VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball Captures 3-2 Victory over Northern Colorado; Jackson Named Most Valuable Player of Courtyard by Marriott Classic

 

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(Box Score - Iona at Long Island)
(Box Score - Northern Colorado at Long Island)

For Complete Results of the Courtyard by Marriott Classic

10/1/05
-- Senior Lizelle Jackson (Palmdale, Calif.) had 27 kills and a season-best 27 digs and sophomore Martina Wagner (Germany) had a career-high 26 kills and 21 digs to lead Long Island University to a thrilling, five-game win over Northern Colorado (30-28, 30-32, 30-28, 25-30, 15-11) Saturday night at Schwartz Center in the closing contest of the Courtyard by Marriott Classic.

Ivana Vasiljevic (Brcko, Bosnia & Herzegovina) logged 55 assists and 15 digs. Senior Adela Igniska (Baia Mare, Romania) and junior Alexis Reed (Burtonsville, Md.) added 10 kills and 15 digs, respectively.

Jackson, Wagner and senior Jade Gold (Jupiter, Fla.) were the Blackbird representatives on the all-tournament team.

The Blackbirds (10-10) posted a 30-28 victory in the first game, recording the final point off a Bears attack error. The teams traded kills and errors in the closing points of the second frame. A set error by LIU gave UNC a 31-30 advantage and they closed out the match on a kill from Dani Veal.

The third game was again a race to the finish. Wagner notched the Blackbirds’ final two points to seal the 30-28 triumph. More of the same in the fourth set as LIU pushed out, 10-5, following a kill by Wagner. The Bears tied the contest at 21-21 and preceded to run off six consecutive points and built a comfortable lead to force the deciding fifth game.

LIU got an early advantage in game five, running out to a 6-3 lead behind a service ace and kill from Gold and a pair of kills from Jackson. With an 8-5 score, the teams switched sides and kills from Vasiljevic and Jackson gave the Blackbirds their largest lead (10-5).

Consecutive kills by Amanda Wiggins and an LIU attack error pulled the Bears to 14-11. Wagner, however, closed the match and sealed the victory- the fourth straight- for the Blackbirds on the next play.

LIU went 4-0 in the two-day event, besting Iona in three games earlier in the day. Wagner had a double-double with 15 kills and 12 digs.

In the first contest of the day, Florida Atlantic - coming off its first defeat of the season last night at the hands of the Blackbirds - dropped Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in four games. Justine Petry paced the Owls with 21 kills and eight blocks. The Islanders’ Kati Broom notched a double-double (14 kills, 16 digs) in a losing effort.

Northern Colorado won its third straight match of the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Florida Atlantic. Five players had double-figure kills for the Bears, topped by all-tournament team selection Lizzy Rhoads (16). The Owls’ Kelly Paiva, also an all-tournament team member, tallied a weekend-best 30 kills in the loss.

Led by 28 kills from Miki Hogg, Iona upended Texas A&M-CC for its first win of the tournament. Kati Broom and Lauren Paslay each had 17 kills for the Islanders in defeat.

LIU is in action on Saturday, Oct. 8 at home against the nationally-ranked Cardinals of Louisville. The match is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.