Dukes Open 2014 With 3-0 Win Over Norfolk State

Friday, August 29

Harrisonburg, Va.

7:30 p.m.

James Madison University

1-0

Norfolk State

0-1

Norfolk State

James Madison

8/29/2014 9:10:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Photo Gallery
Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Senior Lizzy Briones (Siloam Springs, Ark./Siloam Springs) tallied nine kills and 10 blocks and sophomore Janey Goodman (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) registered a match-best 11 kills to lead the James Madison volleyball team to a season-opening 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-17) win over Norfolk State in match two of the JMU Classic on Friday evening at Sinclair Gymnasium.

The Dukes (1-0) hit .360 as a team for the match and held the Spartans (0-1) to a slim .009 hitting percentage. Junior Sarah Patterson (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) led JMU with 19 assists, while senior Kristi Richardson (Glen Allen, Va./Hermitage) recorded 12 of her own. Freshman Taylor Austin (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) recorded a match-high 13 digs in her first collegiate match.

JMU set the tone for the evening early, storming out to an 8-3 lead in the first set, never looking back. The Spartans scored two straight points later in the set to shrink the Dukes' lead to 17-10, but JMU slammed the door with an 8-3 run -- including the final six points -- to win the first set, 25-13.

The second set was more evenly-matched at the outset, as the two squads were deadlocked at 4-4 before JMU scored five straight points to go up 9-4. NSU clawed their way back, eventually pulling within two points at 15-13, but the Dukes rolled off a 10-2 run, highlighted by two blocks and a kill from Briones, to take the second set, 25-15.

In the third, the Spartans took an early lead -- their only three leads of the match at 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 --before JMU used a 4-0 run to go ahead 7-4. NSU would tie things up twice more in the set, with the final time coming at 9-9, but the Dukes used a 4-0 run to break things open before reeling off five points in a row to end the set and take the third frame 25-17.

JMU committed just 10 errors on 75 attacks, putting down 37 kills on 35 assists, while combining for 12 team blocks on the evening.

Janey Frazier led the Spartans with eight kills while Darcy Moore contributed a match-high 22 assists in the defeat.

"This was a solid first night for us," Head Coach Lauren Steinbrecher said. "In an opening match, everyone is working out kinks and kind of getting through some of the nerves. I was proud of the way we played tonight, but we all know that there's another level we can reach. We're excited to get back out on the court tomorrow."

The Dukes will be back at Sinclair Gymnasium to wrap up the JMU Classic on Saturday, as JMU faces off against Charleston Southern at 12:30 p.m. before closing the tournament against Villanova at 7:30 p.m. Norfolk State faces Villanova at 10 a.m. and CSU at 5 p.m. Earlier Friday, Villanova swept CSU 3-0 in the opening match of the tournament.