Boston College Athletics
BC Volleyball Upends Connecticut, 3-2
October 03, 1999 | Volleyball
Oct. 3, 1999
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - - The Boston College volleyball team earned its first BIG EAST win in Head Coach Jackie Hadel's two-year tenure, upsetting Connecticut 3-2 (15-9, 11-15, 15-10, 9-15, 15-13) Sunday night in front of the Parent's Weekend crowd of 150 at Power Gym in Chestnut Hill.
The 1997 Boston College squad defeated conference foe Rutgers University 3-2, two years ago to the very night (Oct. 3) at the Heights. Tonight's victory also marked BC's seventh win over the Huskies in the two teams' 42-match history .
Three Eagle attackers landed double figures in kills tonight, led by Kristin Sprinkel's (Laguna, Calif./Bishop Luers) 12 followed by Rachel Bach (Jacksonville, Fla./Bolles) and Julia El-Hag (Bedford, NY/Fox Lane), who each garnered 11. El-Hag also topped BC's defensive column with 16 digs on the night while serving a game-high 5 aces., and Bach registered four block assists. Freshman Lauren Schwer (Naperville, Ill./Naperville) made 10 digs. Kyleen Charlton (Tampa, Fla./Academy of the Holy Name) accumulated 49 assists in the five-game match in addition to serving four aces.
Chanice Harris (Matteson, Ill.) recorded 18 kills in the match for the Huskies, and setter Maria Shaker (Fairview Park, Ohio) posted 50 helpers. Stephanie Ziemann (Linden, Calif.) anchored the Connecticut defense with her 12 digs.
After Stephanie Schindel (Diamond Bar, Calif.) served Connecticut to a 6-3 advantage in the first game, the Eagles responded as Sprinkel's serving speared five BC points, providing an 8-6 BC lead. UConn crept within one (8-7), but BC used solid serving and consistent play to finish out the victory at 15-9.
Connecticut led most of the way in the second game. After spoiling the Huskies' first game-point chance at 9-14, BC gained two more points with El-Hag behind the line before suffering the 11-15 loss.
BC regrouped and vaporized a 3-5 deficit in the third game to eventually tie the game at six. El-Hag served two aces in her stint behind the line which saw the Eagles score four points, giving them the 8-6 lead before a Husky sideout. Charlton served three consecutive aces in the four points BC used to close out the fourth game with a 15-10 victory.
The Huskies jumped out to an early 6-1 lead in the fourth game. They capitalized on a 13-7 kill advantage and six less errors to earn the 15-9 victory.
Numbers were on the Eagles' side in the final game, though. BC nailed 12 kills to UConn's seven for the match win. The score was tied at nine until Rachel Bach's kill lifted BC to a 10-9 advantage. Schwer's kill on the next point gave the Eagles some breathing room. Another Schwer kill presented a match-point opportunity for BC. The Huskies would fight off two match points before falling 15-13 care of Kristin Sprinkel's match-ending strike.
BC hosts New Hampshire Wednesday (Oct. 6). Game time is at 7 p.m.
