Score: VCU 3, Saint Louis 2 (20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 15-10)
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 11-11 (6-4 Atlantic 10), Saint Louis 13-9 (5-5)
Â
The short story: Senior outside hitter
Qairo Bentley rang up six of her career-high 26 kills in the fifth-set tiebreaker to lift VCU past Saint Louis Friday night at the Siegel Center.
Â
OPENING VOLLEY
- Bentley hit .281 on the night on 64 attempts. She added 12 digs and five blocks in a well-rounded effort for the Black and Gold
- Senior outside hitter Jovana Vukcevic also provided 15 kills and hit .220 for the Rams, while sophomore Parker Hartzell hit .304 with 10 kills on 23 swings
- Five VCU players were credited with double-digit digs, including sophomore libero Crew Hoffmeier and sophomore setter Corinna Jones, who each supplied 17. Jones also handed out 30 assists
- Junior middle blocker Sarah Stratton chipped in with six blocks and five kills for VCU
- Delaney Rice led Saint Louis with 18 kills
THE DIFFERENCE
- VCU hit .500 and did not commit an error in the fifth set. The Rams trailed 2-1 before taking control for good on a pair of Saint Louis hitting errors. The Billikens pulled within 10-8 midway through the frame, but Bentley spiked kills on three of the next seven points to help cement the VCU victory. She finished with six kills and no errors on 11 swings in the fifth
- Saint Louis hit just .136 in the fifth set
- The Rams hit .234 in the match and owned a 93-73 advantage in digs
- The third set featured 11 ties and six lead changes, but VCU used consective kills by Hartzell, sophomore outside hitter Kialah Jefferson and junior middle blocker Jasmine Knight to snap a 22-all tie and give VCU the set and a 2-1 lead in the matchÂ
NOTABLE
- Friday marked VCU's ninth five-set match of the year, surpassing its total from the entire 2021 season
- Bentley is averaging 3.91 kills and 3.77 digs per set in 10 Atlantic 10 Conference matches
- VCU has won nine of the past 11 matches in this series
NEXT UP
VCU and Saint Louis will meet again on Saturday at 6 p.m. That contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Â