TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University volleyball team clawed its way back from a 2-0 deficit to force the match to a fifth and deciding set but ultimately fell to the College of Charleston on Friday evening in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Sophomore Jocelyn Kuilan and senior Jessica Lewis combined for 39 kills to lead the Tigers (13-3, 1-1 CAA).  

THE BASICS
College of Charleston 3, Towson 2 (25-27, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 11-15)
SECU Arena, Towson, Md.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first set was a back-and-forth battle as the two teams fought through 17 ties and six lead changes. Towson led 25-24 following a service error by the Cougars (10-5, 3-0 CAA). However, back-to-back blocks from Kennedy Madison and Peyton Eisnaugle and an attack error by the Tigers gave College of Charleston a 27-25 set win.
• With the second set tied at 9-9, the Cougars used a 7-1 run to take a 16-10 lead. Devon Rachel had a pair of kills for Charleston during that stretch. A kill from Eisnaugle gave the Cougars a 22-17 advantage and forced Towson to use a timeout. The Tigers pulled to within four, 24-20 on a kill from Kuilan. A kill from Maddie Hills on the next play gave Charleston a 25-20 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
• Towson opened up a 6-1 lead in the third set on a kill from Lewis. Back-to-back service aces from senior Lindsay Flaherty pushed the Tiger advantage to 15-7 and forced the Cougars to use a timeout. A block from Flaherty and redshirt junior Annika Rigterink gave the home team a 21-15 lead. The two teams traded points before a kill from Lewis gave the Tigers a 25-20 set win and forced the match to a fourth set.
• Charleston led 9-6 in the fourth set following an attack error by the Tigers. A kill from Kuilan on the next play started a 6-3 run by the Black and Gold attack which tied the set at 12-12. Redshirt senior Candace Steadman had a pair of kills and a block assist during that stretch. Towson trailed 15-14 in the set following a kill from Lauren Freed. A kill from Lewis on the next play started an 11-2 run by the Tigers to close out the set. Kuilan had four kills while Steadman and freshman Annie Ertz had a pair of blocks to seal the 25-17 set win. That win tied the match at 2-2.
• Towson took the early lead in the fifth set as Kuilan's 20th kill of the match gave the Tigers an 8-6 lead. After the two teams switched sides of the court, Charleston manufactured a 9-3 run to claim the 15-11 set win and victory in the match. Madison had a pair of kills and a block assist for the Cougars during that key run.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Defense was key as Charleston hit .117 in the match while the Tigers hit .109. The Cougars finished with 15 team blocks while the Tigers had 10.
• It was "Hometown Heroes" night and the Tigers recognized first responders before the match.
• Kuilan led all players with a season-high 20 kills and hit .283 with six digs. Lewis contributed 19 kills and 15 digs for her eighth double-double of the year. Lewis also added a team-high six blocks.
• Reigning CAA Rookie of the Week Marrisa Wonders posted her team-leading ninth double-double of the year with 30 assists and 15 digs.
• Redshirt sophomore Anna Holehouse tied for match-high honors with 16 digs.
• Rachel led Charleston with 12 kills and 16 digs while Allison Beckman dished out 41 assists with 13 digs.

The Tigers have a quick turnaround as they host UNCW tomorrow night. The Tigers' first match of October is set for a 7 p.m. start and will be the "Kids Night" match.