Oct. 17, 2009

Box Score: Game 1| Game 2 | Photo Gallery

Marian Stats | Judson Stats |

Tournament Website (including All-Tournament Team)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Ashley Penny was named Tournament MVP and Kayla Vandermolen earned All-Tournament honors as they helped DU to their own Panther Invitational Title. The two wins today lift DU to 16-13 on the year as they will host Madonna University on Tuesday for their final home match of the year.

Saturday morning's match with Marian University (Ind.) proved to be the best of the tournament as all three sets went down to the wire, but the Panthers edged the Knights 25-22, 25-22 and 32-30.

Ashley Penny (New Hudson, Mich.) and Kassie Graves (White Cloud, Mich.) led the DU offensive attack with 10 kills each as the Panthers finished the match with 46 kills. Kayla Vandermolen (Cedar Springs, Mich.) finished with 37 assists and Courtney DePriest posted a season high 29 digs.

In the second match, Graves, Kelse Moon (Fremont, Mich.), Penny and Autumn Williams (Fruitport, Mich.) were stellar on offense as the four combined to post 34 of DU's 42 kills in the match.

DU hit for a .286 clip and the defense was even more impressive as five different Panthers' posted at least five digs led by DePriest and Williams who each posted eight.

The block was also stellar for DU as they finished the perfect tournament record with five solo blocks and nine assist blocks.

With her eight total blocks throughout the weekend, sophomore Ashley Penny now holds the single season total blocks record at Davenport with 121. The old record of 114 was held by Autumn Williams who set the mark in 2007. With eight regular season matched remaining, Penny has posted 28 solo blocks and 93 assist blocks and trails Williams for the solo block record by only 7.

DU will host their final home match of the season on Tuesday, October 20 when they host Nationally Ranked Madonna University at 7:00 PM. The match will be aired live on the DAN beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 PM.