Gophers Entertain Widener, Neumann Saturday

TOWSON, Md. - The Goucher College women's volleyball team hosted a tri-match with Widener University and Neumann University on Saturday at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.  The Gophers dropped a 3-1 decision to the Pride in the opener and fell 3-0 to the Knights to close out the day.

• Set scores against Widener (6-5) were 25-14, 25-22, 21-25, 25-14.
• Goucher (2-10) trailed 16-7 in the second set before embarking on a 10-2 run capped by back-to-back Nicole Kovach service aces to close within one, 18-17.
• The Pride responded with four of the final four points of the set.
• The Gophers opened a 19-14 lead in the third set following a Sarah Ferguson kill.
• A Dakota Hawkins block closed out the set.
• Kailee Turner posted a double-double for the Gophers with 14 kills and 13 digs.
• Ferguson notched 10 kills, while Imani Ward added eight.
• Kovach led four Goucher players with double-digit digs with 35, while Riley Kocell and Madison Amaya had 12 apiece.
• Amaya also recorded 34 assists.
• Widener hit .179 for the match while the Gophers hit at a .063 clip.

• Set scores were 25-14, 25-19, 26-24.
• Goucher trailed 16-13 in the second set before Neumann (9-6) reeled off five straight points to build a 21-13 lead.
• The Gophers trailed by as many as seven in the third before tying the set 22-22 on a Knight attack error.
• Goucher tied the set two more times, the last at 24-24 on a Turner kill, before Neumann scored the final two points to close out the match.
• Turner finished with 14 kills for the second straight match and added seven digs.
• Ferguson and Olivia DeBiasio each finished with five kills.
• Kovach paced Goucher again in digs with 17, while Amaya (11), Kocell (10) and Athena Savick (10) also reached double figures.
• Amaya handed out 20 assists.
• Neumann hit .189 for the match and held Goucher to .067 hitting.

• Kovach's 35 digs in the first match are a career high and she now sits 11 digs shy of 900 for her career.
• Ferguson's 10 kills against Widener were also a career-best.
• The 97 digs as a team against Widener were the most in a match this season and the most since posting 110 against Cairn in a five-set match last season.

• Goucher continues its homestand Wednesday night, hosting Gallaudet in a 7 pm match at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.