The Keiser volleyball team got the 2024 season started off on the right foot, claiming three win on Thursday during the Vipers Sports Academy Classic. The Seahawks picked up wins over Mobile (Ala.) (3-1- 24-26, 25-16, 25-22, 25-18), Saint Francis (Ind.) (3-0 - 25-20, 25-16, 25-17), and Truett McConnell (3-0 - 25-10, 25-22, 25-17) to start the season 3-0 for the second in the last three years.
As a team, Keiser hit a blistering .318 on the day with 155 kills (15.5 per set). The Seahawks were led by newcomer Mackenzie Pryor, who posted 63 kills on the day while tallying an attack percentage of .514. She opened the day, setting the school record for total kills in a four-set match, recording 32 versus Mobile. Junior Frederica Silva finished the day with 25 kills and a team-best six service aces. Setter Hannah Heide picked up where she left off last season, recording 118 assists on Thursday, averaging 11.80 assists per set. She also led the team with 6.0 total blocks. Libero Faith Marquis registered a team-best 55 digs on the day as Keiser totaled 165 in its first day of the 2024 campaign.
The Vipers Sports Academy Classic
presented by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
August 15-17, 2024
Day One Results
Thursday, August 15
Keiser 3, Mobile (Ala.) 1
Keiser 3, Saint Francis (Ind.) 0
Keiser 3, Truett McConnell 0
Match Score: Keiser Seahawks 3, Mobile (Ala.) Rams 1
Set Scores: (24-26, 25-16, 25-22, 25-18)
Location: Student Life Center (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Records: Keiser Seahawks (1-0), Mobile (Ala.) Rams (0-1)
SET 1 (UM, 26-24)
- A pair of kills by Mackenzie Pryor gave the Seahawks an early 2-1 advantage.
- The Rams went on a 6-2 run to take a 7-4 lead.
- The set went back-and-forth with score being tied nine times as the contest drew even, 15-15.
- Mobile used a 6-1 run to push its lead to 21-16.
- The Seahawks stormed back, tying the set at 22-all.
- The Rams had set point, 24-22, before a kill by Pryor (her 10th of the set) and a Mobile attack error tied the score once again, 24-24.
- UM took Set One following a KU service error and attacking error, 26-24.
SET 2 (KU, 25-16)
- A kill by Corrina Porch-Maxey gave the Rams a 3-1 lead to start the set.
- Emma Friese (on an assist by Pryor) tied the match at 4-4.
- Trailing, 6-5, a kill by Isabella Steffel tied the set, 6-6.
- Keiser used a 9-3 run to take a 15-9 lead (capped off with a service ace by Aby Tibesar).
- A kill by Frederica Silva (on an assist by Hannah Heide) gave Keiser its 20th point of the set.
- With set point, Pryor notched kill number 14 for the 25-16 victory.
SET 3 (KU, 25-22)
- A kill followed by a service ace by Tibesar gave Keiser a 4-1 advantage.
- Mobile rallied to tie the set at 8-8.
- The scoreboard was tied four more times before the Rams extended their lead to 14-12 following a kill by Porch-Maxey.
- The Seahawks used an 8-2 run capped off with a kill by Heide to take a 22-19 lead.
- A service ace by Pryor gave Keiser the set, 25-22.
SET 4 (KU, 25-18)
- Kills by Emma Friese and Silva put Keiser ahead 5-3.
- After a kill by UM's Taliyah Kirby tied the match at 6-6, the Seahawks used a 5-0 run highlighted by an Abby Lester service ace to lead, 11-5.
- With the score tied at 14-14, Pryor produced two straight kills to give the Seahawks a 16-14 edge.
- The Seahawks clinched the match with a 6-0 run to end the set.
- Pryor set the school record for kills in a four-set match (32) during that run.
- The record-setting kill gave the Seahawks a 23-18 advantage.
Match Score: Keiser Seahawks 3, Saint Francis (Ind.) Cougars 0
Set Scores: (25-20, 25-16, 25-17)
Location: Student Life Center (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Records: Keiser Seahawks (2-0), Saint Francis (Ind.) Cougars (1-1)
SET 1 (KU, 25-20)
- The Cougars took a 5-2 lead following a kill by Paige Fortkamp.
- Keiser used a 6-3 run to tie the set a 8-8 following a block assist by Heide and Isabella Steffel.
- USF held a slight lead for much of the set until Silva scored the set's 20th point with a service ace (20-18).
- The Cougars pulled within one, 21-20, following an attack error by Pryor.
- Keiser rattled off four straight points to take the set, 25-20.
SET 2 (KU, 25-16)
- The Seahawks opened the set, scoring four consecutive points.
- Keiser pushed its lead to 9-3 following kills by Tibesar and Pryor.
- The Cougars produced five straight points to cut Keiser's lead to 10-9, resulting in a time out (A Sydow Time Out).
