Trojans Sweep Warner, Fall to No. 2 Jamestown in Florida
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Taylor opened its 2021 volleyball campaign on Wednesday morning with a pair of matches on the first day of the Keiser Invitational in Florida. The Trojans opened strong with a three-set win over Warner, before dropping a contest to second-ranked Jamestown.
Taylor started the season with a 25-13, 25-16, 25-19 win over Warner, hitting .258 as a team and limiting the Royals to only 18 kills in the match. TU hit .355 in the opening game to set the tone, slamming 13 kills with just two errors in 31 attempts.
Ryan Czerniak posted a team-leading 11 kills in the win, needing only 22 swings to reach double figures and adding a trio of blocks. Grace Isaacs, Amanda Adams and Jaylynn Dunsmore provided plenty of support, racking up a combined 23 kills with only four errors over 47 attempts.
Isaacs and Dunsmore also added two blocks each, while Stephaney Fifield joined Dunsmore in excelling in her debut with the Trojans by scooping up 17 digs. Kacy Bragg added 27 assists, 12 digs and three aces for a double-double and Adams added five aces and eight digs.
After a short break in the action, TU returned to the courts to take on No. 2 Jamestown (2-0) and had the tables turned in a 25-18, 25-21, 25-14 loss.
Taylor was unable to regain its hot hand against the powerful UJ lineup, hitting .126 in the contest compared to a .349 clip from the Jimmies.
Isaacs highlighted the offense for TU with seven kills and one error in 16 swing, while Fifield anchored the defense once again with 16 digs. Karli Ware chipped in with a trio of aces to finish the day with five service strikes in the two matches.
Taylor (1-1) will conclude its play in the Keiser Invitational on Thursday, when it takes on Southeastern at 10:00 am and Webber International at 4:00 pm.