Game Information
Score: Keiser 3, Dalton State 1 (24-26, 25-16, 25-18, 25-16)
Records: Keiser (9-0), Dalton State (1-3)
Location: Countess de Hoernle Student Life Center, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Dalton State Starters: B. Thomas, A. Andrade, R. Burke, O. Keegan, C. Cox, G. Hardin; libero – K. Newman
Keiser Starters: N. McKown, C. Zamora, V. Hietala, N. Papineau, S. Thompson, M. Minke; libero – M. Leff
 
Highlights
Keiser volleyball improved to 9-0 after winning three unanswered sets for the second consecutive outing, this time to defeat Dalton State by the final score of 3-1. With the victory, Keiser swept the competition in the Labor Day Volleyfest and was named the unanimous tournament champion. The Seahawks won the last three sets by a combined 25 points. As a team Keiser outhit Dalton State, .323 - .138. Seniors Nikki McKown and Chantelle Zamora each recorded a double-double in the victory. Zamora's efforts garnered her with the Labor Day Volleyfest Tournament Most Valuable Player award. Nicole Papineau was named to the All-Tournament squad along with Zamora.
 
How it Happened
Set One:
Dalton State claimed the first set after jumping out to the early 6-3 advantage over the Seahawks. Keiser soared back to take a 9-7 lead of its own midway through the opening frame. After the two squads were deadlocked at 13 apiece, the Roadrunners raced ahead for the 19-14 advantage over the host Seahawks. With the Seahawks trailing 24-20, Keiser rallied off four unanswered points to extend the first set. However, a Keiser attack error and a Roadrunner kill sealed the two-point first-set victory for Dalton State.
 
Set Two:
Keiser forced a guaranteed fourth set after claiming the 25-16 second set victory. The Roadrunners jumped out to another quick lead over the Seahawks, this time claiming a 10-5 advantage and forcing a Keiser timeout. Following the Keiser timeout, the Seahawks found their groove and dominated over the remainder of the set, outscoring the Roadrunners 20-6 en route to a game-high nine-point victory. Keiser outhit Dalton State .379 to .057 in the second set, aiding the Seahawks in forcing a guaranteed fourth set for the third consecutive game.
 
Set Three:
The third set began with neither team able to pull away as Keiser and Dalton State were deadlocked at 13-13. After the Roadrunners claimed three unanswered points to take a 16-13, the Seahawks raced ahead to the seven-point second set victory thanks to a 12-3 run of their own to end the frame. The Keiser spurt was due in large part to kills by Nikki McKown and Samantha Thompson. The final kill of the third set came from Keiser libero, Morgan Leff. Keiser continued to display its dominance on the weekend, posting a .235 hitting percentage compared to .081 from the Roadrunners.
 
Set Four:
Keiser pinned Dalton State quick in the fourth set, racing out to a 7-0 lead before the Roadrunners registered a point. Chantelle Zamora aided in the early lead after recording one kill and one service ace. Dalton State cut the Keiser lead to four but could not recover from the sluggish start to open the frame as the Seahawks cruised to the 25-16 final set victory. For the final set, Keiser recorded a game-best .444 hitting percentage and held the Roadrunners to .062, their third consecutive set under .100.
 
Team Leaders:
Keiser
Kills: 13 – Nikki McKown & Samantha Thompson
Assists: 45 – Nicole Papineau
Digs: 15 – Veera Hietala
 
Dalton State
Kills: 19 – Anne Andrade
Assists: 20 – Brooke Thomas
Digs: 11 – Anne Andrade & Karly Newman
 
All-Tournament Squad
Keiser – Chantelle Zamora (MVP), Nicole Papineau
Johnson & Wales – Erin Livingston
Marian – Frannie Stephenson
Florida College – Abigail Hodges
Dalton State – Anne Andrade
 
Up Next
Keiser will return to action on Sept. 10 when the Seahawks take on conference opponent and defending regular season Sun Conference Champions, Warner University. The contest will start at 2 p.m. in Lake Wales, Fla., and will serve as the conference opener for both squads.