| Sept. 2, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Groff wins 300th as UTSA sweeps Delaware in season opener Box Score | Tournament Preview
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Junior Meagan Daniel (Hereford, Texas) posted a match-high 19 kills and head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff (right) picked up career win 300 as the UTSA volleyball won its season-opening match over Delaware (1-3), 30-28, 30-28, 30-27, Friday afternoon at Halton Arena.
Daniel hit .400 for the match with 19 kills and just three errors on 40 swings. Junior Connie Picard (Spring, Texas) also reached double-digit kills with 12, while pitching in three blocks. Junior DeeDee Strickland (League City, Texas) turned in a double-double with 42 assists and 15 digs to go along with four kills, and junior Erin McMillan (San Antonio/Churchill) registered a match-best 23 digs. Neugebauer-Groff ran her career record to 300-116 with the victory.
The Roadrunners never trailed in game one but were unable to shake Delaware as the Blue Hens creeped back from a seven-point deficit at 14-7 to get within three at 15-12 midway through the opener. UTSA pushed the lead back to five twice, the last time at 24-19, but Delaware made things interesting late, getting back to within one at 28-27. The Roadrunners closed things out with kills from Picard and senior Jennifer Emelogu.
Delaware grabbed the initial lead in game two at 1-0, its first lead of the match. UTSA held the advantage for most of the way until the Blue Hens turned a 22-17 deficit into a 25-23 lead with a 6-2 run. Both teams battled back and forth until the Roadrunners took the lead for good with a block by Strickland and Picard and a Blue Hen attack error that made it 28-27. Kills from Picard and Daniel sent UTSA to the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
UTSA stormed out of the gates in game three, taking an early 8-3 lead. Delaware used a 9-3 run to grab a 12-11 lead, but the Roadrunners broke a 13-all tie with a 6-1 run for a 19-14 advantage only to have the Blue Hens pull to within one at 22-21. Delaware refused to quit, knotting the score at 27-27, but UTSA ended the match after a Blue Hen service and back-to-back kills from Picard and Daniel to earn the victory.
Colleen Walsh led the Blue Hens with nine kills while Niecy Taylor posted seven block assists.
The Roadrunners play a pair of games on Saturday to conclude the tournament against Charlotte at 11:30 a.m. Central time and Middle Tennessee State at 3:30 p.m.
UTSA def. DELAWARE
30-28, 30-28, 30-27
UTSA: kills, Meagan Daniel 19; assists, DeeDee Strickland 42; digs, Erin McMillan 23; blocks, Connie Picard 3.
Delaware: kills, Colleen Walsh 9; assists, Megan Welch 25; digs, Heather Ranck 21; blocks, Niecy Taylor 7.
Records: UTSA 1-0; Delaware 1-3
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