Sports > September 11, 2008

By Chris Tumminello | Staff writer

After opening the season with three victories, the women’s volleyball team dropped three matches to top competition in the Adidas Classic hosted by Indiana University Sept. 5-6.

After opening the season with three victories, the women’s volleyball team dropped three matches to top competition in the Adidas Classic hosted by Indiana University Sept. 5-6.

The Deacons opened the tournament Sept. 5 against Louisville. The first set stayed close until the very end, thanks in part to excellent play by graduate student Natalie Mullikin, who recorded seven kills in the set.

The score was tied 20-20 when the Cardinals managed a five to two run to steal the set 25-22. The Deacs led the second set 16-10, but that lead was erased when Louisville went on a 12 to five run of their own leaving them ahead 22-19.

Wake was not done either and with the help of a pair of kills by Mullikin they found themselves only one point away from victory, leading 24-23.

The Cardinals, however, kept fighting and after two points the Deacs were down 25-24. The two teams continued to go back and forth until a late Deacon error allowed the Cardinals to take the set 30-28.

The Deacons broke through in the third set. They were tied at 18 when several Cardinal errors gave Wake enough room to pull away, winning 25-21. Sophomore Lauren McIntyre recorded seven kills in the set.

Trailing two set to one, the Deacons kept it close most of the fourth set. However, the Cardinals proved to be too much and won 25-19.

Mullikin had 22 kills overall. Sophomore Kelsey Jones had a double-double (48 assists and 16 digs) and sophomore Kristen White scored 11 kills.

“Being that close was frustrating but it showed us that we can hang with those teams,” Jones said. “It was a confidence thing.”

After Louisville, the Deacons faced the Indiana Hoosiers.

In the first set, the Deacons were able to take a 3-0 lead, but that hardly phased Indiana. The Hoosiers came back and took the set 25-15.

The second set was not any easier for Wake, who once again struggled offensively, this time losing 20-13.

The Deacons refused to roll over and gave the Hoosiers a run in the third set.

After initial play, the score was tied at 10-10. Indiana went up 16-12, but two kills by Mullikin and some service errors by the Hoosiers let the Deacons cut the lead to 19-17. However, it was not enough and Indiana pulled out a 25-19 win.

Jones posted a double-double against Indiana (23 assists and 10 digs). Mullikin had 10 of the team’s 25 kills.

“The focus this week in practice will be blocking and second effort,” Jones said. “To out beat bigger teams we really need that second effort.”

The Deacons had only three blocks in the game against Indiana.

Wake’s final game of the tournament was against Valparaiso.

They lost in four sets.

The Deacons started strong against Valparaiso, but with the score tied at eight the Crusaders managed a 4-0 run. Valparaiso didn’t look back and went on to win the set 25-20.

Most of the second set was a battle; there were six ties and nobody led by more than one until Valparaiso pulled 19-15.

The Deacons were not done. They launched a nine to four run that put them up 24-23. But just as when they were ahead in the same position in the second set against Louisville, they weren’t able to close. The crusaders evened the score.

Unlike in the game against Louisville, however, Deacons stopped it there with back to back kills by Mullikin and took the set 28-26.

The third set was not as dramatic. Wake had the score tied 15-15 when Valparaiso managed a 10-5 run to win it 25-20.

Wake had its worst start against the Crusaders in the fourth set, allowing them a 10-3 lead from which the Deacons could not recover losing 25-20.

Despite the disappointing finish, the Demon Deacons numbers were much better in their final game in Indiana. They had 17.5 blocks, a season high.

White posted her first double-double of the season (11 kills and 11 digs). Mullikin had 14 kills and eight blocks.

“We know we have a lot to work on because that’s the caliber of teams in the ACC,” Jones said.

The Deacons will return to action when they host the Black and Gold Invitational Sept. 12-13. They will face Western Michigan, Eastern Carolina and Delaware.