Seton Hall University
Appalachian State
Warren, Manthorpe Guide VB Past ASU
8/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
HARRISONBURG, Va. - The Seton Hall volleyball team kicked off the 2012 season with an impressive 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 25-27, 25-15) victory over Appalachian State on Saturday morning at the JMU Classic. The Pirates will wrap up the tournament against the Dukes at 7:30 p.m. this evening.
Seton Hall received a number of standout performances, highlighted by junior Alyssa Warren (Joliet, Ill.) and sophomore Shelbey Manthorpe (Merion Station, Pa.). Warren posted 37 digs, marking the third highest single-match total in program history. Manthorpe recorded her third straight triple-double, dating back to last season, with 11 kills, 34 assists, and 18 digs.
Sophomore Stacey Manthorpe (Merion Station, Pa.) had a match-high 15 kills to go with 12 digs.
Both teams started out slow offensively in the first set, leading to a back-and-forth start. A Stacey Manthorpe kill and an ace by Oliva Trudeau (Shell Beach, Calif.) to give SHU some needed momentum and a 14-12 lead. The Mountaineers (0-2) hung around and pulled within one, but the Pirates ripped off a mini 5-1 run to pull away and take the frame, 25-18.
Seton Hall picked up where they left off to begin the second game. Sophomore Simona Sekulova (Aukland, New Zealand) and senior Morgan DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich.) teamed up for a block to put Seton Hall up, 5-2. Appalachian State evened the score shortly thereafter, and used some strong blocking of its own to rattle off six unanswered to go ahead, 14-8.
The Pirates quickly responded, scoring five of the next six to equalize again, and Shelbey Manthorpe put the score back in favor of SHU, 17-16. Back-to-back blocks by freshman Molly Grammer (Center Valley, Pa.) extended the advantage to 21-18 to give SHU enough cushion to claim a 2-0 match lead.
Appalachian State refused to go quietly, racing out to an 8-4 lead in the third stanza. The Pirates capitalized on some attack errors to close within two to get back into striking distance. The Mountaineers built their cushion to 15-11, however four-straight points by SHU helped build the drama.
Shelbey Manthorpe tied the game, 20-20, with a spike leading to the clubs trading points until the scoreboard read 25-25. Lindsey Sauls gave Appalachian State its third set-point and an attack error extended the match.
In the fourth, the Pirates came out strong, taking a 6-1 lead. The Mountaineers closed within one before Seton Hall flexed its muscle to put the set and match out of reach. A 7-1 outburst gave the Pirates a 20-11 lead in the set as SHU slammed the door on a possible Appalachian State comeback.
The triumph also marks the first career win for first year head coach Allison Yaeger. She becomes the first coach to win her debut at SHU since Rick Pickrell in 1999.
