Point opens AAC play with big win over Reinhardt
WEST POINT, Ga. (Sept. 9, 2021) – A set by Audrey Blaschke led to a kill from Sarah Baucham, securing the match-winning point, and the Point University volleyball team upset in-state rivals Reinhardt University in five sets to open Appalachian Athletic Conference play Thursday night inside West Point Park Gymnasium.
This was the first time the Skyhawks have defeated the Eagles since 2016.
Set-by-set
The Skyhawks got off to a slow start, falling to the Eagles in the opening set 25-14. Reinhardt used an 8-2 run to go ahead 17-8 and closed the set on a 3-0 run to take a 1-0 lead.
The Skyhawks answered back, jumping ahead 4-1, starting and ending with kills from Baucham and two aces from Whitney Ward in between. Point would go on another run, this time with two aces from Madison Bentley, making the score 8-3. The Eagles, however, would not give up, as back-to-back Skyhawk errors tied the game at 14, but back-to-back kills from Te'a Owens followed by back-to-back kills from Mollie Goen would extend Point's lead by four. The Eagles would bring the score within one once more, but that was as close as they would get, as a kill by Kelsey Turner would help Point defeat Reinhardt 25-22 and tie the match 1-1.
Reinhardt bounced back, opening the third set with a 7-3 run. The Skyhawks would battle back, tying the score at 14 off a kill from Turner. This was as close as Point would get, as Reinhardt would go ahead 17-15 and never lead by any less for the remainder of the third set, winning 25-21.
Trailing 2-1, the Skyhawks fought to tie the match up 2-2, winning the fourth set 25-20. Reinhardt took a 4-1 lead, but back-to-back kills from Baucham and Turner tied the score at five, and a Reinhardt attack error helped Skyhawks take the lead 6-5. Point would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the set, with a kill from Kaitlyn Hawke earning the set victory to send the match into the deciding set.
Point came out with all of the momenta in the final set, fueled by kills from Turner and Owens and two aces from Ward to help the Skyhawks lead 5-2. Back-to-back kills by Reinhardt's Kaitlyn Rieke would bring the Eagles within two, but Point would go on to score the next five points, making the score 14-7 and eventually winning the set 15-9.
In the box
Point's offense was led by Owens, who tallied a game-high of 19 kills, and Hawke, who anchored the offense with 37 assists and helped lead Point's defensive front with 18 digs. Both Bentley and Ward had a game-high of four aces and helped lead Point's defensive front with 20 and 12 digs, respectively. Baucham finished the night with four blocks and eight kills, and Ward nearly clinched a double-double, with eight kills.
Coach's Quote
"Today, we focused strictly on our sisterhood," Head Coach Faith Gineris said. "We had been in a little bit of a funk over the past two weeks and it was nice to play the way we know how finally. We pulled together and laid it all on the floor. Everyone walked away tonight knowing they gave it their all, and that is all I ever ask of them. It was also super awesome to have all of our fans in our corner, cheering us on with every point; they helped out a huge amount with their energy. Although this was a big win, we still have a lot of business to complete as we continue into next week's games."
Up next
Next week, Point hits the road for three AAC matchups. First, the Skyhawks travel to Truett McConnell on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with JV to play before at 4:30 p.m. Point will then travel north to face Kentucky Christian on Friday, Sept. 17, before playing Bluefield on Saturday.