Point Volleyball goes 1-1 during weekend SSAC Play
COCHRAN, Ga. (Oct. 21, 2023) - The Point University Volleyball returned to action on the weekend for Southern States Athletic Conference play against the Brewton-Parker College Barons on Friday, October 20th and against Middle Georgia State University Knight on Saturday, October 21st. The Skyhawks took the sweep over the Barons on Friday but would fall to the Knights in five sets.
Friday vs. Brewton-Parker (3-0 Sweep, Win)
Point's first set was lights out as Sameily Marquez led the charge with multiple kills that brought their lead to an early 15-5 start. Point's mission to neutralize the Barons worked in their favor as the Skyhawks did not allow a lead from the Barons. Point continued to surge their way past the Barons as kills from Claire Cordell, errors from Brewton-Parker, and kills from Tianna Kynard and Sameily Marquez helped the Skyhawks take the first set. The second set of domination continued both teams started the set trading scores but Point elevated their play tremendously. Point went on a 13-1 run to finish the second winning 25-9. The run was factored by service aces from Jordan Palmer, errors from the Barons, and kills from Angel Johnson, Paige Lowe, Ava Clay, and Sameily Marquez. Set three was a competitive battle between both opponents as both teams traded scores which saw the game tied at 13. Brewton-Parker took the following two scores to lead by two but a kill from Aaliyah Lobendahn and an error from the Barons tied it at 17. The back-and-forth scores continued with Brewton-Parker eventually tying the game at 22. An attack error from the Barons and kills from Aaliyah Lobendahn and Angel Johnson ended the match in a sweep.
In the Box
Sameily Marquez led with 11 kills and seven digs. Claire Cordell followed with six kills and eight digs. Jordan Palmer led with 10 digs and added three service aces. Paige Lowe finished with 22 assists and five digs.
Saturday vs. Middle Georgia (3-2, Loss)
The Skyhawks got off to a slow start with the first two sets as the Knights were able to slow down the Skyhawks to get the upper hand by going up two sets. Set three saw both teams emptying the tank as the Skyhawks traded scores with the Knights in hopes of avoiding a sweep. The Knights continued to add a spark on their end by regaining the lead to extend it to an 18-13 score. Point's 8-2 run put the Skyhawks ahead by three and following the timeout from the Knights did not stop Point's fiery offensive attack as errors from the Barons saw the Skyhawks secure a 25-21 win in set three. Ava Clay helped Point start the fourth set with a kill which also sparked a 7-2 start. Point's offense continued to extend their lead as Aaliyah Lobendahn, Tianna Kynard, Jadakate Judkins, and Sameily Marquez each recorded kills. Middle Georgia looked to bring the game back within reach as two errors from Point to bring the score 18-16. The Skyhawks sparked another run that would carry their momentum to finish the set as Aaliyah Lobendahn added a kill which was followed by an error from the Knights. Set five saw the Skyhawks trail 8-3 as Middle Georgia looked to dominate. Aaliyah Lobendahn took the following two kills to make it a three-point game. Sameily Marquez added a kill of her own which helped spark an 8-2 run to take the lead 13-11. Middle Georgia followed by tying the game as the Skyhawks had two attack errors. Sameily Marquez took the next kill but the Knights finished the set by scoring the following three points to win in five.
In the Box
Aaliyah Lobendahn led with 19 kills and 31 digs for a double-double. Lobendahn also added two blocks in the evening. Sameily Marquez followed with 14 kills and 19 digs. Jadakate Judkins contributed 12 kills, two digs, and one block. Jordan Palmer led with 34 digs and added five assists. Paige Lowe finished with a season-high of 53 assists along with having 15 digs and one block.
Up Next
The Skyhawks will return to action for Friday night Volleyball against Faulkner University at the West Point Park Gymnasium starting at 7:00 P.M.