Vaughn Brewer, Sports Writer
The Rams managed to continue the momentum Saturday from their last win against Notre Dame as they defeated the Urbana University Knights through five sets (3-2) to improve to 14-4 on the season.
Saturday’s game also moved the Rams to 3-2 overall in Mountain East Conference play and they look poised for a postseason play.
It was a tight contest Saturday afternoon as the first and fifth sets came down to the wire, and they proved crucial to Shepherds’ victory. The first set needed an extra play as the Rams stole it 26-24. The Knights then won the next two sets 25-20, and 25-19 to put the Rams behind.
Shepherd won the fourth set 25-18, and that set up the fifth set to decide the winner. The Rams managed to win the last set 15-11 to leave Ohio without a loss.
Sophomore outside hitter Cambriea Hill again led the Rams with 16 kills on the afternoon. Senior hitter Amanda Snowden added 13 kills of her own.
Sophomore setter Jessica Karcz sits at 8.59 assists per set, and she added a game high 45 Saturday. Sophomore libero Imani Major registered a game high 20 digs, which proved crucial in the victory effort.
Urbana finished the game with a total 57 assists compared to the Rams’ 54. The Knights also led the Rams in the kills category as they had 64 compared to the Rams’ 55. These stats help to show how tight the game really was.
Head volleyball coach Alex Hoekstra gave his thoughts on the the past two road wins in Ohio saying, “We had a 9 player line up and everyone made big plays. Our scrappy defense and strategic serving helped us win two big matches this weekend. We are on a nice winning streak and building confidence with each game. Next week we will try to work Peyton Lindblad back into the line up. She lead us in kills before she dislocated her knee. The exciting part is we are playing well and can get better.”
The Rams get a week-long break as they continue the road stretch against West Virginia State on Friday, Oct. , in Institute, W. Va.