2015 Golden Knights Invitational

Results From Previous Golden Knight Invitationals
2014
2013
2011
2010

All-Tournament Team:
Aishvina Arasu (Clarkson, OH) - Most Outstanding Player
Kirstie Shurie (Clarkson, S)
Rachael Aird (Clarkson, MH)
Shannon Hubert (Muhlenberg, S)
Erin Byrne (Susquehanna, RS)
Robyn Carroll (SUNY Canton, L)

Participating Teams:
#18 Clarkson University Golden Knights (16-3)
Schedule Statistics

SUNY Canton Kangaroos (16-4)
Schedule Statistics

Muhlenberg College Mules (13-5)
Schedule Statistics

Susquehanna University Crusaders (14-7)
Schedule Statistics

Schedule - Saturday, October 10th

4:30 pm - Muhlenberg vs. SUNY Canton

Box Score: Muhlenberg 3, SUNY Canton 1
Set 1: Muhlenberg 25, SUNY Canton 11
Set 2: SUNY Canton 25, Muhlenberg 15
Set 3: Muhlenberg 25, SUNY Canton 23
Set 4: Muhlenberg 25, SUNY Canton 12

Game Story: It took SUNY Canton a set to figure out its offense without a couple of its top players, but the Roos were able to find themselves to make the Mules work to four sets. In the opener the Mules jumped out quickly with plenty of offense from both the outside and the service line by Katherine Boll. The Mules cruised to a first-set victory before the Roos discovered some incredible defensive intensity and an answer for the Muhlenberg block in the second set, coming away with a convincing set-victory of their own. The third set was the most interesting of the match as the two teams jostled back and forth throughout. With the set tied at 23-23 late, the Mules got kills from Sarah Weyhmuller and Allison Glass to close out the game and take a 2-1 advantage. Muhlenberg maintained its momentum from the third set to the start of the fourth, dominating SUNY Canton with the first eight points. Though the Roos eventually pulled to within five, they simply didn't have an answer for the Mules as Muhlenberg closed out the set by double figures.

Glass finished with 14 kills and 12 digs to lead Muhlenberg, while Boll added 11 kills, three aces and four blocks. Shannon Hubert ran the Mules offense with 33 assists, and also contributed three aces and 16 digs, matching the defensive total of Chelsea Kaser. For Canton, Kelly Cornish and Haley Riley each delivered 11 kills and Peyton Robinson produced 30 assists. Robyn Carroll was particularly impressive on the back line with 25 digs. Lindsay Bryer produced 17 digs and Cornich also tossed in 11 digs.

7:00 pm - Susquehanna vs. #18 Clarkson

Box Score: Clarkson 3, Susquehanna 0
Set 1: Clarkson 25, Susquehanna 19
Set 2: Clarkson 27, Susquehanna 25
Set 3: Clarkson 25, Susquehanna 14

Game Story: Though the match went just three sets, the late night meeting between the Golden Knights and Susquehanna was filled with long rallies as both teams defense dug in when needed. However, Clarkson just had too much firepower from several spots on the court and was able to get points when needed. The Knights trailed through much of the first set, but came back to tie the score at 18-18. From there, Katrina Lane delivered a pair of kills to break the knot and Tara Stilwell produced a pair of aces before Susquehanna ended the five-point run. Kills by Rachael Aird and Victoria Kirkemo gave Clarkson the win. In the second set, Susquehanna led by three late (22-19), but Clarkson came out of a timeout and pushed back to tie the score at 23-23. A kill by Aishvina Arasu gave Clarkson a brief advantage, but was met with a kill from the Crusaders' Morgan Whiteman, forcing extra points. Clarkson edged back out by one on a kill by Kirkemo, but again Susquehanna had an answer with a surprise dump kill. Aird responded by pounding a kill down on the sideline and the Crusaders were whistled for a ball-handling error to end the set. The third set was less in doubt as several key players produced strong swings to give the Knights a solid advantage early. Up by double digits late, Sierra Rhoades ended the set and the match with an ace to seal the three-set win for Clarkson.

