University of Connecticut Athletics
Volleyball Sweeps Tulane 3-0 at Diet Coke Classic
9/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (September 16, 2006) - Fueled by Sade Chamber's (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) 14 kills, the University of Connecticut volleyball team swept Tulane 3-0 (31-29, 30-23, 33-31) in the final game of the Minnesota Diet Coke Classic on Saturday night.
For her outstanding tournament play, freshman Jessica Isaac (Erlanger, Ky.) was named to the all-tournament team, her second straight of the season. In the three matches at the Diet Coke Classic, Isaac compiled 49 digs, including 22 against Dayton. She leads the team with 195 on the season.
The Huskies (9-3) came from behind in game one, down 2-7 before the first timeout. UConn would fight back to go on a 4-0 run off kills from junior Gina Heiderman (Niles, Ill.) With the score reading 14-17 in favor of the Green Wave, Chambers stepped up to blast two consecutive kills, forcing a Tulane timeout. Freshman Bridget Denson-Dorman (Maple Grove, Minn.) would use her serves to rally the Huskies to four unanswered points from the Green Wave and gained the lead at 23-18. Tulane wouldn't go away as they fought through four straight game points, but a Chambers kill put game one in the books for UConn at 31-29.
Tulane came out fighting in game two after Ksenija Vlaskovic stepped to the service line to go up 0-4. The Huskies hung tough and went on a 4-0 run behind two kills from freshman Kate Seabaugh (St. Louis, Mo.), freshman Devon Farrell (Lafayette, Calif.) and Heiderman. Much like the first game, Denson-Dorman's were too much for the Green Wave as she gave UConn the lead at 18-11. Three straight attack errors by Vlaskovic and a kill from Farrell gave the Huskies game two, 30-23.
The Green Wave took an early lead in game one to go up 12-4. UConn re-grouped after a timeout and rallied off six straight points behind Heiderman serves. The Huskies tied the game at 14-14 off a block from senior Megan Silver (Snohomish, Wash.) and Chambers.
UConn took the lead after Tulane errors, but late in the game both teams fought for every inch. With the game tied 29-29, a Seabaugh kill gave the Huskies the lead, 30-29 and game point. But Tulane came up with a kill from Vlaskovic to tie the game once again. The Green Wave took the lead, but a Heiderman fought back with a kill. At match point, Tulane committed an attack error giving the match to the Huskies, 33-31.
Heiderman and Farrell each finished with 11 kills for the night. Seabaugh added nine, while Silver had seven kills. Denson-Dorman dished out 46 assists while Isaac led the way in digs with 11.
The Huskies return home to face Fordham on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.
