Service Error on Match Point Opens Door for Blazers

FREDERICK, Md. — Leading 14-13 in the fifth set, Goucher was just a point away tonight from its second win of the 2015 season over Hood.

But the Gophers never got that match-clinching 15th point. Instead, after a service error tied the score at 14-14, the Blazers scored the next two points to earn a come-from-behind 3-2 victory.

Set scores were 23-25, 14-25, 25-16, 25-18, 16-14.

Hood's first lead in the fifth set was 13-12, courtesy of a kill by Caroline Kinna. The next two points went to Goucher, the first one for a kill by Kelly Budge (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan).

Following the service error that created the 14-14 tie, the Blazers (17-13) regained the lead on an attack error committed by the Gophers and then ended the match with a kill by Kari Betson.

Hood trailed 23-19 in the opening set before scoring four straight points, leveling the score with a kill by Courtney Hutchinson. A kill by Corinne Kahler (York, Pa./York Country Day) snapped the tie in Goucher's favor and then a hitting error by the home team allowed head coach Kelli Wilkinson's squad to take a 1-0 lead in the overall match.

The Gophers (9-20) earned only three of their points in the second set on kills, but they took full advantage of the 17 attack errors committed by their opponent to go up two sets to none.

Goucher, which pinned a 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-20) setback on Hood at the Eastern Mennonite Invitational back in September, fell to 1-5 in five-set matches this season.

Paige Smith (Beltsville, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) established a new career-high with her 25 digs in the match. Hannah Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H./Plymouth Regional) supplied the Gophers with 12 kills and Sarah Johnson (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) with 25 assists.

Goucher brings down the curtain on its 2015 season when it travels to the nation's capital for a 7 p.m. match against Trinity Washington.