ATLANTA, Ga. — Competing in their first match of the East West Classic, No. 4 East Texas Baptist University fell in four sets to host No. 17 Emory 3-1 on Friday night. ETBU won the opening set 25-17 but dropped the next three 22-25, 17-25, 23-25 while hitting .119 for the match.
Sadie Kasowski recorded 28 digs and added six assists while Anita Hancock led the attack with 11 kills while hitting .286 and added two block assists. Lara Hornsby finished with 10 kills, 17 digs and two total blocks. Sydney Temple posted 19 assists, eight digs, three service aces and two kills.
ETBU broke open the first set with a seven-of-eight rally stretch, moving from a 7-6 edge to a 14-7 lead behind kills from Lindsey Gooch and Hancock and multiple Emory errors. After Emory got back to 21-16, the Tigers scored four of the final five points, including a Gooch kill and the set-ending kill from Hancock, to finish the set 25-17.
ETBU's late push was the central development of the second set, as it answered a 23-18 deficit with four straight points to get within 23-22. McKinzie Riley started the stretch with a kill from Carleigh Schluter, and Temple added two service aces around an Emory attack error, but Emory scored the final two points to take the set 25-22.
The Tigers answered an early 5-3 deficit with six straight points on Hornsby's serve, getting kills from Gooch and Riley before moving ahead 9-5. Emory tied the set at 9-9, and after ETBU got back to 13-13 on a Hornsby kill, Emory scored the next five points. ETBU added late kills from Gooch and Riley, but Emory closed the set 25-17.
ETBU pushed the fourth set to the final points, cutting Emory's 24-21 lead to 24-23 on a service error and a block by Kendall Kreusler and Riley before falling 25-23. Earlier, the Tigers answered an 11-9 deficit with a stretch that included a Hornsby kill, a
Katherine Server kill and a Kreusler block to move ahead 14-12. Emory later broke a 19-19 tie with three straight points, and ETBU could not complete the final comeback.
ETBU continues with two more matches in the East West Classic on Saturday as they play No. 16 Wash U - St. Louis at 11 am, followed by No. 18 18 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 2 pm.
SET BREAKDOWN
First Set
- After Emory scored the first point, Server and Hornsby answered with kills as ETBU moved ahead 4-2, and the set stayed within two points through a 7-6 edge.
- The Tigers then won seven of the next eight rallies, with a Gooch kill and two Hancock kills contributing to a 14-7 lead.
- Emory scored three straight points to make it 14-10, but kills from Server, Kreusler and Riley helped ETBU reach 21-14 before the Tigers closed the set 25-17 on Hancock's kill from Gooch.
Second Set
- ETBU moved ahead 10-7 behind kills from Hancock and Hornsby and blocks involving Kreusler, Hornsby, Hancock and Gooch.
- Emory scored four straight to move in front 11-10, and after the Tigers tied the set at 17-17 on a block by Riley and Kreusler, Emory answered with four straight points for a 21-17 lead.
- ETBU cut a 23-18 deficit to 23-22 with a Riley kill, two Temple aces and an Emory attack error, but Emory took the final two points to win the set 25-22.
Third Set
- ETBU turned a 5-3 deficit into a 9-5 lead with six straight points, including kills from Gooch and Riley during Hornsby's service stretch.
- Emory answered with four straight points to tie the set at 9-9, and the teams traded points through a 13-13 tie.
- Emory moved ahead with five consecutive points to build an 18-13 lead, then kept the Tigers from closing the gap.
- The Eagles finished the set on back-to-back Ella Moore kills to take it 25-17.
Fourth Set
- ETBU stayed even through the early stretch before Emory moved ahead 11-9, then the Tigers answered with three straight points, including a Hornsby kill, to move in front 12-11.
- Server's kill and a Kreusler block helped ETBU push the lead to 14-12, but Emory tied the set at 14-14 and the teams continued trading points through a 19-19 tie.
- Emory moved ahead 21-19 and later reached 24-21 after a Gabija Staniskis kill.
- ETBU fought off two set points, including a block by Kreusler and Riley, before Emory closed the set 25-23.
ETBU Top Performers
Sadie Kasowski
- team-high 28 digs
- 6 assists
Anita Hancock
- team-high 11 kills
- .286 hitting percentage
- 2 blocks
- 12 points
Lara Hornsby
- 10 kills
- 17 digs
- 2 blocks, including 1 solo
- 11.5 points
Sydney Temple
- team-high 19 assists
- 3 service aces
- 8 digs
Kendall Kreusler
- team-high 4 blocks, including 1 solo
- 4 kills
- 6.5 points
