Score: VCU 3, Saint Louis 1 (20-25, 27-25, 25-13, 27-25)
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 6-8 (4-2 Atlantic 10), Saint Louis 8-10 (3-3)
The short story: Junior outside hitter
Julia Rienks supplied 22 kills, the most by a VCU player this season, to spark the Rams to a four-set win over Saint Louis Friday night at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
OPENING VOLLEY
- Rienks hit .293 on the night on 41 attempts. The transfer from Daytona State was a consistent force for the Black and Gold throughout the match. She blasted six kills in the first, seven in the second, four in the third and five in the fourth. Rienks also provided four blocks on the defensive side of the net
- Junior outside hitter Alicja Jaryszek added 14 kills and 10 digs for VCU, while graduate middle blocker Jasmine Knight provided 11 kills, while hitting .381
- On the back row, sophomore libero Anja Kujundzic racked up 24 digs for the Rams. She also kicked in eight assists
- Tea Kalajdzic led the Billikens with 13 kills and five blocks
THE DIFFERENCE
- VCU outdug Saint Louis 64-49 in the match
- The Rams hit .228, while the Billikens were held to a .160 mark
- The match swung on a dramatic second set rally by the Black and Gold. VCU trailed 20-12 and was in danger of falling behind 2-0 in the contest. But Jaryszek went to work, sparking a 15-5 VCU blitz the rest of the way with six kills. The Rams fought off set point at 24-23, and Rienks finished off the comeback with back-to-back kills that secured the 27-25 win
- The Billikens grabbed a 16-11 lead in the fourth and appeared primed to force the tiebreaker. However, Jaryszek keyed a 7-2 run for the Rams with two kills and a block. The teams largely traded points until a Saint Louis service error and a Jaryszek ace on the final two plays clinched a 27-25 victory
NEXT UP
VCU and Saint Louis will wrap up the weekend with another match at the Siegel Center on Saturday at noon.
