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Wayne State University Athletics

Taylor Wagner
Taylor Wagner celebrates after the win on Wednesday.
0
Saginaw Valley SVSU 16-11,8-7 GLIAC
3
Winner Wayne State WSU 20-7,11-4 GLIAC
Saginaw Valley SVSU
16-11,8-7 GLIAC
0
Final
3
Wayne State WSU
20-7,11-4 GLIAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Saginaw Valley SVSU 13 16 21 (0)
Wayne State WSU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Cameron Weidenthaler, Assistant Media Relations Director

Volleyball Beats SVSU to Advance to GLIAC Semifinals

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University volleyball team (20-7 overall) entered the GLIAC Tournament as the three-seed and topped sixth-seeded Saginaw Valley State (16-11overall) in three sets on Wednesday night inside the Matthaei.  It was the first home postseason game for the Warriors since 2010.  WSU has its sights set on its first trip to the NCAA postseason since 1994 and for just the third time in program history.  The 20 wins is the most since 1998.  

HOW IT HAPPENED
WSU led the opening set 6-2 after an ace from Taylor Wagner (St. Joseph, Mich. / Lakeshore).  The home margin grew to 11-3 following kills from Halle Shell (Port Huron, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) and Lauren VanderWal (Caledonia, Mich.) plus a block by Shell.  A block by Alexa Withun (Troy, Mich. / Athens) made it 14-4 and the Warriors would hold a 20-9 advantage after a Cardinal attacking error.  Jenna Kray (Westerville, Ohio / Worthington Christian) made it 22-12 and the Green & Gold would win 25-13.

Wayne State seized the momentum early in the second set, leading 7-3 following a combo block by Kray and Kamryn Duffield (Romeo, Mich.).  WSU led 10-5 and responded to a mini-SVSU run to take a 14-8 advantage.  The Cardinals trimmed the WSU lead to four, 18-14, but the Warriors regained control and led 21-14 thanks to back-to-back errors by Saginaw Valley.   WSU would win comfortably 25-16.

SVSU would show some fight in the third set, starting with a 7-3 lead.  The visitors would hold onto a 14-10 advantage before the Warriors began to find their footing.  A Cardinals serving error made it 15-12 but SVSU won the next three points.  Wayne State used a furious 7-0 rally to take a 19-18 lead in front of a loud Matthaei crowd.  Julia Malewicz (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Academy for International Studies / Henry Ford II) powered the run from the service line.SVSU tied the set at 20-20 but the Green & Gold captured the next three points and would close out the sweep with a 25-21 victory.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Wagner posted a match-high 10 kills and hit .318 to go with 11 digs.  Duffield had 28 assists.

ONE BIG THING
The WSU defense held SVSU to .020 hitting percentage, while Wayne State .220.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will play Ferris State in the GLIAC Semifinals on Saturday in Houghton, Mich.  Michigan Tech has hosting duties as the top seed.  Stay tuned for a start time.
 
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