VOLLEYBALL SEASON CLOSES IN CAA QUARTERFINAL LOSS

Friday, November 18

Hempstead, N.Y.

James Madison University

Towson

11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 18, 2005) -- Towson outside hitter and All-CAA first-team member April Hoffman led third-seed Towson with 29 kills as the Tigers posted a 3-1 (37-35, 31-33, 30-20, 30-25) victory over No. 6 James Madison, while fourth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University's All-CAA first-team honoree Ludmila Francescatto registered a team-best 19 kills as the Rams defeated No. 5 Georgia State. VCU and Towson advance to the semifinals on Saturday.

In the first quarterfinal match of the evening, VCU (20-11) earned a 3-1 (30-23, 25-30, 30-20, 30-24) win over Georgia State (11-18). VCU will play top-seeded Hofstra (19-7) at 2 p.m., while #2 William & Mary (22-8) will face #3 Towson (27-6) at 4:30 p.m. James Madison completed its season with a 14-13 record.

In the nightcap, Towson snuck out of a tight bind as they defeated James Madison 37-35 in game one. The tense battle continued as JMU narrowly defeated the Tigers in game two, 33-31. Towson moved into the semifinals for the fourth straight year as they earned back-to-back wins in game three and four. In addition to Hoffman's 29 kills, three Tigers added double-figure kills in the victory. Teammate Christina Grempler, an All-CAA second-team selection, recorded a .364 attack percentage over the four-game match, while Valerie Chromy hit .583 in two games. Sophomore and All-CAA second team honoree Kimberly Snider set up 61 assists and all-rookie selection Alison Essink added match-high 22 digs. Ally Perko topped the Tigers with five total blocks.

Five Dukes posted double-figure kills, as Allyson Halls, an All-CAA second-team member, led the way with 15 kills and added five total blocks. Setter Krysta Cannon recorded 60 assists. Jena Pierson and Kelsey McNamara notched 20 and 18 digs, respectively. Emilee Hussack registered a .316 attack percentage over three games, while Cannon finished with team-high .444 in the match.

VCU produced a 12-1 run to win game one and set the tone for the quarterfinal match. Rams' Renata Salvatori led the team with a team-high .333 attack percentage, while senior libero Griselle Lopez Pereira mastered a match-high 23 digs. The senior recorded her 2,000th career dig and leads the conference in the same category. VCU had a distinct advantage in the kills department with 70 v