By Patrick Stumpf
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Coming off a difficult five-set loss against Northern Kentucky on Friday night, the Green Bay volleyball team bounced back in a big way on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Wright State in straight sets (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) at the Kress Center.
Trailing to the Raiders 17-13 in the opening set, the Phoenix used a 20-3 scoring stretch to not only win the first set, but set the tone in the second as well, jumping out to a 8-1 lead. The rest, for all intents and purposes, was merely a footnote.
"I thought we rebounded really well (after last night)," said head coach Sean Burdette. "It would have been easy to come in here and give up and roll over, but I thought the players responded great this morning in our serve-and-pass walk-through, throughout video and really just had a good focus."
Sophomore Abby Jeffcoat led Green Bay with 15 kills on the match, a night after recording 14, while setting a single-match career best by hitting .536 (15-for-28) on the afternoon to propel Green Bay to its fourth sweep of the season and first since it did so to Chicago State in its home-opener on Sept. 15.
"I felt very confident in what they were going to accomplish this afternoon," Burdette said. "From the upperclassment to our newer players, everyone has stepped up, taken on leadership roles, and understood that on any give day or point in time they can help us."
Senior setter Emily Riese (33 assists) continued her stellar play directing a Phoenix attack that hit .278 on the match, while playing a key role on the defensive end too, finishing with a team-high tying 15 digs to post her 10th double-double on the year. Green Bay's defense held Wright State's top hitter coming into the match, sophomore Katie Klusman (274 kills), without a kill (0-for-15).
Four players tallied double-digit digs on the afternoon for the Phoenix, including seniors Becca Mastey (15) and Jillian Bauer (11) and freshman Austyn Everingham (10).
BOX SCORE – GREEN BAY 3, WRIGHT STATE 0
UP NEXT
Green Bay (11-7, 2-3 Horizon League) will be back in action twice next weekend when it travels to UIC and Valparaiso. The Phoenix plays the Flames in Chicago at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by a 4:00 p.m. match against the Crusaders in Indiana on Saturday afternoon.
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