Dukes Move Past Marshall on Senior Day

Saturday, November 4

Harrisonburg, Va.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

19-6,12-2Sun Belt

Marshall

12-16,4-10Sun Belt

Marshall

James Madison

11/4/2023 5:59:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – All five seniors who were recognized saw game action as James Madison volleyball celebrated senior day with a four-set win over Marshall Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

The Dukes improved to 19-6 (12-2 SBC) by set scores of 25-12, 23-25, 25-12 and 25-15, while the Thundering Herd dropped to 12-16 (4-10 SBC) with the loss.

Miëtte Veldman led JMU with 22 kills, while seniors Elizabeth Helmich (12) and Sophie Davis (11) added to a Dukes' attack that hit .308 on the afternoon. Davis, along with fellow senior Alex Kwasnik, combined for nine blocks to hold Marshall to a .090 hitting percentage.

Fifth-year setter Caroline Dozier recorded a season-high 44 assists, with fellow senior Hannah Roberts picking up nine of her own. Roberts chipped in with a team-high three service aces and registered a kill.

Essence Clerkley (11) and Kylee Stokes (10) finished with double-digit kills to lead the Marshall attack.

How It Happened
Set 1: JMU 25-12

Consecutive kills from Veldman opened up a quick 7-2 lead for the Dukes.
Marshall cut the deficit to five (12-7), but four straight from JMU gave the Dukes a commanding 16-7 advantage.
The lead grew to 22-9 as a Herd ball handling error capped off a 10-2 run for JMU.
Back-to-back kills from Helmich gave the Dukes a dominant first-set win.

Set 2: Marshall 25-23

Marshall flipped the script early in the second, jumping out 7-3 on a kill from Clerkley.
Three straight from JMU cut the Marshall lead to one (7-6), but the Herd answered with a 3-0 run of their own for a 10-6 lead.
Marshall's advantage ballooned to 18-12 with another kill from Clerkley.
A 6-2 run from JMU cut the Marshall lead to two (20-18), but the Herd fought off multiple Dukes rallies to take the second set.

Set 3: JMU 25-12

JMU quickly regained its footing, pulling ahead 6-1 on a kill from Veldman.
The lead grew to 10-3 on another kill from Veldman as she continued to be a problem for the Marshall defense.
After a JMU attacking error trimmed its lead to 17-12, the Dukes scored eight straight and took the third set in dominant fashion.

Set 4: JMU 25-15

Looking to secure the match victory, JMU built a 6-3 edge on a Marshall attacking error.
After the Herd cut the deficit to one (6-5), five straight from JMU gave the Dukes an 11-5 cushion.
Marshall scored three straight and cut the JMU advantage to 14-12 before the Dukes took control of the set with a 5-0 run.
JMU secured the senior day victory with a kill from Veldman.

Up Next
The Dukes travel to Mobile, Ala., for two matches with South Alabama to close the regular season. Thursday and Friday's contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m.) and will stream on ESPN+.