Without Taylor Payne, the teams leading blocker, the Quinnipiac’s womens volleyball team struggled in their match on Saturday against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, losing the match 3-0.
With the loss, Quinnipiac falls to 1-16 overall and 0-8 in the conference. Fairleigh Dickinson on the other hand ended their four game skid and improved to a 4-5 record in conference and 8-14 record overall.
In Payne’s abense the Bobcats were lead by Tanner Celestin and Chandler Thornton who combined for 15 kills. Tierra Allen, and Quinnipiac’s all-time leading digger – Logan Riker, added seven digs each to lead the team. Brittanie Robinson led Quinnipiac with 21 assists in the game.
The first set was taken by Fairleigh Dickinson by a score of 25-18. The set started off close as the teams were tied at 13, but that was when Meaghan Wheeler and the Knights took over. They scored 12 of the next 17 points to bring the first set home. Wheeler had six kills in the first set.
Wheeler wasn’t done yet. In the second set, she was even better than the first and her team needed her to be as Quinnipiac was very stingy in set No. 2. Quinnipiac started the second set on fire getting out to an 8-4 lead. Fairleigh Dickinson made a run to even the score at 17, and from there it was back and forth as both teams exchanged points. Later in the set with the score tied at 23, Wheeler crushed two more kills to win the set and bring her kill total for the match up to 13.
After the 10 minute break Fairleigh Dickinson came out with fire and passion and Quinnipiac could not match it. Before one could even blink the Knights were out to a 15-3 lead in the third set. Helped by nine errors by the Bobcats, Fairleigh Dickinson was able to cruise to a third set victory in which they recorded seven aces, the most of any set in the match, by a score of 25-9.
Wheeler was a force to be reckoned with in this match recording a double-double of 15 kills and 10 digs. She had a team high and game high 20 points, the next closest player was Tanner Celestin with 10 points. Deborah Hong was also key in the victory for the Knights leading their defensive effort with 13 digs.
Next for Quinnipiac they take on the first place Blackbirds of LIU Brooklyn at home.