Clarkson hit .337 for the match, thanks in large part to a 15-0-32 line from Arasu. Not to be outdone was Kirkemo, who had half the swings of her teammate, but a .500 hitting percentage (8-0-16). Aird hit similarly (8-1-16) and Lane also produced five kills with just a single miscue in 19 attempts. Senior setter Kirstie Shurie used her options well with 37 assists, while Stilwell had team-highs with 12 digs and three aces.

For Susquehanna, Morgan Whiteman and Marykate Skerkness each delivered nine kills and Maggie O'Hearn produced 31 assists and eight digs. Sarah Paluck led the team with 18 digs, while Erin Byrne had 17 digs and six kills.

Schedule - Sunday, October 11th

10:00 am - Susquehanna vs. SUNY Canton

Box Score: Susquehanna 3, SUNY Canton 0
Set 1: Susquehanna 25, SUNY Canton 11
Set 2: Susquehanna 25, SUNY Canton 15
Set 3: Susquehanna 25, SUNY Canton 21

Game Story: Susquehanna played even with SUNY Canton in the early going of each set, but the Crusaders always found another gear when they needed and were able to use multiple runs to come away with a three-set sweep. In the opener, Susquehanna and the Roos were tied at 5-5 before the Crusaders went on a 9-0 run to force Canton to use both of its timeouts. Despite the reprieves, Susquehanna enjoyed a lopsided 25-11 win in the first set. The second set had a similar run, except midway through the frame. Leading 8-7 early, the Crusaders scored five of the next six points and 10 of the next 13 points overall, Susquehanna pushed the advantage back to 10 at the end. In the final set of the match Canton wouldn't go away, minimizing its mistakes and keeping the rallies alive. Within three at the end, Canton finally succumbed to the Crusaders as block assists from Julie Kreutzer and Rachel Wherry ended the match.

12:30 pm - Muhlenberg vs. #18 Clarkson

Box Score: Clarkson 3, Muhlenberg 0
Set 1: Clarkson 25, Muhlenberg 18
Set 2: Clarkson 25, Muhlenberg 14
Set 3: Clarkson 25, Muhlenberg 10

Game Story: Muhlenberg's offense and defense came out strong in the early going, gaining a two-point advantage (10-8) in the first set, but that was the last time that the Mules would string together much consistent success against the Golden Knights. Clarkson scored the next seven straight points as the offense clicked from numerous hitters, especially senior Aishvina Arasu. Up by five late, Arasu recorded a kill, Lauren Hutchinson produced a kill, and Danielle Farabee picked up a kill before Tara Stilwell closed out the set with an ace. In the second set the two teams found themselves close once again (11-9, Clarkson), but the Golden Knights rattled off three straight points, punctuated by a kill from Rachael Aird, to force the Mules into a timeout. The break provided a momentary stop of momentum, but the Golden Knights enjoyed a run of seven points in eight serves to take a double-digit lead, an advantage that they would hold on to with various errors by the Mules down the stretch. The third set was never much in doubt as Clarkson raced out to an early 6-1 lead following block assists from Lauren Hutchinson and Danielle Farabee. Though Sarah Weyhmuller recorded a pair of kills to get the Mules out of their funk, Clarkson turned a modest three-point lead (11-8) into a rousing rout by scoring 14 of the final 16 points thanks to a strong finishing effort from Victoria Kirkemo, who had three kills in the final six points.

Arasu led the team with 16 kills, hitting .387 in the match, while Kirkemo topped that figure with a .421 rate on 10 kills and two errors in 19 swings. However, the best mark of the day came from Rachael Aird, who swung at a .636 clip with eight kills and one miscure in 11 attempts. Kirstie Shurie ran the offense beautifully with 38 assists, while Tara Stillwell served four aces and added in eight digs, one less than the team-leader Kirkemo, who had nine.

