Gophers End Home Slate with 3-0 Victory over Ravens

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher's second-best attack percentage of the season helped ensure that the volleyball program ended its home schedule this fall on a winning note.

Hannah Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H./Plymouth Regional) had 13 kills, and Corinne Kahler (York, Pa./York Country Day) added nine to lead the Gophers to a 3-0 win over Rosemont in their final match at the Decker Sports & Recreation Center in 2014. Erika DiPasquale (Paramus, N.J./Paramus), meanwhile, set a new season-high with nine service aces.

Goucher (8-16) posted a .306 attack rate in its straight-set win over the Ravens (2-17). That percentage was behind only a .333 performance against Mary Baldwin on Aug. 30. Set scores against Rosemont were 25-12, 25-15, 25-14.

Kuehl's 13 kills came behind a .480 attack percentage. That was behind only Michelle Tweedie (Accra, Ghana/Lincoln Community School), who registered kills on six of her eight attack attempts for a .750 success rate. Tweedie also registered a pair of blocks.

Sarah Johnson (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) totaled 27 assists in the win to go along with six digs. Val Kirsch (Westport, Conn./Staples) paced the Gophers with 10 digs, while Kelly Budge (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan) had nine.

The victory over Rosemont came after a tough five-set defeat to Hood to begin today's tri-match. Goucher began 2014 with a come-from-behind win in five sets over Blazers, but this time Hood returned the favor and bested the Gophers 15-25, 25-21, 20-25, 29-27, 16-14.

Goucher had no problems taking the opening set, and the Gophers also jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the second. The Blazers (8-14), though, won 14 of the next 17 points and wound up leveling up the match at 1-1.

After a five-point win in set three, Goucher had three chances to close out the match in the fourth set, holding leads at 24-23, 25-24 and 26-25. Hood would fight off all three match points and take the set after a pair of Gopher attack errors.

Goucher grabbed a 7-4 lead in the fifth but then dropped the next six points. The Gophers came back to tie the score at 13-13 and 14-14, but kills from Hayley Rogers and Brenna Elizondo sealed the match.

Kuehl again led the offense with 13 kills. Kelly Budge added 10 kills and eight digs, while Kahler came one kill short of a double-double after a nine kill, 15 dig performance. Kirsch chipped in 17 kills from the libero position, and she also fired in a season-high five aces.

The volleyball program raised money for the American Cancer Society throughout the afternoon through the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. A donation table was set up in the gym lobby and a serving competition was held for all who supported the cause between the second and third sets of the match against Rosemont.

Goucher now has a week off before its final Landmark weekend of the season. The Gophers will need wins against both host Elizabethtown (11 a.m.) and Moravian (4 p.m.) next Saturday to have an opportunity to qualify for the fourth and final spot in the conference's postseason tournament.