Green Terror wins final three sets to down Goucher

WESTMINSTER, Md. – Annie McShea (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) tied for team-high honors with 12 kills, 17 digs and three aces to lead McDaniel to a 3-1 non-conference volleyball victory over Goucher on Wednesday.

Kelly Toms (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) added 12 kills for the Green Terror (2-14) while Jackie Hawkins (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) added 11. Hawkins added 13 assists, eight digs and three aces.

Megan Chalk led the Gophers (4-12) with a match-high 19 kills.

Trailing 14-3 in the third set of a 1-1 match, Toms kocked down a kill to pull the hosts within 10.

Chalk stretched the lead back to 11 before a service error turned the serve back over to McDaniel.

Back-to-back attack errors by Goucher made it an 18-13 set. Chalk and McShea exchanged kills to makee it 20-13 before McShea put together 10 straight service points that included four kills from Toms to cap a 20-6 burst that gave the Green Terror a 23-20 lead.

One of Hawkins' aces ended the set at 25-22 and McDaniel rode that momentum into the fourth set, opening up a 6-0 lead.

The Green Terror stretched the advantage to 20-10 before the Gophers tallied eight of the the next 11 points to pull within 23-18 but McDaniel closed out the match with a Hawkins kill for the 25-19 win.

Neither team could open a lead of more than four points in the first set that Goucher eventually won, 25-23.

The second set was even tighter with eight ties and five lead changes before McDaniel prevailed, 25-21.

Kristen Nuckles (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond-Suffolk Academy) added 12 assists while Katie Ferguson (Dover, Pa./Northern York) added 17 digs.

Ashley Fan led the Gopher defense with 16 digs while Kasey Quinn added 12 digs and four aces.

The Green Terror returns to action at Franklin & Marshall on Saturday. Match time is 1 p.m.

McDaniel def. Goucher, 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-19)
McDaniel Leaders:
Kills: Annie McShea 12, Kelly Toms 12, Jackie Hawkins 11; Assists: Hawkins 13, Kristen Nuckles 12; Aces: Hawkins 3, McShea 3; Digs: McShea 17, Katie Ferguson 17; Total Blocks: McShea 2, Maggie Fennelly 2.

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