Score: VCU 3, Liberty 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. (Liberty Arena)
Records: VCU 1-0, Liberty 0-1
 
The short story: The wait is over. Freshmen Lauren King and Jasmine Knight each blasted 12 kills as VCU opened its 2020-21 season with a win at Liberty.
 
OPENING VOLLEY

• Knight and King each recorded their 12 kills on 21 swings. They hit an identical .476. Knight provided six blocks, while King added four
• Sophomore Qairo Bentley supplied eight kills, 11 digs, two aces and two blocks, while hitting .467 to the VCU cause
• Junior libero Alyna Draper cemented the Rams' back row with nine digs
• Liberty's Trinity Watts led the Flames with nine kills

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU hit .320 in the match, including .393 in the third set. Liberty was held to a .144 mark
• The Rams, who led the country in blocks per set last season, outblocked the Flames 10.0 to 6.5
• Knight spiked six kills on seven swings in the first set as VCU hit .324 on the way to a wire-to-wire 25-18 win
• Memphis transfer Sabria Cooper keyed a 5-0 burst in the early stages of the second set that provided VCU with an 8-3 lead. The Rams would continue to pull away down the stretch on the way to a 25-15 triumph
• VCU served up six aces

NOTABLE

• Knight's and King's 12 kills are the most by a VCU freshman in their debut since Romana Kriskova recorded 14 in 2012
• VCU was playing its first match of the year following the postponement of volleyball season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rams typically kick off their season the last week of August
• The Rams improved to 23-17 all-time versus the Flames. VCU has won 10 of 11 in the series

NEXT UP
VCU will travel to Norfolk, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 23 to take on Old Dominion at 4 pm. The Monarchs are playing in their inaugural season