanza on a 6-3 surge. In the final frame, the Tigers took an early 10-5 lead and never trailed the rest of the way.
Freshman Claire Walizcek and sophomore Hannah Noon split time at setter, tallying 21 and 18 assists, respectively. Sophomore Tori Penrod led the way in the dig department, registering 18 in the losing effort.
In the first set against Austin Peay, the Lady Govs scored six-straight times to turn a 16-16 tie into a 22-16 lead. In the second frame, Mercer held a slim 20-19 edge when Austin Peay scored three consecutive times to go in front. Things were tight midway through the third set as well, but an 8-2 charge by Austin Peay put the match out of reach.
Sophomore Ellie James and junior Monica Johnson joined Locke with seven kills in the loss. Noon totaled a team-high 14 assists while Penrod added 13 digs on the back line.
Mercer concludes its showing at the event against Tennessee on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
