By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis.
(GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Junior Brittany Groth (Oak Creek, Wis.)
entered Friday primed for a big night, as the libero was just 10 digs shy of
1,000 in her career at Green Bay. Groth not only got her 1,000th dig while
helping the Phoenix (10-14, 6-6 HL) to a 3-1 win (25-17, 25-22, 24-26, 25-14)
over visiting Loyola (4-18, 1-11 HL), she also broke the school record for digs
in a four-set match, tallying 35.
Groth's record night gives the junior 1,025 career
digs, including 1,019 in the past two seasons. The 35 digs for the libero came
on Alumni Night, breaking the previous record held by Green Bay alum and current
assistant coach, Sarah Rauen. The
record of 34 was set by Rauen on Nov. 17, 2005 against Youngstown State.
To hear reaction from Groth after the match, click here.
Coming off a comeback win over Valparaiso last
Saturday, the Phoenix carried the momentum over to Friday night. After starting
with a kill and two errors, the team rattled off 12 kills without an error
while winning 20 of the final 28 points to take set one. Junior Carmen Leitermann (Schofield, Wis.) had
five kills on six swings in helping the Phoenix hit .314.
Leitermann had her second solid match in a row,
tallying 14 kills and just two errors on the night while hitting .462.
"I just tried to stay focus and patient, and our
offense was really in system and Leah Poel was really putting the ball where I
needed it," said Leitermann. "Tonight was a good step for our team."
Set two was a back-and-forth affair that was knotted
up at 20-20 after a three-point rally by Loyola. Leitermann then sandwiched a
kill from Carlie Willison
(Greenfield, Wis.) with two of her own and Green Bay pulled away for a 25-22
set win and a 2-0 lead. Groth, who had 20 digs after two sets, had 12 in the
second set, including the 1,000th.
To see a photo gallery from Green Bay's win, click
here.
Green Bay looked primed for a sweep when it led the
third set 21-17, but Loyola was able to rally with four-straight points and
ended up pulling away late and forcing a fourth set with a 26-24 win.
The Phoenix rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win at Sept.
30, and with a dominant fourth set Friday ensured that the Ramblers would not
return the favor.
On the strength of Willison's serve and three kills by
senior Abbey Gitter (Hortonville,
Wis.), Green Bay turned a 10-7 lead into a 16-7 edge with a 6-0 midway through
the set. Sophomore Leah Van Zeeland (Kaukauna,
Wis.) then had three kills in six points as the Phoenix closed out the win. In
the fourth, Green Bay hit .400 while holding Loyola to a -.067 hitting
percentage.
"Loyola came out and really challenged us defensively,
but I felt like we responded well," said head coach Debbie Kirch. "Even
though we lost the third, I think we finished sets well and responded well in
set number four."
Van Zeeland and Gitter each tallied a team and
match-high 16 kills to pace the Green Bay offense while Van Zeeland added 11
digs for a double-double. Sophomore setter Leah
Poel (Jenison, Mich.) directed the offense with 56 assists, her career high
for a four-set match. The Phoenix hit .295 as a team, its high in Horizon
League play in 2011.
Green Bay will stay home and return to action on
Thursday, Nov. 3, hosting Butler at the Kress Center at 7 p.m.
#
For the latest and most up-to-date information
on Green Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix, @GBPhoenixVB and @GBGavin.
Like Green
Bay Phoenix volleyball
and Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
