Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Summer Kremer continued her outstanding play to start the season in the first two matches of the Tusculum Pioneer Classic. She nearly posted a pair of double-doubles leading King wins over Flagler College (3-2) and hosts Tusculum College (3-0).
King (5-3) first squared off with Flagler (3-4) in the first match of the day that was a see-saw affair. Kremer got the Tornado off to a great start, accounting for six kills in the first set, leading King the 25-22 set win. Lauren Willoughby gave King their largest lead of the set at 14-10 with one of her eight kills in the match. However, the Saints came back to even the score at 15 all before King regained the lead and didn't look back to take the set.
Flagler jumped ahead early in the second set and opened 22-12 lead before Kremer and Jordan Baty sparked the Tornado offense with back-to-back kills. Olivia Underwood served up an ace, and Kremer followed with a kill to force a Saint timeout at 22-18. However, the Saints held off the charge to take the set 25-22 and even the match.
The Tornado had to make a comeback again in the third set as they trailed 17-12 before Kremer registered a kill, followed by back-to-back terminations from Grace Underwood. King added another point to cut the deficit to 17-16 before eventually evening the frame at 20-20 on a Grace Underwood ace. After trading points, Kremer gave King a chance a set point with a kill, and Payton Tipton ended the frame with an ace.
It appeared as though King would cruise to the victory in the fourth set, holding a commanding 22-16 lead. However, the Saints scored five straight points to pull within one, and had a chance at set point with three more points. Kremer kept the set alive with a kill, but it wasn't to be as Flagler scored the final two points to take the set 26-24.
The Tornado offense started the fifth set on fire, opening up a 5-0 lead behind kills from Kremer, Grace Underwood and Baty. Flagler made an attempt at a comeback, cutting their deficit to just 9-7 before King head coach Morris Cephas called a timeout. Olivia Underwood registered a kill after the break that was followed by a Willoughby ace to put King back up by four points. Grace Underwood gave King a chance at match point with one of her 11 kills in the match before Kremer capped her outstanding match with another kill, giving King the 15-10 victory.
Kremer posted a career-high 31 digs to go along with a season-high 24 kills. She wasn't the only one to post a career-high as Olivia Underwood dished out 55 assists to go along with 10 digs. Tipton matched a career-best with 28 digs to follow Kremer while Casey Williams chipped in with 11 digs.
Kremer didn't slow down in the nightcap against host Tusculum (0-6), accounting for 18 kills and nine digs. In the first set, the Mills River, North Carolina native drilled home eight kills, including back-to-back put a ways that put King up 6-2. The Pioneers came back and got within two points in a pair of occasions, but the Tornado pulled away and Kremer gave King an 18-12 lead before another Tusculum run. The Pioneers got within 24-22 before Sarah Collins ended the 25-22 set win with a one of her eight kills in the match.
The Tornado trailed most of the second set, and Tusculum at a chance at five set points before Willoughby ignited the King offense with a kill to pull King within 24-20. She then served up an ace before a Tusculum timeout. Out of the break, Kremer pulled King within one, and Collins evened the score at 24-24 with a kill before the Tornado took a 25-24 lead. The teams then traded points until King took the set 28-26.
With the scored even at 4-4 in the third set, Kremer started a 5-0 Tornado run with a kill. From that point, King cruised to the 25-17 win that was capped by Kremer's 18th kill of the match.
Olivia Underwood dished out 37 assists in the sweep while Tipton posted a team-high 10 digs.
King will be in action at the Pioneer Classic again on Saturday when they take on Lander University at 11:00 a.m., and Lincoln Memorial University at 4:00 p.m.
