Defense Keys Dukes to Sunday Sweep Over Presbyterian

Sunday, September 1

Harrisonburg, Va.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

2-1,0-0Sun Belt

Presbyterian

1-2,0-0Big South

Presbyterian

James Madison

9/1/2024 6:25:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison volleyball team secured a 3-0 sweep (25-11, 25-8, 27-25) over Presbyterian to conclude the LD&B Insurance Invitational at the Convocation Center on Sunday afternoon.

JMU improved to 2-1, holding Presbyterian (1-2) to a .049 hitting percentage while picking up 10 blocks and service aces.

Miëtte Veldman led the JMU attack, as the fifth-year senior finished with 13 kills and registered eight digs and five service aces. Classmate Savanah Cockrill continued her strong start to the 2024 campaign as the middle blocker finished with six kills.

Defensively, Annie Smith finished with a solo block and five assists as JMU held the Blue Hose to a .049 hitting percentage as a team. Libero Jaydyn Clemmer finished with 14 digs , bringing her three-match total to 42 (3.82/set).

Courtney Williams led Presbyterian with 10 kills, while Anna Baranski finished with 18 assists. Brittney Daphnis also registered five block assists, while Courtney Williams finished with four.

How It Happened
First Set: JMU 25-11

The teams fought back and forth in the beginning, but three straight points from JMU gave the home team a 10-7 advantage which was capped off with a kill from Ilter.
The Blue Hose scored their last point of the set to cut the lead to 15-11, as the Dukes rattled off 10 straight points to take the first set in dominant fashion.

Second Set: JMU 25-8

JMU picked up right where it left off, as two service aces from Clemmer and an Ilter kill gave the Dukes a 5-0 lead.
The lead ballooned to 14-3 on a kill from Olivia Vance before the Blue Hose broke the run.
JMU held on for a comfortable win in the second set. The Dukes hit .259 and held Presbyterian to

Third Set: JMU 27-25

The Blue Hose jumped out to an 8-7 lead on the heels of a kill from Anna Baranski, and the lead eventually grew to four (14-10) on consecutive kills from Courtney Williams, which forced a JMU timeout.
The Dukes clawed back to tie the set at 19-19 and eventually took a 24-21 lead on a Veldman kill.
After the Blue Hose scored four straight to take a 25-24 lead, JMU answered with three straight to give the home team the 3-0 sweep.

Match Notes

The Dukes tallied a season-high 10 service aces at the line, led by Veldman, who picked up five.
Newcomers Sarah Schnell (8) and Melisa Ilter (7) each set career-highs in kills.
Through three games, JMU is holding opponents to a cumulative .149 hitting percentage.
Clemmer now sits at 1,057 digs, 27 away from tying Patti Bucaria (1989-92) for the 10^th-most in program history.

LD&B Insurance Invitational All-Tournament Team
Torri Henry (S) – Stony Brook (MVP)
Kali Moore (OH) – Stony Brook
Valeria Otero (OH) – Delaware State
Miëtte Veldman (OH) – James Madison
Savanah Cockrill (MB) – James Madison
Anna Baranski (S) – Presbyterian

Up Next
The Dukes will travel to Lexington, Ky., for a pair of matches on Sep. 6-7. JMU will take on Ball State in a neutral match on Friday, Sep. 6 at 4:30 p.m. and then will play nationally ranked Kentucky on Sep. 7 at 7:30 p.m.