TOWSON SCRATCHES WAY BACK, PAST VCU, 3-2
10-7-06
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University senior Ludmila Francescatto (Fraiburga, Brazil) (pictured) smashed a career-high 27 kills and added 15 digs, but Towson rallied in the fourth and fifth games to push past the Rams, 3-2 (30-22, 22-30, 27-30, 31-29, 15-12) Saturday at the Alltel Pavilion.

VCU slides to 10-9 with the loss, including 4-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Towson is 16-5 overall and 7-2 in the league.

Francescatto, one of four Rams with 10 or more kills, hit .304 for the match. Sophomore setter Cat Juson (Long Beach, Calif.) handed out 59 assists, along with 18 digs and a pair of blocks, while sophomore Elisa Kuehnel (Dresden, Germany) smacked 15 kills with 11 digs and nine blocks.

The Tigers were sparked by Ally Perko’s 22 kills and 11 digs and Maddie Haseltine’s, 19 kills and 19 digs.

The Black and Gold stood on the verge of victory in both the fourth and fifth games, but was unable to hold off Towson.

In the fifth and deciding period VCU charged out to an 8-4 edge on the strength of two Francescatto kills and four Tiger attacking errors.

However, Perko and Haseltine hammered a pair of kills apiece to propel Towson through a 9-2 run for a 13-10 advantage. The Rams crept to within 13-11 and 14-12, but Perko finished off the match with a kill from setter Kim Snider.

In Game Four the Black and Gold took a 28-24 lead behind Francescatto’s seven kills. But VCU came undone with five attacking errors during a 7-1 TU burst, which gave the game to the Tigers and knotted the match at 2-2.

The Rams return to the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center for their next match, a CAA clash with Georgia State Friday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m.