Box Score HACKENSACK, N.J. – It took saving three match points, and Sarah Krufka tying a 17-year-old school record with 33 kills, for the Sacred Heart volleyball team to survive surrounding a second consecutive two sets to zero comeback on Sunday afternoon at Fairleigh Dickinson. Trailing 14-11 in the decisive fifth set, SHU rattled off the final five points of the match to stay atop the Northeast Conference standings at 7-1 and break a season-long two match losing streak to improve to 13-9.
Katie Direnzo saved the first two match points with back-to-back kills before a Lila Palmer saved the third with a kill of her own to even the score at 14. Following an FDU (9-14, 2-6 NEC) timeout, once again it was Direnzo who stepped up for the Pioneers, as she teamed with Lea Lieb for a block to set up a match point for Sacred Heart. Just as she had all day, it was Krufka who came through with the match-winning kill.
It was Krufka's seventh kill of the third set, which included a run of three in a row to bring SHU back within one point, 10-9, after trailing by as many as four. Her 33 kills for the match tied Trica Moore's school record, which she set it back on October 14, 1998. The total was the most NEC in 2015, and the fifth highest by a player in the NCAA this season, as she surpassed her pervious career-high of 27, which she set against Iona on September 5th of last year. Making it all the more impressive, Krufka hit .509 for her third highest percentage of the season, and added four block assists, her second highest total of this year.
Tori Kemper was the only other Pioneer in the double digits for kills with 14, and added 14 digs for her fourth double double of the season. Also with a double double, her eight of the year, was Kiki Robinson with a team-high 35 assists and 12 digs. Ana Gonzalez led the Pioneers with 15 digs to surpass 1,000 for her career, while Lila Palmer added 14 to go along with eight kills. Direnzo and Allison Riggs each contributed a team-high four block assists.
Sacred Heart continues its current five game road trip next weekend with a trip to in-state rival Central Connecticut State on Saturday at 5 pm.
Noteworthy
- Sacred Heart has now swept the season series with Fairleigh Dickinson three years in a row, and has beaten the Knights in seven straight matches dating back to 2012.
- SHU's 76 kills were its most since recording 80 in a five set loss at Robert Morris on November 6, 2010.
- After totaling at least six kills once in the Sacred Heart's first 17 games, Riggs has at least six in the last four matches. Her four block assists were one shy of a career-high.
How it Happened
- First Set- Trailing by as much as four early, FDU would come back to tie it at 14. From there, Sacred Heart would separate themselves with three points in a row, capped by a Lieb service ace, as the Pioneers would lead the remainder of the set. Fairleigh Dickinson would get as close as one, 17-16, but three straight SHU points, ended by a Kemper kill and service ace, started an 8-3 run to end the first.
- Second Set- Down 14-13, a Krufka kill sparked a 12-3 run to close the second set. A Lila Palmer service ace followed before a Fairleigh Dickinson error and back-to-back kills by Krufka and Kemper made it five unanswered to go ahead 18-14. FDU would get within three, 18-15, with the next point, but once again it was Krufka who answered, registering consecutive kills and the Knights would not got any closer than five the rest of the second.
- Third Set- The only time that Fairleigh Dickinson trailed in the set was when SHU scored the first point on a Riggs kill. The Pioneers, trailing by as many as five points five times early, did come back to tie set at 16 though after there successive kills by Karly Shockey, Palmer, and Kemper. After trading points to even the score at 17, the Knights tallied four of the next five points, three of which came on Sacred Heart errors, to take control and force a fourth.
- Fourth Set- Sacred Heart jumped out to an early 6-3 lead, but it was all Fairleigh Dickinson from there as the Knights scored 12 of the next 13 points, seven of which were Pioneer errors.
