September 29, 2010
San Antonio – St. Mary’s University freshman volleyball player Melissa Dahle got the word from coach Jenny Warmack-Chipman Tuesday night.
Junior libero Stephanie Flores (San Antonio) was out with an illness, meaning Dahle, a freshman without a start to her name, was in for Wednesday’s Heartland Conference clash against Texas A&M International University.
“I was excited just because it was my first (start),” Dahle said, “but I was also kind of nervous. It was that good combination of being nervous and excited, so I was ready to play.”
Ready, indeed, as the freshman from Brandeis High School (San Antonio) led the Rattlers with 12 digs in a 3-0 sweep of A&M International at Bill Greehey Arena.
Dahle’s steady hand set the table for her teammates, who shared in a crisp performance to win 25-16, 25-16, 25-13.
“There’s some stuff I need to work on, but overall I think I played well,” Dahle said. “And the team really played well.”
Kori McCarver (Sr., San Antonio), the reigning two-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week, had a team-high 34 assists to go along with five kills and a .556 hitting percentage.
Kirsten Chapman (Jr., Jourdanton, Texas) had 13 kills to lead the Rattlers (6-8, 2-2 in conference), while Stephanie Proske (Jr., LaGrange, Texas) tallied seven kills and a .600 hitting average.
Mallory Moeller (Jr., Geronimo, Texas) added nine kills, while Allie Murray (So., San Antonio) totaled nine digs.