Madyson Lousignont
Senior Madyson Lousignont posted five kills and a pair of block assists to help Limestone sweep Belmont Abbey on Saturday.
0
Belmont Abbey BAC 0-7
3
Winner Limestone LU 2-2
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Belmont Abbey BAC 13 23 16 (0)
Limestone LU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Ernest Meyers, Assistant A.D. for Media Relations

Saints Sweep Abbey in Straight Sets to Conclude Pacer Invitational

AIKEN, S.C. – Wrapping up the Pacer Invitational against a familiar rival, the Limestone University women's volleyball team made quick work of dispatching their former Conference Carolinas foe Belmont Abbey College with a sweep in straight sets, 3-0, on Saturday, September 11 at the Convocation Center.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 3, Belmont Abbey 0
Set Scores: 25-13, 25-23, 25-16
Records: Limestone (2-2), Belmont Abbey (0-7)
Location: USC Aiken Convocation Center
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 
  • Senior Vanessa Blas (Concord, N.C.) paced the Limestone offense with 11 kills
  • Senior Gabby Wessels (Watseka, Ill.) finished with 21 digs and two assists
  • Junior Leilani Wilcox Nanai (Christchurch, New Zealand) tallied six kills for the Saints
  • Freshman Josie Curran (Westerville, Ohio) chipped in five kills and three block assists
  • Senior Madyson Lousignont (Las Vegas, Nev.) also added five kills to go with two block assists
  • Freshman Paige Gardella (Sugar Grove, Ill.) handed out 16 assists and finished with eight aces
  • Senior Sydney Bibby (Cumming, Ga.) registered three kills and a dig
  • Sophomore Malina Harris (Mooresville, N.C.) dished out 13 assists
  • As a team, Limestone posted a .200 attacking percentage while holding Abbey to a .011 clip
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Set
 
Limestone jumped all over their nemesis as three service aces by Gardella staked the Blue and Gold to a quick 7-0 lead. The Crusaders would battle back, using a 7-3 run over the next couple of minutes to trim the margin to 10-7, but a kill from Wilcox Nanai started a 5-1 counterattack to put the Saints in front, 15-8.
 
The Abbey responded with three straight points, but an attack from Blas and two more service aces by Gardella highlighted a 7-0 spurt to essentially put the opening set out of reach, 22-11. Curran added three straight kills for the Saints before a service ace from Blas sealed the 25-13 set win and a 1-0 match lead.
 
Second Set
 
A kill by Curran and yet another service ace from Gardella put the Blue and Gold up 2-0 early in the second, but Belmont Abbey answered with a 5-2 spurt to take its first lead of the match, 5-4. The Saints responded quickly, however, as Harris logged back-to-back aces and then added a kill to make it 10-7.
 
The Crusaders did not go away as quietly as they did in the opening frame, using a 10-4 run to move ahead, 16-14, midway through the set. The Abbey pulled out to their biggest lead of the afternoon, 19-16, but two kills each from Wilcox Nanai and Blas and a service ace from Gardella evened things up at 22-all.
 
Limestone would win three of the final four points of the set, capped by Bibby's set-winning kill, as the Blue and Gold grabbed a 2-0 match lead with a 25-23 decision in the second.  
 
Third Set
 
Three successful attacks by Blas and a kill and ace from Gardella fueled a 7-2 run right out of the gates in the third and final set. The Crusaders closed the gap to 8-6 behind a 4-1 surge, but a kill from Lousignont sparked an 8-1 counterattack as Limestone pulled ahead, 16-7. Blas had a pair of kills during that stretch.
 
Belmont Abbey tried to claw its way back into the set, trimming the lead to 17-10, but two more attacks from Blas would help the Saints double up the Crusaders, 20-10. Limestone completed the sweep as Bibby added two kills while Lousignont added another as the Blue and Gold took the final set, 25-16.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Limestone took control early and won the first set convincingly but had to fight a back-and-forth battle with the Crusaders in the second. The Saints fought back to take the second set behind a decisive 9-4 run and then used a couple of long runs in the final frame to complete is first sweep of the young 2021 campaign.  
 
NOTABLES
 
  • After losing four straight to the Abbey, the Saints have now won two of the last three meetings
  • Limestone combined for eight team blocks, including 12 block assists, Saturday afternoon
  • The Blue and Gold posted a .321 attack percentage in the third set
  • Conversely, Belmont Abbey finished with a negative attack percentage in two of its three sets
  • Sophomore Kasey Thacker (Rome, Ga.) finished with one solo block and four block assists
  • Senior Madysen Williams (Antioch, Tenn.) chipped in two kills and five digs
 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints open up their 2021 home schedule and their South Atlantic Conference slate when they host UVA Wise at the Timken Center on Tuesday, September 14 at 7 p.m.
 
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