Aug. 28, 2010
Final Stats
The good news for Siena volleyball is that highly touted freshman Taylor Akana is already living up to the hype. The bad news is that it hasn't yet translated into a win. Akana, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, posted 12 kills and seven digs, but the Saints succumbed to another tough foe Saturday, falling to Pacific in straight sets (25-12, 25-16, 25-15) on the final day of the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station, Texas.
The Saints went winless in three matches and did not win a set, but gained valuable experience moving forward after facing national powers Texas A&M and No. 23 LSU as well as a strong mid-major foe in Pacific.
"It was a great experience to play some of the top teams in the country," noted head coach Garvey Pierre. "I feel that we gained some good experience here and hopefully what we learned can help us going forward and into conference play."
Akana continued to be a bright spot, leading the team in kills while also posting a team-best .281 attack percentage. The freshman from Hawaii has made a seemless transition to the college game and after leading the team in kills and digs over the weekend, seems to be poised for a big year.
For the tournament Akana posted a total of 23 kills and 26 digs, earning her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
"She (Akana) played great," said an elated Pierre. "We have alot riding on her this year. She looked comfortable out there, played great defensively and already has exceeded our expectations. Hopefully, with what she did here, she can continue to improve and be a big asset for us moving ahead."
The Saints posted their best attack (.174) of the weekend, but Pacific (2-1) was relentless around the net, converting on nearly 54% of their attacks in the opening set on their way to hitting 40.4% for the match.
Texas native Sarah Sivertson added six kills and seven digs, while Brianne Bobo added four kills. Bobo's sister and fellow captain Aubrey Bobo again missed action as she recovers from an injury suffered in Friday's opener against the Aggies.
Svenja Engelhardt (14 kills) and Megan Birch (12 kills, .529 attack percentage) led the way in victory for the Tigers.
The Saints return home to New York for another tournament next weekend. Siena will battle tournament host Cornell in the opener Friday night at 7 p.m. in Ithaca.
