HAMPTON, Va. – The Elon University volleyball team dominated the fourth set to close out a 3-1 victory against Hampton on Saturday. 
 
"We are very happy to get a road win today," head coach Mary Tendler said. "We started each set really well but kept getting stuck in rotations against some very strong servers. The fourth set was different. Our execution was very consistent all the way through. I loved our team's response in that fourth set."  

With the win, Elon improves to 6-5 in Colonial Athletic Association matches and 9-12 overall. Hampton falls to 3-13 overall and 0-13 in the CAA. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon raced out to an 8-1 lead in the opening set behind a pair of kills by Sydney Love. However, the Pirates battled back to cut the deficit to just one at 18-17. Two kills by Haylie Clark, one by Leah Daniel and one by Claire Richey helped the Phoenix retake the lead at 22-18 but Hampton responded by winning five of the next six points to tie the score at 23-23. Daniel's third kill of the set gave Elon a set point, which the maroon and gold converted to win 25-23. 
• The Phoenix again built a large lead early in the second set, as seven kills helped Elon go ahead 12-5. Just like in the first set, Hampton rallied as the Pirates went on a 14-4 run to go ahead 19-16. Elon fought back to take a 22-21 lead, but Hampton won three of the next four points to earn a set point at 24-23. A Love kill saved the set point and a Daniel ace gave the Phoenix a set point of its own. A kill by Hampton tied the score at 26-26 but the maroon and gold again won the final two points to take the set 28-26. 
• Another strong start put Elon ahead 8-3 in the third set and the Phoenix went on to take a 15-12 lead. The maroon and gold won just three more points in the frame, as Hampton finished on a 13-3 run to force a fourth set. 
• After dropping the third, Elon came out strong in the fourth. The Phoenix dominated early, losing just five of the first 25 points. The Pirates won consecutive points on just one occasion in the frame and a kill by freshman Clara LaRue secured a 25-9 set win to clinch the match. 

NOTES AND STATS

• Sydney Love led the way offensively for the Phoenix with a team-high 11 kills. The Chesapeake, Va., native has tallied double-digit kills in four of Elon's last five matches. 
• Leah Daniel finished with 10 kills. Elon's all-time leader in the category has at least 10 kills in three straight matches and 16 of the team's 21 contests this season. 
• Haylie Clark racked up 33 assists to lead the maroon and gold. The senior has eclipsed double-digit assists in every match this season and has reached 30 assists on 13 occasions. Clark also posted nine digs and six kills. The Saint Cloud, Fla., native has at least five kills in five consecutive matches, her longest such streak since she posted five plus kills in eight straight contests during the 2021 spring season. 
• Jordan Gower paced Elon with 14 digs. The senior has recorded double-digit digs in every appearance this season. Her four aces also led the team.
• With a hitting percentage of .462 on 13 attacks, Jenn Krzeminski tied her season-best in the category. She had seven kills and delivered a team-high six blocks. 
• As a team, Elon outpaced Hampton in kills (47-44), assists (44-39), digs (58-53) and aces (11-4). Both teams registered 10 blocks. 
• The Phoenix finished the final set with a hitting percentage of .286. The maroon and gold had 10 kills compared to just two errors in the frame. 
• Elon's 11 aces were tied for the second most for the team in a match this season. The Phoenix hit 12 aces in a five-set win against Florida A&M on Sept. 9. 
• By holding Hampton to just nine points in the fourth, the Phoenix held an opponent to single-digit points in a set for the first time this season.  

UP NEXT
Elon faces Hampton again on Sunday to round out its weekend series. The match will begin at 2 p.m.