RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 6, 2009 – VCU used 13 blocks, including a record-setting performance by senior Ivana Rich, to record a 3-1 victory over James Madison on Friday evening in a Colonial Athletic Association volleyball match in the Siegel Center.

VCU improved to 21-8 overall and 9-2 in the CAA after winning by set scores of 25-14, 25-13, 23-25, and 27-25.  JMU dropped to 11-17 overall and 4-8 in the CAA after having its four-match winning streak snapped.  The streak was the team’s longest since October of 2007.

Sophomore Kelly Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) posted a double-double for the Dukes with 11 kills, 12 digs, and two aces.  Junior Lindsay Callahan (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) added 11 kills and five digs.  Freshman Megan Wiechmann (Sunland, Calif./Village Christian) tallied 32 assists, two aces, and six digs, while sophomore Holly Wall (Kaukauna, Wisc./Kaukauna) led in digs with 18.

JMU played without a pair of significant freshmen starters in outside hitter Danielle Erb (Tampa, Fla./Plant) and libero Natalie Abel (Washington, Pa./Trinity).  Erb ranks in the top six in the CAA in points and kills while Abel sits in the top 10 in digs.

JMU head coach Disa Garner commented on the loss, “We just had so many injuries and sicknesses that for us to play how we played and did what we did tonight said a lot.  I’m really proud of their effort and dealing with adversity.  These kids are fighting hard and working through things.  They’re having to deal with a lot as a young team.”

Garner added, “We made some lineup switches between set two and three and moved Holly to libero, inserted Kelly Johnson (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) at right side, and moved Cal to left side and the team really responded to that.  Once everyone was in the right place, the team fought hard tonight.  Holly and Cal really settled things down significantly to allow others to do their job.  We had a chance in the last set, and I think if we could have pulled it out, we would have won in set five. “

VCU’s 13 blocks were the second-most this season against the Dukes.  Rich had eight assisted blocks to become the career record holder for the Rams with 357 total stops at the net.   She also hit .318 with 10 kills, two aces, and four digs in the match. 

Rich was supported by Kelsie Clegg, who hit .348 with 11 kills and four blocks, and Mariel Frey, who led all players with 14 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double to go with two aces.  Lenka Melicharkova hit .583 with seven kills, 41 assists, two aces, six digs, and three blocks.  Maria Low added 23 digs.

After a pair of lopsided decisions in the first two sets, JMU’s lineup changes paid dividends in set three.  VCU led 10-6 in the early going, but the Dukes rallied with a 5-0 run with Wiechmann at serve to take an 11-10 lead.  JMU appeared to finally grab an advantage later by turning a 16-15 edge into a 20-16 cushion, but the Rams responded with a 4-0 run.  VCU then held the advantage at 23-22 before the Dukes tied on a kill by Turner and clinched the win on a pair of VCU attack errors.

The Dukes carried the momentum into set four and continued battling the second-place Rams.  VCU held a slim lead for much of the first half of the set until a 4-0 JMU run tied at 15-15.  The Rams appeared to then put the match away with a 7-2 swing, but a 5-0 run with Wiechmann at serve kept the Dukes alive.  VCU held match-point serves at 24-23 and 25-24, only to be thwarted both times by Turner kills.  With the score tied 25-25, the Rams finally put the match away with a kill by Frey and block by Rich and Frey.  Turner and Callahan had six and five kills respectively in the set while Wall tallied 10 of her 18 digs.

JMU will be on the road again Saturday night at 7 p.m. at William and Mary.