TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University volleyball team rematched the Delaware Blue Hens in a Sunday afternoon showdown. The Tigers (10-4, 3-1 CAA) defeated the Blue Hens (9-3, 2-2 CAA) in a five-set battle 25-18, 23-25, 27-29, 25-14, 25-11.
 
Nina Cajic had a career-high 24 kills on .426 hitting percentage while adding ten digs and five assists. Victoria Barrett finished with a career-best 25 kills on .309 hitting percentage adding ten digs and five assists.
 
Key Stats vs Delaware:

• Towson finished with a program record 88 kills surpassing the previous record of 85 kills against Hofstra on October 17, 2003.
• The Tigers totaled a program record 81 assists, the first time Towson had registered 80 or more assists in a match.
• Towson finished with a .378 hitting percentage, the second-highest total so far this season.

How It Happened vs Delaware:

• The Tigers started the first set with a 9-1 run that included four kills from Nina Cajic.
• Towson grew its lead to double digits before a 5-2 run by the Blue Hens cut the deficit to seven late in the set.
• Delaware made a late run, but Cajic's kills were too much as the Tigers took the first set 25-18.
• The Blue Hens jumped out to an early lead in the second set, but a 3-1 run by Towson tied the score at five apiece.
• Delaware regained the lead after a 4-1 run, which grew its advantage to 13-9.
• Towson trailed the Blue Hens by one after kills from Victoria Barrett and Cajic.
• The teams battled back and forth, then the Tigers went on a 4-1 run to take an 18-17 lead.
• Delaware responded with a 4-1 run themselves led by Lani Mason's three kills to have a 21-19 advantage.
• Kills from Barrett and Sarah Jordan tied the score at 21 apiece as the teams traded points before the Blue Hens closed out the second set with a 3-1 run to take the set 25-23.
• The third set opened with both teams battling back and forth with Delaware taking an 8-6 edge before Towson scored three consecutive points to take a one-point advantage.
• Delaware countered with a 4-1 run to regain the lead, but the Tigers tied the score at 13 apiece after an Irbe Lazda kill.
• The Blue Hens went on a 5-2 run to have an 18-15 lead, but Towson responded with a 5-1 run that included five kills from four different Tigers to earn a 20-19 lead.
• Both teams continued to battle back and forth, tying the score nine times before Delaware got back-to-back kills from Mason to take the third set 29-27.
• The teams opened the fourth set going back and forth, tying the score eight times before Towson went on a 5-1 run led by two kills from Lazda and Cajic each.
• The Tigers grew their lead to 17-11 after scoring four of the following six points.
• The Blue Hens cut the deficit down to four after a 3-1 run, but Towson scored seven unanswered points to take the fourth set 25-14.
• Delaware jumped out to a 5-3 lead to start the fifth set.
• Towson responded with five consecutive points led by Barrett's two kills, which forced Delaware to take a timeout trailing 7-5.
• The teams exchanged a point each before switching sides, then the Blue Hens cut the deficit to one after a Kirah Johnson kill.
• Towson extended the lead to four after three consecutive kills, but Delaware cut the deficit in half to trail 11-9.
• The teams traded two points each, then kills by Lazda and Cajic sealed the victory for the Tigers taking the final set 15-11.

 
Inside the Numbers vs Delaware:

• Towson had three players finish with a double-double.
• Nina Cajic finished the first set with 11 kills on a .786 hitting percentage.
• Sarah Jordan set career highs in four categories: 59 assists, 18 digs, six kills and two blocks.
• Five Tigers finished with double-digit digs, including 11 digs from Jasmine Purakal, who made her collegiate start.
• Irbe Lazda had 17 kills on a .463 hitting percentage with three total blocks.

 
Up Next:

• The Tigers will head up to Long Island to face Hofstra for a pair of matches on Sept. 30th & Oct. 1st at 1 p.m. on FloVolleyball.