The Duster Today

Issue date: 9/17/07 Section: LCU Sports

Media Credit: Sarah McMurry The Lady Chaps celebrate a big point earlier this season.

FORT WORTH, TX - After an eight match stretch to start the season in which the Lady Chaps went 5-3, the Lady Chap faithful had questions about their 2007 Lubbock Christian University volleyball team -- would their youth translate into inexperience and would they be tough enough to grind out close wins?

By the time the sun finally set last Saturday evening, the fans had their answers.

Playing an inspired style of volleyball over the weekend, the Lady Chaps finished a perfect 4-0 at the Hughes-Wesleyan Volleyball Classic and they were forced to overcome sizeable deficits and withstand late charges by older, more experienced teams en route to the tournament sweep.

For their first match of the day on Saturday, the Lady Chaps had to get up early as first serve was set for 9:00 am versus Lindsey-Wilson (5-8); however, LCU showed no ill effects from getting less sleep.

In the first game, Lubbock Christian jumped out to a 10-2 lead before cruising to the 30-15 victory, and in games two and three, the formula stayed pretty much the same as the Lady Chaps won 30-21 and 30-21 for the straight sets win.

Three LCU players reached double figures in kills, led by Kelsey Odell's 13, though Katie McGuire had 11. Suzanne Childress finished with a double-double, pounding out 12 kills and scooping up 10 digs. Setter Rachel Stuyvesant likewise had a double-double with 38 assists and 12 digs, and Courtney Yonke led the LCU defense with 24 digs.

For Lindsey-Wilson, Kelley Burke finished with 22 assists.

In the tournament finale, LCU faced the only other unbeaten team and host Texas Wesleyan University (10-8) in yet another hard fought battle in what looks to be a budding rivalry.

Things went back and forth the entire match with the Rams pulling out the game one win 35-33, but Lubbock Christian did not panic and won game two 30-23.

In games three and four, the Lady Chaps enjoyed large leads early and were able to fend off TWU runs late to earn the four-game victory.

Childress led LCU with 18 kills and added 23 digs, while Odell had both 10 kills and 10 digs. McGuire and Brittany Hix also reached double digits in kills with 14 and 10, respectively, while Stuyvesant handed out 53 assists and Yonke paced the defense with a game high 33 digs.

For Texas Wesleyan, Liz Neng finished with a game high 20 kills, Evoni Darling had 53 assists, and both Darling and Sandra Ayala had 21 digs.

The Lady Chaps will next play on Tuesday, September 18th, when they travel to Canyon to take on a long-time NCAA Division II rival and current #21-ranked West Texas A&M University at 7:00 pm.

LCU will next play at home on Friday, September 21st when Oklahoma City University comes to the Rip Griffin Center to open Sooner Athletic Conference play at 7:00 pm.

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