Peele Powers Davidson to Sweep Over Citadel

Sunday, October 10

Charleston, S.C.

2:00 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

The Citadel

10/10/2010 6:21:11 PM | Volleyball

By: Lauren Biggers -- Assistant SID

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Senior outside hitter Sarabeth Peele posted 20 kills and hit a personal season-high .486 to lead the Davidson Wildcat volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) sweep over The Citadel Bulldogs Sunday at McAlister Field House.

Peele reached 20 kills for the fourth time this season and, with 12 digs, her second double-double, to lead Davidson (12-9, 3-1 SoCon) to its third league win. Classmate Jorden Benedict added nine kills and three blocks, while younger sister Madison chipped in seven kills and a pair of blocks. Senior setter Hayley Lawson finished with 39 assists, nine digs and three blocks, while sophomore Molly Chamblee and senior Jennifer Chamblee each tallied 12 digs.

Tatum Jestila posted a team-best 10 kills and 14 digs to lead The Citadel (5-16, 0-6 SoCon), while Jessica Maas contributed eight. Meredith Mutispaugh and Alexa Dahlstrom finished with 16 and 13 assists, respectively. Kathryn Johnston also had 14 digs for the Bulldogs.

The Citadel turned an early 6-3 lead into a 10-5 advantage behind a pair of kills from Blaine McAllister to force Davidson into a timeout early. The Wildcats regrouped and used a 9-2 run to take a 14-12 lead on two kills from Peele and one each from junior opposite Erin Lupfer and Madison Benedict. Jestila won the next point for the Bulldogs, and the set continued to stay close until the Wildcats' late-game run. After Shannon Frain tied the score at 18, Lupfer got back-to-back points for Davidson. But the Bulldogs kept pace, trailing just 21-20 on a Wildcat hitting error. Davidson would close out the set with a 4-1 run, including points for Jorden Benedict and Peele, to win the 25-21 decision.

The Bulldogs started quick in the second set as well, taking a 6-2 lead on a pair of kills from McAllister. Trailing 8-4, the Wildcats, though, knotted the score with a 4-0 spurt with kills from Lawson and Madison Benedict. The Bulldogs answered, taking a 17-13 lead behind a 9-5 run to force the Wildcats into a timeout. Davidson got the set knotted at 20 with a 6-2 run, including four straight serves from Jorden Benedict and a pair of kills by Peele. The teams traded points to tie the set at 21 but Davidson won the next two on a putaway from Peele and a Bulldog error to pull ahead 23-21. Maas put The Citadel within one, but Peele answered to give Davidson a set-point try at 24-22. Maas helped the Bulldogs stay alive, but the Wildcats won the set on a Citadel hitting error, 25-23, to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

After the break, Davidson jumped out to a dominant 10-2 lead, and The Citadel never recovered as the Wildcats rolled to the 25-16 win for the match. Peele had five of her 20 kills in the final set, while both Benedicts added three.

Davidson will play its third straight road match when it travels to Furman Tuesday for a 6 p.m. match. The Wildcats will then host three straight at Belk Arena: Elon, UNCG and Georgia Southern.