Gophers Bow to Bobcats, Still End Six-Match Skid

TOWSON, Md. — Stuck on six wins since September 7, Goucher had two chances to pick up that elusive victory No. 7 of the 2013 campaign today while hosting the Goucher Invitational.

The Gophers came close in their first match of the day only to come up short against Frostburg St., 3-2. The second try was against Hollins and this time head coach Michael Bossom's squad pulled it off, ending a six-match losing streak with a 3-0 triumph.

Goucher took the first set from Frostburg St., but the Bobcats took advantage of 15 hitting errors by the Gophers to claim the next two sets. In the fourth set, Goucher reduced its attack errors to three and never trailed, setting up a decisive fifth set.

Although Goucher never led at any point during the fifth set, a kill by Tori Rain (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) did create an 8-8 tie. The Bobcats (3-13) managed to win the serve back thanks to a blocking error by the Gophers and proceeded to reel off five additional points for a 14-8 advantage.

Goucher fought off two match points, the first one with a successful solo block by Hannah Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H./Plymouth Regional). Frostburg St., however, got the point it needed to secure a 16-25, 25-14, 25-19, 18-25, 15-10 win on a kill by Morgan Hoover.

Megan Chalk (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) supplied 18 kills and a season-high 21 digs to the 25-20, 25-16, 25-22 victory over Hollins, during which the Gophers achieved a .248 hitting percentage. It's the first time in her career that the senior outside hitter surpassed 20 digs in a match that lasted only three sets.