Sept. 7, 2007
Box Score
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Senor Torie Dacus recorded 13 kills without and error and middle blocker Gina Kalb tied her career-high with 10 blocks as UT Arlington erased a double-digit deficit in the second game in defeating Georgia State 30-24, 34-32, 30-23 in the first match of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Bash.
"It was a good sign for us to be down by double digits and be able to come back and escape with a victory in that game and carry it into the next game," said head coach Diane Seymour. "I told them that sometimes it shows what kind of team we can be because we played awful and were able to come away with a win. Good teams can typically play bad and still come out with a win so hopefully that is a sign for the future for us."
UTA (5-2) shook off the traveling rust in the opening game and used a 9-2 run to open an 18-10 advantage. The charge was led by middle blocker Gina Kalb who recorded four block assists and a solo block during the run. GSU would rattle off the next three points, but no closer as the Mavs would get offensive as Emily Nedderman would deliver three kills in pushing the advantage to double digits. The lead would shrink to five points before Torie Dacus would put the game away with a kill.
The Panthers (6-3) came back in the second game and seized control early in opening a 15-7 advantage. The run was aided by four Maverick errors. After falling behind 20-10, the Mavs began their comeback and pulled to within two points on a pair of kills and a service ace from Dacus and then tied the score at 25-25 on back-to-back kills from Bianca Sauls. UTA would fight off two game points and convert on their third game point on a service ace from Kalb.
UTA once again started slow in the third game before taking the lead for good on a pair of block assists from Kalb. The Mavs would use a pair of kills off the bench from Liz Curry to continue to increase the advantage. The lead would grow to as many as nine on a kill from Dacus before Ellen Murray would end the match with a kill.
The Mavs return to the court at 4:30 p.m. when they take on Belmont.
