ELKINS, W. Va. - Kelly Smith's record-breaking night at the service line fueled D&E to their fifth straight victory, posting an exciting four-set triumph over the visiting Frostburg State Bobcats in Mountain East Conference (MEC) action on Friday night in the McDonnell Center.
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The two teams exchanged the lead nine times during a see-saw of a first set, but a seven point run behind the stellar serving of Smith proved to be the difference. The Senators recorded six blocks, while Kaitlyn LaCour (six kills) and Solei Daniels (five kills) saw twelve attempts each in an aggressive first set. A raucous Senator crowd pressured the Bobcats into a second set deficit, and four service aces fueled a 14-3 run that gave the Senators a 21-9 lead. The Bobcats pushed back, however, running off seven straight points to cut the deficit to five.
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In the third set, D&E established control early, but the resilient Bobcats fought back, erasing a 19-12 Senator lead with a 13-2 run to push the match to four sets. An energized Bobcat attack took an early lead in the fourth set, but four straight kills followed by Smith's eighth ace of the night knotted the match 9-9. Kaitlyn LaCour fired off seven kills in the fourth set, fueling a 25-13 final result.
LaCour led the Senators with 22 kills on 60 attempts, while Daniels notched double-digit kills as well, finishing with 12 on the night. Raleighanne Weaver recorded six blocks including one solo. D&E was solid in keeping the ball off the ground, as Smith led the way with 31 digs. Essence West (19 digs), LaCour (18 digs), and Sarah Warren (15 digs) also finished in the double digits. Warren finished the night with 37 assists, and Jessa Henry ended with six kills and three blocks.
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THE RUNDOWN
- Davis & Elkins 3 (16-7, 9-3 MEC)
- Frostburg State 1 (10-14, 2-10 MEC)
- Set Scores: 25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 25-13
- The McDonnell Center — Elkins, W. Va
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Set One: A back-and-forth set featured nine lead changes saw the two teams exchanging points until a seven point run propelled by back-to-back Kelly Smith aces gave the Senators a 24-18 lead.
- Set Two: A 14-3 run catapulted the Senators to a big lead, which despite a late comeback, was ultimately too much for the Bobcats.
- Set Three: LaCour notched six kills in the third set, but the Bobcats erased a 19-12 Senator lead, capitalizing on several misfires to keep the match alive.
- Set Four: Four straight kills by the Senator attack completely changed the momentum in D&E's favor, as the Senators rode the dominant performance of LaCour to close out the match in four sets.
MATCH NOTES
- Smith set a Mountain East Conference record, firing in nine aces in a four-set match, while also extending her double-digit dig streak to 13 matches.
- Kaitlyn LaCour logged her ninth straight match with double-digit kills, finishing with 22 on the night.
- Daniels eclipsed 100 kills on the season in tonight's match.
- West set a career-high in digs on the night with 19.
- Head coach Kylie Heyne took on her alma mater for the first time in her head coaching career, emerging victorious in four sets.
MEC RECORD BOOK
Total Aces (Number, Sets)
- Erica Bickam (12, 3) (WVSU) vs Bluefield State - Sept. 7, 2003
- Audrey Baysinger (10,5) (UC) vs West Vieginia Wesleyan - Sept. 26, 2014
- Brianna Kerr (10, 3) (WISE) vs Bluefield State - Sept. 27, 2018
- Emilia Fetch (10, 3) (WVSU) vs. Virginia Union - Oct. 3, 2018
- Kelly Smith (9, 4) (D&E) vs. Frostburg State - Nov. 8, 2019
- Santana Bishop (9, 3) (WISE) vs. Virginia Union - Oct. 14, 2014
- Becca Kern (9, 3) (SU) vs. Bowie State - Sept. 28, 2017
UP NEXT
Davis & Elkins continues their home stand with a Saturday match against Fairmont State for Senior Day. Start time is set for 2 P.M. in the McDonnell Center.Â
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
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