ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – It was a successful day one at the Flagler Invitational for Maryville women's volleyball, going 2-0 with 3-1 wins over both Saint Leo and Valdosta State.
Emma Keele led all Saints in kills with 32 over eight sets, while having double doubles in both matches.
Ella Domian was extremely efficient in her return to the court, swinging .400+ in both games.
Tessa Arnott tossed in her third double-digit kills performance of the season against Valdosta State, adding in 11.
VS. SAINT LEO
It was a family affair in the Saints' first match of the day, with Maryville head coach Gretch Moser facing her daughter, Abby (Moser) Keim, and the Saint Leo Lions. That was not the only Moser connection in the match, as Mia Moser also suited up for the Lions. The bout went the way of "Mama Moser," 3-1, behind Keele's 19-kill performance.
Mallory Sell led Maryville with 32 digs, while Keele followed with 26.
Cami Kohmetscher and
Taylor Reynolds split the setting duties, with Kohmetscher tallying 23 assists and Reynolds adding 16.
Back-and-forth action highlighted the opening set, with the Saints and Lions trading three-point volleys to make it 8-7. The Maryville offense then exploded for a seven-point run behind three Keele aces and two kills from
Ellie Witthaus. The Lions roared back, cutting the lead to 15-14 before a Saint Leo attack error ended the streak.
The next 10 points were evenly split, with neither team able to score consecutively as Maryville maintained a 20-19 lead. Another Saints scoring spree followed, with Maryville taking advantage of three attack errors to close out the first set, 25-19.
Set two also went the Saints' way, with Keele's six kills leading Maryville to a 25-20 victory. Domian and
Leslie Longanbach added three kills apiece, with Domian hitting at a .750 clip. Maryville raced out to an early 13-5 lead behind a 9-1 run. The Saints never relinquished the advantage, holding off a late 7-3 Lions run before a Longanbach kill sealed the set.
The Lions' lone set victory came in the third, 25-23. Maryville struggled to put the ball away, committing nine attack errors and hitting just .115 in the frame. Despite those struggles, the Saints remained within striking distance for most of the set and took a late 20-19 lead with a sweep in sight. The Lions responded with a 6-3 run to force a fourth set.
Keele capped her day with six kills in the fourth, marking her third consecutive set with six. Saint Leo dominated early, opening the final frame with a 13-3 run. Mirroring the first set, the Saints mounted a rally and pulled within 14-11, forcing a Saint Leo timeout. The Lions responded by taking six of the next 10 points to build a 20-15 lead, but Maryville closed the match with a decisive 10-1 run. Keele accounted for five points during the match-winning surge.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Kills:
Emma Keele – 19 (Career High)
Hitting Percentage:
Ella Domian – .421
Assists:
Cami Kohmetscher - 23
Service Aces:
Emma Keele – 7 (Career High)
Digs:
Mallory Sell – 32 (Career High)
Blocks:
Joanna Gillen – 1
RECORDS
Maryville: 2-3
Saint Leo: 1-3
VS. VALDOSTA STATE
The Saints battled the Valdosta State Blazers in the nightcap of day one at the Flagler Invitational. VSU took the opening set 25-22 before back-to-back strong hitting performances gave Maryville the match lead with 25-22 and 25-15 victories. The Saints hit .267 in the second set and .282 in the third while holding the Blazers to a .075 hitting percentage in the third. Maryville closed the final frame on a 7-2 run to secure the victory and complete a 2-0 day.
Keele once again led the Saints in kills with 13 while also collecting a team-high 24 digs for her second double-double of the tournament. She was joined offensively by
Tessa Arnott and
Ella Domian, who each recorded 11 kills. Fellow newcomer
Natalie Frazier was not far behind with nine kills.
Valdosta State climbed to an 8-2 advantage in the opening set, forcing the Saints to claw their way back. Kills by Keele, Domian and
Joanna Gillen helped trim the deficit to one at 14-13.
Leslie Longanbach and Domian recorded back-to-back kills shortly afterward to give Maryville the lead and begin a stretch of back-and-forth play between the Saints and Blazers. Valdosta State closed the set on a 6-2 run to earn the 25-22 win.
The Blazers appeared to be in control of the second set, building another five-point lead at 17-12. Maryville responded with the biggest scoring run of the match, rattling off nine consecutive points to take a 21-17 advantage before completing the 25-22 victory. Domian led the way with six kills and a .556 hitting percentage.
It was all Saints in the third set, with Maryville racing out to an 18-8 lead. The Blazers showed signs of life late, but the Saints extinguished the rally to earn a 25-15 victory.
The tightest set of the match came in the fourth, as neither team held a lead greater than four points. The score was knotted at 15-15 before the teams continued trading points until reaching 20-20. Maryville then closed the match on a 5-1 run, with Frazier and Arnott combining for four kills.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Kills:
Emma Keele – 13
Hitting Percentage:
Ella Domian – .417
Assists:
Cami Kohmetscher - 21
Service Aces:
Mallory Sell – 3
Digs:
Emma Keele – 24
Blocks:
Ella Domian,
Joanna Gillen,
Leslie Longanbach – 1
RECORDS
Maryville: 3-3
Valdosta State: 2-3
UP NEXT
The Saints stay in Florida for the final of the Flagler Invite. They battle Lees-McRae at 9 a.m., and the host's Flagler at 4:30 p.m.
