Augusta Ga. – The Augusta University Volleyball team defeated the Queens University Royals 3-1 in a non-conference match. The Jaguars are now 16-4 on the season while the Royals move to 12-4.
Offensively, the Jags were led by Nicolette Ramos who amassed 19 kills, 20 points, and earned a .444 hitting percentage. Kylie Martin and Chloe Allen both scored 11 kills for the second highest total, with Madison Malloch picking up 10. Payton Murchie led the way in assists with 34, followed by Kassie Till's 19.
On the defensive side of play, Augusta saw four players earn double digit digs. Holland Martin was the top digger with 25, followed by Allen with 14, Murchie with 12 and Ramos with 10.
A total of three Jaguars earned double doubles on the night. Ramos, Allen, and Murchie all earned the honor, with K. Martin just missing out by one dig.
In the first set queens earned a solid lead up to the halfway point. The Jags would go on a dominant run however on the service run by Allen and snatch the lead away from the visitors for the second half. Queens would keep it close, but a couple clutch plays from Malloch allowed the home team to prevail, as the Jags closed out the first set by a score of 25-21 thanks to a kill from Ramos.
The second set saw a close fought battle between both teams. Neither Augusta nor Queens could gain any ground on the other in the first half of the set. Right at the halfway mark though, the Royals managed to put together back-to-back points. With a two point lead finally established, the Royals took set two from the Jags 25-20 on a devastating block.
With the start of the third set the visitors would once again claim the first point. The Jags would start out sluggish, as the Royals took six of the first seven points and seven of the first 10. Augusta showed grit as the set progressed, eventually tying the score at 10. Each team continued to trade points briefly before the Jaguars pulled off a quick three point burst to take the lead 15-12 forcing the Royals to take a timeout to stop momentum. The Jags maintained their composure as they traded barbs with their non-conference foe into the late stage of the third set. Clinging to a one point lead at 20-19, the Jags took three of the next four and ended the set at 25-22, after a long drawn out volley closed out by a kill by Jessica Hedrick.
In the fourth and final set, the Jags took the victory at 25-22. The Jags would take the first point of the set for the first time in the match. Augusta took six of the first 10 points while the Royals continued to keep it close. Queens would take an early timeout to try and regroup down four and approaching the midway point of the set. A kill by Hannah Siefert would keep the Jags in firm control of the flow fresh out of the timeout. As the set progressed, the Royals chipped away at the Jags lead, forcing Augusta to burn a timeout of its own to stem the flow at 18-17. The timeout proved to be just what the squad needed, as they stormed out of it with back-to-back points to gain some breathing room. It'd all be for naught however, as Queens fought to tie it at 22. An unorthodox kill from Ramos and a solid block from 17, 6 brought the set to match point, and a service ace from Murchie sealed it.
The Jaguars return to action when they travel to Greenwood, S.C. of Friday Oct. 18th for a PBC battle with the Lander University Bearcats.