Libero Carolyn Judge led all players with 22 digs

HAMILTON, NY - The La Salle Explorer volleyball team earned its win of the season over the Rider Broncs on the second day of the Colgate Classic. The Explorers defeated the Broncs 3-1, by scores of 30-25, 20-19, 27-30, 30-21. The Explorers are now 1-1, while the Broncs finish the tournament with an 0-3 record.

 The Explorers placed four players in double digits in the kill category, with sophomore Christa Dominick leading all players with 16 kills and a .406 hitting percentage (16-3-32). La Salle also got an offensive spark from junior Erin Sullivan with 13 kills, classmate Brittany Hanley landed 11 kills and sophomore Amy McKeon contributed 10 in the win. Setter Caitlin Conner assisted on 52 of the Explorers' 66 kills in the match.

On defense, La Salle shared the dig duties, as four Explorers tallied 10 or more digs. Libero Carolyn Judge turned-in a match-high performance of 22 digs, while Stephanie Owen and Tammi Jones each added 18. Sullivan recorded a double-double in the match adding 13 digs to her previously mentioned 13 kills.

At the net, McKeon led the way with the only solo block of the match for the Explorer and led the team with four assisted blocks. The Broncs were led by Lacey Johnson with 12 kills and Katrina Stehle with 11. On defense for Rider, Amy Jeary tallied 19 digs and Tara Hansen alog with Johnson contributed 17.

The Explorers opened the match slowly and steadily, keeping Rider just a couple of points behind, but La Salle opened a four-point lead at 13-9 and never looked back. The Explorers extended their lead to eight points at 26-18 and despite a push by the Broncs, closing the lead to 27-24 late inthe game, La Salle held on to claim a five point victory at 30-25.

In game two it was all La Salle, as the team jumped out to an early six-point lead at 11-5 before Rider called a time-out, but it proved useless. The Explorers continued to mount their lead and eventually built an 11-point lead which also reflected the final score of the game at 30-19.

Game three was a different story, as the Explorers fell behind alsmost from the onset, and found themselves down by as many at eight points at 17-9. La Salle regrouped and managed to tie the game at 17-17 and the remainder of the game proved a see-saw of ties, one and two-point leads. The Broncs managed to take a three- point victory at 30-27 and force a fourth game.

In the fourth game, the score reflected that of games one and two, but after taking a time out at 14-9, the Broncs tried to make it a game and got to within three points several times before the Explorers opened up a solid lead and earned the game and match win.

The Explorers will close out their action at the Colgate Classic at 6:30 p.m. today, when they take on the host Colgate Red Raiders.