Gophers Overcome Sluggish Start, Top McDaniel

TOWSON, Md. - After dropping the first set, the Goucher College women's volleyball team won the next three to top visiting McDaniel College 3-1 in non-conference action Tuesday night at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.  Set scores were 16-25, 25-21, 25-14, 28-26.

• McDaniel (1-6) jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first.
• The Gophers (2-9) clawed back and pulled within 11-8 on a kill by Elizabeth Bobo (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley).
• The Green Terror gradually pulled away, opening up a 20-12 lead.
• A kill by Lauren Guyer closed out the first set.

• Goucher led 7-4 before McDaniel rattled off six straight points to build a 10-7 lead.
• The Gophers flipped the script and back-to-back blocks by Kailee Turner (Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville) put the hosts in front 14-12.
• Leading 18-17, four straight points including a Turner service ace upped Goucher's lead to 22-17.
• A McDaniel service error ended the set and tied the match 1-1.

• With Riley Kocell (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson) serving three aces, the Gophers jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
• A Turner kill made it 11-2.
• Goucher was never threatened as it took a 2-1 lead.

• The Gophers built an 11-5 lead after a Kerragyn Heacock (Marysville, Wash. / Marysville Getchell) kill capped a 6-1 run.
• McDaniel scored the next six point to tie the set 11-11.
• Goucher led 19-15 after a timeout before the Green Terror scored the next four points to tie the set 19-19.
• Down 21-20, McDaniel scored three straight points to take a 23-21 lead.
• The Gophers staved off two set points down 24-22 and tied the set on an Eniyah Rodriguez (Virginia Beach, Va. / Landstown) service ace.
• Goucher fought off two more McDaniel set points with kills by Rachel Chapman (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) and Lucy Hendricks (Fort Bragg, Calif./Fort Bragg).
• Back-to-back Green Terror attack errors closed out the match.

• Goucher snapped a 10-match losing streak to McDaniel, with the last Gopher victory in the series coming on October 6, 2012.
• Chapman and Bobo led the Gophers with nine kills, with Bobo hitting .286 on the night.
• Turner finished with six kills, 13 digs, 18 assists and five blocks.
• Kocell handed out 15 assist, while Nicole Kovach (New York, N.Y./Quest to Learn) recorded 20 digs.
• Hendricks chipped in with five blocks and five kills.
• The Gophers racked up a season-high 14 service aces.

Prediction...here's the craziest volleyball point you'll see today. Or most days.#d3vb #GopherGreatness #GoucherProud pic.twitter.com/SaWtPGdLzv

— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) September 21, 2022

• Goucher hits the road Thursday, traveling to Trinity (D.C.) University for a 7 pm match.
• The Gophers return home next Saturday, October 1, when they host Moravian at 11 am and Scranton at 6:30 pm as part of a Landmark Conference quad-match at the Decker SRC.