3:00 pm - Susquehanna vs. Muhlenberg

Box Score: Susquehanna 3, Muhlenberg 1
Set 1: Susquehanna 25, Muhlenberg 13
Set 2: Susquehanna 25, Muhlenberg 22
Set 3: Muhlenberg 25, Susquehanna 23
Set 4: Susquehanna 25, Muhlenberg 15

Game Story: There were times when Muhlenberg looked perfectly capable of taking the match, but Susquehanna always had an answer on offense for the Mules, allowing for a four-set win by the Crusaders. Midway through the first set the score was close (14-11), but Susquehanna enjoyed an 11-2 run to close out the set for a lopsided win. The second and third sets were more topsy turvy as Muhlenberg and Susquehanna spent the majority of the second set locked up closely together. The Mules gained the lead at 22-21 with an ace by Shannon Hubert, but the Crusaders scored the final four points of the set, picking up a pair of kills from Marykate Sherkness, including the set-ender. In the third set the Crusaders appeared ready to close out the Mules, enjoying a 19-10 lead after an ace from Sarah Paluck. However, Muhlenberg chipped away by scoring the next six points to make it interesting and then rallying for the final four points of the set despite trailing 23-21. Katherine Boll and Sarah Weyhmuller tied the set at 23-23 with back-to-back kills, and a pair of errors by the Crusaders forced a fourth set. In that game, Susquehanna would once again make a small lead (12-10) into a large one (19-10). This time, though, the Crusaders would not fold, holding on for a 25-15 win.

Erin Byrne enjoyed a double-double with 12 kills and 18 digs for Susquehanna, while Maggie O'Hearn did likewise with 41 assists and 20 digs. Sarah Paluck led the team with 28 digs and Leanna Carvin hit .400 with 11 kills for the Crusaders.

Weyhmuller and Glass each had nine kills for the Mules, and Hubert produced 16 assists, 13 digs and four aces in a solid all-around match. Elizabeth Garrison also contributed 11 digs, while Joanne Josephson had seven block assists.

5:30 pm - SUNY Canton vs. #18 Clarkson

Box Score: Clarkson 3, SUNY Canton 0
Set 1: Clarkson 25, SUNY Canton 19
Set 2: Clarkson 25, SUNY Canton 20
Set 3: Clarkson 25, SUNY Canton 10

Game Story: The Kangaroos put in a gutsy effort on defense, but the Clarkson offense was too much to overcome as the Golden Knights edged out a three-set win, their third of the weekend. Canton trailed throughout the first set, but would not go away despite Clarkson using numerous different options on offense. Libero Robyn Carroll was excellent in the back row, but eventually the Knights solved the defense and won by six on a Rachael Aird kill. The second set was more of the same as the two teams were still tied up to 11-11, but despite the hopes of a timeout midway through the frame, the Golden Knights' momentum could not be halted. Canton eventually pulled back to within three late, but Aird delivered two more kills in a three-point swing to give Clarkson a six-point lead, eventually settling for a five-point win. The third set was never much in doubt for the Knights as they led by double digits almost from the start with an 8-0 run to begin the game. Up 14-4, the Knights would never again have less than a 10-point lead, pushing it to as many as 16 points after an Aishvina Arasu kills (21-5).

Clarkson was led by Arasu on offense once again with 13 kills and three errors on 30 swings, while Aird hit .533 with 10 kills and two errors on 15 attempts. Kirstie Shurie averaged 13 assists per set and totaled 39 in the match, while Tara Stilwell produced 13 digs and added three more aces to her season total. For Canton, Robyn Carroll had 19 digs in the back row and Peyton Robinson had 22 assists. Haley Riley was the team's top hitter with eight kills and just one error on 24 swings.

Scoreboard

Clarkson University Athletics

2015 Golden Knights Invitational