TOWSON, Md. – Five players recorded double-digit kills to lead the Towson University volleyball team to a 3-1 win over VCU on Tuesday night in the Tigers' home opener. Three Tigers hit better than .400 in the match and that group was led by redshirt senior Candace Steadman, who hit .529.

THE BASICS
Towson 3, VCU 1 (25-17, 25-22, 26-28, 25-17)
SECU Arena, Towson, Md.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams battled early in the first set before the Tigers used a 6-1 run to take a 17-12 advantage. Sophomore Carola Biver had a pair of kills during that run. Four straight attack errors by the Rams (8-7) pushed the Towson (12-2) lead to 22-14. The two teams traded points before a kill from Biver sealed a 25-17 first set win.
• VCU grabbed a 10-5 lead in the second set on a service ace from Tyler Sroufe. Back-to-back kills from Vicky Giommarini extended the Rams' advantage to 14-8. A kill from Steadman on the next play started an 8-2 run by the Tigers which tied the set at 16-16. Steadman and senior Jessica Lewis each had a pair of kills during that scoring spurt. The two teams traded points as VCU took a 21-19 lead on a kill from Sahbria Mcletchie. A kill from sophomore Jocelyn Kuilan started a 6-1 run to close out the set and gave Towson a 25-22 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match. Kuilan added back-to-back service aces during that stretch while Steadman contributed a pair of kills.
• The third set was the closest of the match as the two squads battled through 15 ties and seven lead changes. Towson held a 25-24 lead but a service error by the Tigers gave the Rams a chance. The two teams traded points before back-to-back blocks from Jasmin Sneed and Giommarini gave the Rams a 28-26 set win and forced the match to a fourth set.
• Trailing 8-7 in the fourth set, the Tigers used a 12-6 run to take a 19-14 lead. Lewis had four kills during that scoring streak while junior Payton Windell contributed a pair of kills. The Tigers continued to fight for each point as a block from Kuilan and senior Lindsay Flaherty closed out a 25-17 set win and gave the Tigers a 3-1 victory in the match.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Tigers had five players record double digit kills for the first time this season and for the first time since they played at Hofstra last year on Nov. 6.
• Lewis led the Tigers with 18 kills and 11 digs for her sixth double-double of the year. She hit a solid .429 for the match. Kuilan recorded her second career double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs while freshman Marrisa Wonders dished out a career-high 55 assists and 12 digs for her seventh double-double of the year.
• Steadman matched her season-high with 10 kills while hitting a team-best .529. Biver contributed 14 kills while Flaherty had 10 kills and four blocks.
• Redshirt sophomore Anna Holehouse contributed a match-high 17 digs.
• Towson hit a solid .345 in the match while holding VCU to a .219 hitting percentage.
• VCU out blocked the Tigers 12-5 in the match.  

The Tigers are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 24 when they open Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play by traveling to Delaware for a 7 p.m. match.