Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, August 25
Queens, N.Y.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
3-0
3
vs
0
Manhattan
0-3
1
2
3
F
Manhattan
11
17
10
0
Eastern Michigan
25
25
25
3
Volleyball Splits Final Day at St. John's Kaiser Classic
8/25/2018 6:54:00 PM | Volleyball
Eastern's comeback bid against host St. John's falls just short in five sets
QUEENS, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team returned to action at the St. John's University Kaiser Classic Saturday, Aug. 25. The Eagles split the day's competition, defeating Manhattan College in straight sets, 3-0, and fell in a heartbreaker to tournament host, St. John's University, 3-2.
The 3-1 start to the season for Eastern is the best for the Eagles in the Kimi Olson era, and the top mark since they went 4-0 at the Memphis Invitational to start the 2012 season.
ST. JOHN'S 3 EASTERN MICHIGAN 2
In the finale of the Kaiser Classic, Eastern nearly thwarted St. John's defense of its home tournament, coming back from down two games to one, and later 10-5 in the decisive fifth set, to lose 25-21, 20-25, 20-25, 25-19, and 14-16.
Sophomore Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan) shone brightly on the big stage in New York, finishing the match with a career-high 20 kills while hitting .306. She also added 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. Senior Jordan Smith (Solon, Iowa-Solon), who only played one set of the day's first match, finished with 17 kills and 13 digs, good for her first double-double of the season.
Joining the pin hitters in double-digit kills was redshirt junior Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) with 13. Haut and freshman Julia Fisher (Kailua, Hawaii-Le Jardin Academy) each led the way for Eastern with five total blocks, while redshirt senior Mallory Rajewski (Midland, Mich.-Midland) added 41 assists and 17 digs to the Eagles' effort.
The Eagles had three players named to the St. John's Kaiser Classic All-Tournament team, as Haut, Rajewski, and Smith were honored for their play over the weekend.
Haut finished the three games she played averaging over 13 kills per match while attacking at a .642 clip. The redshirt junior also added 12 total blocks. Rajewski, who also saw action in three of four matches, averaged 10.64 assists per set to go along with 40 total digs, nine kills, and two double-doubles. Smith, who played in just one set of the Manhattan match, averaged 3.92 kills per set, had a .273 attack percentage, put up 25 digs, and had four services aces and total blocks.
EASTERN MICHIGAN 3 MANHATTAN 0
Eastern began the second day of the tournament exactly how it had finished the first: a three-game sweep in dominating fashion. The Green and White won handily by scores of 25-11, 25-17, and 25-10, led by freshman Julia Fisher, who set a career-high nine kills on a .533 attack percentage.
The Eagles hit .292 for the match while holding the Jaspers to just .047. EMU had 20 more kills (38 to 18), six more digs (48 to 42), and four more services aces (six to two) in the match while adding three players with a .450-or-better hitting percentage.
Junior Riley Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.-Perry Meridian) orchestrated the attack for Eastern, handing out 32 assists in the match. Fellow junior Camille Schomer (Rochester, Mich.-Oakland Christian), acting as libero, led the team with 22 digs. Joining in the fun was sophomore Franki Strefling, who had seven kills and 10 digs while hitting .462.
Eastern Michigan returns to Washtenaw County to take part in the Michigan Invitational. The three-game tournament will include a match at the University of Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 1, at 12 p.m., as well as a home match against Cleveland State University at 7 p.m. The weekend wraps with a match against Harvard University Sunday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m.
The 3-1 start to the season for Eastern is the best for the Eagles in the Kimi Olson era, and the top mark since they went 4-0 at the Memphis Invitational to start the 2012 season.
ST. JOHN'S 3 EASTERN MICHIGAN 2
In the finale of the Kaiser Classic, Eastern nearly thwarted St. John's defense of its home tournament, coming back from down two games to one, and later 10-5 in the decisive fifth set, to lose 25-21, 20-25, 20-25, 25-19, and 14-16.
Sophomore Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan) shone brightly on the big stage in New York, finishing the match with a career-high 20 kills while hitting .306. She also added 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. Senior Jordan Smith (Solon, Iowa-Solon), who only played one set of the day's first match, finished with 17 kills and 13 digs, good for her first double-double of the season.
Joining the pin hitters in double-digit kills was redshirt junior Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) with 13. Haut and freshman Julia Fisher (Kailua, Hawaii-Le Jardin Academy) each led the way for Eastern with five total blocks, while redshirt senior Mallory Rajewski (Midland, Mich.-Midland) added 41 assists and 17 digs to the Eagles' effort.
The Eagles had three players named to the St. John's Kaiser Classic All-Tournament team, as Haut, Rajewski, and Smith were honored for their play over the weekend.
Haut finished the three games she played averaging over 13 kills per match while attacking at a .642 clip. The redshirt junior also added 12 total blocks. Rajewski, who also saw action in three of four matches, averaged 10.64 assists per set to go along with 40 total digs, nine kills, and two double-doubles. Smith, who played in just one set of the Manhattan match, averaged 3.92 kills per set, had a .273 attack percentage, put up 25 digs, and had four services aces and total blocks.
EASTERN MICHIGAN 3 MANHATTAN 0
Eastern began the second day of the tournament exactly how it had finished the first: a three-game sweep in dominating fashion. The Green and White won handily by scores of 25-11, 25-17, and 25-10, led by freshman Julia Fisher, who set a career-high nine kills on a .533 attack percentage.
The Eagles hit .292 for the match while holding the Jaspers to just .047. EMU had 20 more kills (38 to 18), six more digs (48 to 42), and four more services aces (six to two) in the match while adding three players with a .450-or-better hitting percentage.
Junior Riley Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.-Perry Meridian) orchestrated the attack for Eastern, handing out 32 assists in the match. Fellow junior Camille Schomer (Rochester, Mich.-Oakland Christian), acting as libero, led the team with 22 digs. Joining in the fun was sophomore Franki Strefling, who had seven kills and 10 digs while hitting .462.
Eastern Michigan returns to Washtenaw County to take part in the Michigan Invitational. The three-game tournament will include a match at the University of Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 1, at 12 p.m., as well as a home match against Cleveland State University at 7 p.m. The weekend wraps with a match against Harvard University Sunday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
MAN
EMU
Kills
18
38
Errors
14
10
Attempts
85
96
Hitting %
.047
.292
Points
26.0
48.0
Assists
18
38
Aces
2
6
Blocks
6.0
4.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
MB/RS
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MB/RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
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