TOLEDO TAKES TOURNAMENT OPENER OVER JMU 3-1 IN TAMPA

Friday, September 19

Tampa, Fla.

10 a.m.

James Madison University

4-8

Toledo

6-4

James Madison

Toledo

9/19/2008 4:00:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 19, 2008 ? Shannon Strachan hit .500 with 21 kills to lead Toledo past James Madison 3-1 on Friday morning in the opening match of the Best Western Invitational hosted by South Florida.

Toledo (6-4) defeated JMU (4-8) by set scores of 25-22, 19-25, 25-21, and 25-18.

Strachan had just three errors on 36 swings for the Rockets while compiling her 21 kills. Amber DeWeerdt added a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs. Kassie Kadera had 39 assists and eight digs.

A pair of JMU players recorded double-doubles, led by sophomore Lindsay Callahan (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) with 18 kills and 12 digs. Senior Michelle Johnson (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos) added 13 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Holly Wall (Kaukauna, Wisc./Kaukauna) added eight kills and nine digs. Senior setter Lauren Miles (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Prep) posted 33 assists and seven digs while competing in her hometown.

Set one opened evenly played with neither team grabbing a lead of more than two points. With the score knotted at 9-9, Toledo took serve on a JMU attack error and proceeded to score the next three points for a 13-9 advantage that held for the remainder of the set. JMU pulled as close as two points at 23-21 but could not complete the comeback in a 25-22 win for the Rockets.

In the second set, JMU grabbed the lead for good at 2-1. Leading 6-5, Callahan recorded a kill and then took serve as the Dukes pulled away with a 7-0 run, aided by four Toledo attack errors. The Dukes continued their push and built the lead to 10 at 16-6. JMU still led by 10 at 23-13 when the Rockets closed the gap with a 5-0 run, but the Dukes were able to close out the set with a 25-19 triumph.

In the third set, it was Toledo responding by building a comfortable margin, pulling out to a 12-5 lead. JMU was able to score five straight to cut it to 12-10 and pulled as close as one at 17-16, but the Dukes were never able to tie the score as Toledo won 25-21.