WILLIAMSBURG, Va.- Kate Dedrick's historic night was not enough for William & Mary as the Tribe fell 3-0 to James Madison on Saturday night at Kaplan Arena. Dedrick finished the evening with 21 kills in just three sets, the most of any CAA player in a three-set match this season. The loss dropped the Tribe to 1-4 in conference play early in the season.
How It Happened
James Madison rushed out to an early lead in a first set that saw just four ties and one lead change. Dedrick got things going early posting six kills in the opening frame on 10 attempts.
Autumn Brenner dished out 11 assists and
Lauren Merrill and
Claire Farrell added a pair of kills. Merrill would add an ace as would
Julia Brown, but it was not enough as JMU coasted to a 25-16 win.
After not recording a kill in the opening set, Brown led all hitters with six put-aways in the second frame. Dedrick was solid adding five more kills and the juniors slammed down three blocks. It was a back and forth affair with 12 ties and four lead changes, but James Madison would win the final two points in the 26-24 second set.
The final frame was another hotly contested battle dominated by Dedrick. The Texas native threw down 10 kills and added two more blocks. All ten of Dedrick's kills came from Brenner who added 13 assists in the last stanza. The Tribe trailed 8-2 early in the game but would rally and eventually take a 25-24 lead. However, the Dukes won the final three points to eek out a 27-25 victory.
Inside the Numbers
Dedrick's 21 kill performance is not only a career-high for the junior, but also the most kills of any Tribe player in a single match this season.
Autumn Brenner put in another strong effort with 38 assists in the match. It was the fourth time this season that Brenner broke the 30-mark. Despite the loss, the Tribe had an impressive .257 hitting percentage on the evening and hit .280 and .300 in sets one and two respectively.
Julia Brown finished with five total blocks. It is the ninth time that the junior has recorded at least five denials. A trio of Tribe members ended the evening with double-digit digs, (
Gabi Ganley, 12), (
Lauren Merrill, 12), (
Anna Porter, 10).
Notes
Dedrick wrote her name in the record book with the 21-kill performance. The 21 kills are second-most in program history in a three-set match. The performance was also the best of any CAA player in a three-set match this season. Dedrick is the first member of the Tribe to break the 20-kill mark in any match this season. Tonight marked the 11th time this season Dedrick put down at least 10 slams.
Up Next
The Tribe will finish their three-match home stand Monday as they play host to Delaware. The 6:00 p.m. match with the Blue Hens is the team's Dig Pink match and fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match in support of breast cancer survivors.
