University of Houston
Arkansas Tournament - Ball State
Dews Plays Strong But Cougars Fall
9/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 18, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In a knock-down-drag-out fight in Fayetteville, Ark., the Cougar volleyball team fell 3-2 in a five-game match to the Ball State Cardinals at the C&C Services Invitational.
Despite four Cougars hitting in double digits, Houston was unable to come out on top as four Cardinals also turned in double digit performances, including a match high 21 kills by Sarah Obras.
The loss means the Cougars close out the invitational with a 0-3 record after falling to No. 9 Illinois and host-team Arkansas, on Friday. Houston falls to 1-10 and ties the school record for most consecutive losses in a season, matching the mark of 10 straight defeats set in 1981.
In the match, the Cougars managed to outpace the Cardinals with 75 total kills to the Cardinals 74 but also turned in nearly twice as many attack errors as Ball State (46-27), a decisive factor in the match.
Senior Loure Dews played her best match of the season, nearly recording a double-double with her outstanding play offensively and defensively . Dews turned in 17 kills, along with 2 digs and seven blocks, all season highs for Dews.
Sophomores Becca Sartori and Kelly McAnelly and juniors Kariny Ritter and Jaci Gonzalez also had impressive outings for the Cougars as Sartori put up 18 kills and five blocks, McAnelly had 16 kills, Ritter tallied 12 kills and 11 digs, while Gonzalez recorded a career high 35 digs on the evening.
Houston started out the match with a narrow victory over the Cardinals in a 30-28 final in Game 1. However Ball State came blazing back to take control of the match by winning the next two games in convincing fashion, 30-19 and 30-20.
Down one game to two, the Cougars needed to win the next two games to take the match and they just came up short.
Facing the end of the match if they lost Game 4, the Cougars pulled together and came out with a 30-28 win to force a fifth and final game.
Game 5 would go down to the wire but Houston's attempts to pull of the win came up just short as the Cardinals took the match with a 16-14 win in the decisive game.
After eight straight road games, the Cougars will take the next week off and return to action on Sept. 28 at home against Texas State.