- Out of the time out, a Fortkamp service error pushed Keiser's lead to 11-9.
- USF made it an 11-10 set following a kill by Addison Shafer.
- The Seahawks responded with a 7-1 run, giving KU an 18-11 edge.
- Keiser maintained its lead to take the second set, 25-16.
SET 3 (KU, 25-17)
- The Seahawks opened the third set with a 3-1 lead.
- The Cougars responded with four straight points to take a 5-3 advantage.
- Trailing 8-6, the Seahawks used a 5-0 run to lead the set, 11-8.
- Back-to-back kills by Pryor gave Keiser a 14-10 lead.
- A kill by Abby Lester pushed Keiser's lead to six, 20-14.
- Pryor produced her 19th kill of the match to give the Seahawks Match Point.
- She then won the set and the match with a service ace (her second in the contest).
Match Score: Keiser Seahawks 3, Truett McConnell Bears 0
Set Scores: (25-10, 25-22, 25-17)
Location: Student Life Center (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Records: Keiser Seahawks (3-0), Truett McConnell Bears (0-2)
SET 1 (KU, 25-10)
- Keiser jumped out to a 5-0 lead.
- An attack error by TMU's Elizabeth Franklin gave Keiser a seven-point lead, 11-4.
- After a Steffel kill (on a Heide assist) gave the Seahawks 14-6 edge, the Seahawks out-scored the Bears, 12-4 to take Set One.
- The Seahawks hit .421 in the set while holding the Bears to a hitting percentage of just .034.
SET 2 (KU, 25-22)
- Heide rattled off three straight points for the Seahawks with two kills and a service ace as KU led, 4-2.
- Emma Friese and Silva gave Keiser a three-point lead after each registered kills (6-3).
- KU extended its lead with a 5-0 run to take a 12-5 advantage.
- Keiser maintained its seven-point lead up 18-11.
- TMU out-scored the Seahawks 6-1 to cut the deficit to 19-17.
- Silva and Steffel pushed the Keiser lead back to four with back-to-back kills, 21-17.
- Three straight points by the Bear cut the Seahawks lead to 24-22 but a service error by Belle Lamonica gave KU the set, 25-22.
SET 3 (KU, 25-17)
- The Bear took a 6-2 lead to start the third set.
- The Seahawks battled back, tying the set, 8-8, following a block assist by Tibesar and Silva.
- Two errors by the Bears gave Keiser a 15-12 lead.
- Tibesar kept Keiser's lead at three with a kill to make it 18-15.
- The Seahawks used a 7-2 run to take the set and the match as Heide and Katelyn Baxley blocked an attack by TMU's Sameily Marquez, 25-17.
- Outside hitter Mackenzie Pryor hit an amazing .514 over the team's three matches on Thursday, averaging 7.88 kills per set (63 total)
- Pryor opened the day, setting the school record for total kills in four-set match, posting 32
- The Seahawks hit .318 as a team on Thursday with 155 total kills (15.5 per set)
- Junior Frederica Silva notched 25 kills on the day while posting a team-best six service aces
- Middle blocker Isabella Steffel recorded 19 kills with an attack percentage of .333 in her Keiser debut
- Setter Hannah Heide continued to add to the Keiser record books, notching 118 assists on Thursday
- Heide increased her career total to 4,297
- Silva and Heide combined for four double-doubles on Thursday
- Silva notched two double-doubles (11 kills, 12 digs versus Truett McConnell & 11 kills, 16 digs versus Mobile)
- Heide had a pair of double-doubles (34 assists, 10 digs versus Truett McConnell & 54 assists, 12 digs versus Mobile)
- Keiser moves to 3-0 on the year with Thursday's wins
- With the three victories, Head Coach James Rogers improves to 165-69 all-time
- The victory over Mobile draws the all-time series even at 2-2
- The Seahawks are now 2-1 all-time versus the Rams at the Student Life Center
- Thursday also marked the first meeting all-time between the Seahawks and the Cougars of Saint Francis (Ind.)
- The Cougars are the first of three "first time" opponents for the Seahawks this weekend (Spartanburg Methodist & Olivet Nazarene)
- With the win over Truett McConnel, Keiser improves to 7-1 all-time over the Bears
- KU is now 2-0 all-time versus TMU at the Student Life Center
- This marks the second time in three years and third time in five in which Keiser has started the year 3-0
The Seahawks will close out the Vipers Sports Academy Classic with a pair of matches on Saturday, August 17. The Seahawks are scheduled to face the Spartanburg Methodist Pioneers at 8:00 AM followed by a 12:00 PM contest versus Olivet Nazarene
Get the latest information on the team by following @kuseahawks_vb on Instagram and @keiservb on X.
General athletic news can be found at KUSeahawks on Facebook, @kuseahawks on Instagram, and @kuseahawks on X.
