Dukes Fall to UNCW, 3-1

Friday, October 3

Harrisonburg, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

10-6 (2-1CAA)

UNCW

13-5 (3-1CAA)

UNCW

James Madison

10/3/2014 8:21:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Sophomore right side Janey Goodman (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) racked up 21 kills on a .311 attack percentage, but the James Madison volleyball team fell to UNCW on Friday evening, 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-16), at Sinclair Gymnasium.

Junior outside hitter Meghan Niski (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) knocked down 11 kills of her own on the evening, while junior defensive specialist MacKenzie Kleespies (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) picked up 19 digs.

Junior setter Sarah Patterson (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) picked up a match-high 44 assists for the Dukes, who dropped to 10-6 (2-1 CAA) and snapped a five-match winning streak with the loss.

"We certainly would have liked to perform at a higher level tonight," Head Coach Lauren Steinbrecher said. "UNCW played great and exposed a lot of weaknesses for us. We're excited to get in the gym and work hard to fix them."

The opening set was a back-and-forth affair, as JMU pulled out to a 7-4 lead before a 7-2 UNCW run put the Seahawks up 11-9. The two teams traded brief runs until the score was tied at 19-19, at which point the Dukes ripped off the final six points of the set, including a pair of kills each from Goodman and Niski, to take the frame, 25-19.

Excluding a tie at 16-16, UNCW led throughout the second set, winning three of the first four points and not relinquishing the lead. After a 7-2 JMU run tied it up, the Seahawks won three straight points and were able to close the set out at 25-22.

In the third set, the two teams battled for much of the first half before an 8-0 UNCW run propelled it to a 23-13 lead and an eventual 25-15 win in the frame. The fourth set saw the Seahawks jump out to a 4-1 lead and steadily pull away, eventually clinching the match with a 25-16 win.

JMU will be back in action on Sunday, when they welcome defending CAA champion College of Charleston to Sinclair Gymnasium for a 1 p.m. match.