Green Terror Turn Back Gophers in Three Sets

WESTMINSTER, Md. — Goucher and McDaniel were pitted against one another tonight in the first match of the 2015 season for both teams. The Green Terror prevailed in the battle between the in-state rivals, 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-12).

With Sarah Johnson (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) getting assists on four of the points, the Gophers (0-1) managed to hold a 6-5 lead in the opening set before the Green Terror went ahead for good at 7-6 and ran off nine of the final 13 points of the set.

Midway through the second, the Gophers took advantage of back-to-back McDaniel errors to trim a deficit down to two points, but the Green Terror (1-0) responded by going on a 7-0 run to break open the set.

Kills by Hannah Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H./Plymouth Regional) and Kelly Budge (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan) on consecutive plays allowed Goucher to close to within a point of the lead in the third set. But that's when McDaniel took control and earned the next eight points.

Kloe Martin, Madeline Rose and Teryn Rath combined for 24 of McDaniel's 34 kills.

For Goucher, Budge posted six kills, while Kuehl finished with five. Johnson accounted for 14 of her team's 19 assists.

The Gophers begin competing in the Eastern Mennonite Invitational on Friday. Their first match that day is against Hood at 5 p.m.