TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University volleyball team hosted New Orleans and Kent State on Saturday in their final two matches of the Towson-Morgan State Invitational.
 
The Tigers won the first set handily before surrendering the second. They closed the match with 25-17 and 25-22 set wins to take the win.
 
In the evening match, the Tigers overpowered the Golden Flash in the first, third and fourth sets but surrendered the second, 26-24, to Kent State.
 
Records:

• Towson – 5-2
• New Orleans – 2-4
• Kent State – 2-4

 
Key Stats vs. New Orleans

• Towson finished the match with 78 points to the Privateers' 58.
• The Tigers held a .308 to .211 hitting percentage edge in the match.

 
How it Happened vs. New Orleans

• After New Orleans opened the first set with a 3-1 lead, the Tigers scored six of the next seven points to make it 7-4.
• With an 11-8 lead, Towson posted a 5-1 run with two Taylor Pagan kills and one Maisie Jesse service ace
• The Tigers scored seven straight and eight of the final nine points of the set to win 25-12.
• The Privateers opened set two with a 5-4 lead before five straight points for Towson flipped the score to 9-5.
• New Orleans score four of the next five points to pull within one.
• Down 12-9, a five-point Privateer run gave them a 14-12 lead.
• The Tigers retook the lead at 17-16 before a 9-5 New Orleans run to end the set gave the Privateers a 25-22 victory.
• Down 2-1 in the third, the Tigers scored five straight points to build an early lead.
• Up 18-17, TU closed the set on a 7-0 run to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
• Down 14-13 in a tight fourth set, a four-point Tiger run delivered a 17-14 lead.
• A 4-1 run later in the frame gave the Tigers enough cushion to win the final set 25-22.

 
Inside the Numbers vs. New Orleans

• Taylor Pagan recorded her second straight double-double and third of the year with 15 kills and 13 digs.
• Erin Brothers finished with a career-high 20 kills in the match. Her previous career high was 18 vs. Fairfield in the opening weekend of play.

 
Key Stats vs. Kent State

• The Tigers held a .204 to .118 hitting advantage in the set.
• Towson totaled 63 kills to the Golden Flash's 39.
• The Tigers held a 9-2 edge in service aces.

 
How it Happened vs. Kent State

• In a 3-3 tie, the Tigers scored seven straight points to take an early lead in the opening set.
• After Kent State sided out, the Tigers scored five of the next six points to push their lead to ten.
• The Black & Gold posted a 7-1 run later in the set to take a commanding 23-10 lead.
• Kills from Sarah Callender and Ella Sanders completed the opening set victory for the Tigers.
• IN a tight second set, a Golden Flash service error at 18 all gave the Tigers a slight edge.
• Kent State followed that with three straight points to retake the lead at 21-19.
• The Tigers responded with a five-point run to get to a set point at 24-21.
• The Tigers final kill of the match was reversed on review, keeping Kent State alive down 24-22.
• Kent State scored four-straight points to follow to win the set 26-24.
• Towson opened the third set with a 4-1 cushion through five points.
• A three-point and two five-point runs allowed the Tigers to take the third set 25-15.
• The fourth set was tightly contested before a nine-point Tiger run put TU up 22-13.
• A block by Malinah Purcell-Telefoni and Sarah Callender ended the final set 25-15 in favor of the Tigers.

 
Inside the Numbers vs. Kent State

• Taylor Pagan had a career-high 23 kills in the match.
• Ella Sanders posted a career-high 18 kills and recorded her third double-double of the season, adding 15 digs.

 
Up Next
The Tigers will host four teams next Friday and Saturday in the Towson-Coppin State Invitational.