The Lady Flames recognized its senior members prior to Friday night’s match with Union University. From left are Micaela McMichen, Mary Katherine Givhan, Bailey Kress, Quinne Daoust and Hanna Matthews.
The Lee University volleyball team received 18 kills from Quinne Daoust and Bailey Kress, but it wasn’t enough as the Lady Flames lost 3-2 to Union University Friday evening.
The Lady Flames (9-21, 2-13 GSC) claimed the opening set 25-22 before Union (19-11, 11-4) evened the score with a 25-23 margin in the second set. Lee collected a 25-21 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs turned on the steam partway through the fourth set on their way to a 25-12 set win and carried the momentum to a 15-8 match-securing fifth-set advantage.
“Unfortunately, that’s been what’s happened to us this year,” said Lee head coach Andrea Hudson.
“We have played five-set matches with three of the four top teams in the conference. It’s so hard to watch your team get so close against these tougher teams and then we make unforced errors because we run out of stamina.”
Hanna Matthews dished out 44 of the team’s 53 assists, while Hannah Longley tallied three of Lee’s service aces. Abby Stroh, Hannah Upton and Daoust recorded one ace a piece.
Micaela McMichen led five Lady Flames into double-digit digs. McMichen recorded a match-high 32 digs. Matthews added 17. Longley and Stroh came up with 14 digs each and Daoust had 11.
Union was led by Kristen Bukowsky and Emily Grace Calhoon with 15 and 14 kills, respectively. Jordan Vick went over 1000 assists in the season after setting up 36 kills. Abbie Rahn had a team-leading 30 digs in the win.
The Bulldogs served up eight aces with Sydney Sample and Meghan Delaney registering two each. Union collected 12 total blocks to four for the Lady Flames.
Prior to the match, the Lady Flames recognized the five senior members of the 2019 squad: McMichen, Matthews, Kress, Daoust and Mary Katherine Givhan. Between the second and third sets, the Mary Ellen Locher Scholarship Foundation presented Logan Griffith with this year’s Volley for a Cure Scholarship.
“When I go home tonight, that’s what I’ll remember. Knowing that we have helped their family with her going to college. I’m excited about that. We have so many people that help us with this event. It was a great night for Volley for a Cure,” added Hudson.
Lee faces Christian Brothers University on Saturday in their season finale. The GSC battle is set for 1 p.m. in Paul Dana Walker Arena.