Seton Hall University
Florida Gulf Coast
VB Completes Comeback in 3-2 Win Over FGCU
8/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
After rallying from two sets down, the Pirates had to rally again in the fifth set. A kill by Molly Grammer (Center Valley, Pa.) gave Seton Hall a 6-4 lead in the decisive set, but Florida Gulf Coast came back with seven of the next eight points to take an 11-7 lead. The Pirates scored four straight points to tie the set at 11. From there, the set was tied at 12, 13, 14 and 15, until an Eagles attack error put Seton Hall in match point and a kill by Shelbey Manthorpe (Merion Station, Pa.) completed the comeback for the Pirates.
Manthorpe had a monster match for Seton Hall. The senior setter recorded her 23rd career triple-double with a team-high 26 assists, 11 digs and 10 kills. She also added six blocks.
Shelbey's sister Stacey Manthorpe (Merion Station, Pa.) narrowly missed her second straight double-double, finishing with nine kills and nine digs. Junior Amanda Hansen (Pewaukee, Wis.) finished with nine kills and a team-high seven blocks.
New libero Tessa Fournier (Redondo Beach, Calif.) registered a career-high 21 digs to go with five assists.
Florida Gulf Coast started quickly, scoring five of the match's first seven points, but the Pirates charged back with four unanswered points to take a 6-5 lead. From there, the set was nip-and-tuck with neither team able to gain a definitive advantage. The teams tallied 12 ties and nine lead changes. Seton Hall took a 22-19 lead, but the Eagles finished the set with a 6-1 run to earn a 25-23 victory.
In set two, the Eagles picked up where they left off ending set one, scoring eight of the set's first nine points to take an early 8-1 lead. Seton Hall raced back however, with a 6-2 run and Grammer's kill pulled the Pirates to within 10-7 and prompted an Eagle timeout. Leading 12-9, Florida Gulf Coast took off again. The Eagles went on a 9-2 run to take a commanding 21-11 lead and went on to close out a dominant second set two, 25-14, to take a two-sets-to-none match lead.
The third set started close again, with neither team grabbing an advantage of larger than two points for most of the early goings. A kill by Simona Sekulova (Auckland, New Zealand) gave Seton Hall its largest lead of the match, 22-15. Hansen's kill put the Pirates in set point at 24-19, and the Eagles' attack error which followed gave The Hall a set three victory, 25-19.
Riding the momentum of a set three victory, the Pirates stormed into set four and took an early 11-6 lead. From there, the Eagles wouldn't get closer than four points for the rest of the set. Down the stretch, the Manthorpe sisters took over, combining for Seton Hall's final six kills of the set. Shelbey's kill put the Pirates in set point at 24-16, and Stacey won the next point with a kill of her own to tie the match at two sets apiece.
The Pirates connected at a match-high 34.2% on their attack in set four... a far cry from their paltry 4.2% in set two's loss.
Seton Hall will complete play at the season-opening Hurricane Invitational later today with a match against Florida A&M at 5:00 p.m.
