HARDING 5, HUMBOLDT 2
Harding picked up their first win of the season with a home 5-2 victory over Humboldt. This win also snapped a three game winning streak the Hawks had over the Knights going back to 2019 (there was no 2020 season). Today Harding won three singles matches and two doubles. Humboldt’s victories came at second singles and first doubles. Doubles proved to be the tightest contests of the day with first and second doubles each going three sets. The final set in first doubles was decided by two points. Humboldt won both sets that were decided by three points or less (both in doubles), while Harding had six wins in sets over ten points or more.
Harding evens their conference record at 1-1. This was Humboldt’s first outing in St. Paul. The Hawks won their first two contests of the season.
SINGLES
1. Kanlaya Thao, HA def Ariya Her 21-12, 21-9
2. Dah Eh Paw, HU def Lilian Lee 21-11, 21-13
3. Christina Chang, HA def Wah Chri 21-16, 21-8
4. Mai Chang Lee, HA def Doua Xiong 21-9, 21-7
DOUBLES
1. Tree Saw/Yurnee Paw, HU def Kimberly Tobar/Shia Mee Lee 21-17, 16-21, 21-19
2. Pa Thaw/Paw Soe, HA def La Ye Toe/Lady New 21-13, 18-21, 21-16
3. Lilian Reiter/Isabelle Gutierez, HA def Lay Moo/ Mue Ler 21-4, 21-6
BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Harding 3-1 .750
Games: Harding 6-2 .750
points: Harding 150-103 .592
Set 1 points: Harding 74-58 .561
Set 2 points: Harding 76-45 .628
decided by 10+: Harding 4-1 .800
decided by 3-: none
margin: Harding 5.875
DOUBLES
Matches: Harding 2-1 .667
Games: Harding 5-3 .625
points: Harding 159-118 .574
Set 1 points: Harding 59-38 .608
Set 2 points: Harding 60-43 .583
Set 3 points: Harding 40-37 .519
decided by 10+: Harding 2-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Humboldt 2-0 1.000
margin: Harding 5.125
FIRST SINGLES
Kanlaya THAO 2, Ariya HER 0
(21-12, 21-9)
Kanlaya Thao of Harding dominated the winners totals 30-3 in her two set victory over Ariya Her. Earning her points plus shutting the door on Her with a .706 side out percentage locked in the win. Thao combined her winners on the two stroke six times, mainly on clears. Thao hit for a lucky 13 in that category. Thao’s smash game delivered seven points.
After a tight opening at four points apiece, Thao scored her first of seven runs in the match to pull ahead 7-4. That was the opening of a 12-4 sequence. Her had her only lead of the match early in the second set at 2-0. Thao’s first run of the second set put her in front to stay at 3-2 (all on winners). Thao added three more winners and took advantage of Her’s three two stroke errors to build a 9-3 advantage.
Despite the reminders at the start of the match, there was an error in the scoring. I had Thao taking the first set 22-13. That result did not alter the final outcome.
| Category | THAO | HER |
| Side out | 12/17-.706 | 3/16-.188 |
| Longest side out string | 4 | 3 |
| 3+ Runs | 7 | 1 |
| Longest point string | 6 | 3 |
| SERVING | ||
| Service points | 26 | 6 |
| Serving % | 42/42-1.000 | 22/23-.957 |
| POINTS | ||
| Overall points | 43 | 22 |
| Points after 11 | 21 | 11 |
| Points after own errors | 14 | 6 |
| STROKES | ||
| Strokes | 148 | 90 |
| Strokes per point | 3.441 | 4.091 |
| 5+ rallies | 7 | 8 |
| 2- rallies | 12 | 4 |
| WINNERS | 30 | 3 |
| Aces | 1 | 0 |
| Blocks | 0 | 1 |
| Clears | 13 | 0 |
| Drives | 5 | 0 |
| Drops | 1 | 1 |
| Soft drives | 3 | 1 |
| Smashes | 7 | 0 |
| ERRORS | 19 | 13 |
| Deep | 0 | 1 |
| Fan | 1 | 0 |
| Net | 7 | 6 |
| Wide | 11 | 5 |
| Serve | 0 | 1 |
| Biggest lead | 12 | 2 |
| W:E Ratio | 1.579 | 0.231 |
| Margin | 10.50 | |
| Set Point % | 2/4-.500 | |
| Time | 15:41 |