FRIDAY'S SCORES
Tennessee Tech 3, Bellarmine 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-20)
William & Mary 3,
Tennessee Tech 2 (18-25, 25-15, 18-25, 25-10, 15-10)
@Morehead State 3, Stonehill 0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-15)
@Morehead State 3, Queens (NC) 0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-11)
SIUE 3, Eastern Michigan 1 (25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 25-21)
@Bradley 3,
SIUE 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-22)
Lindenwood 3, Oakland 2 (25-19, 29-27, 14-25, 22-25, 15-11)
Lindenwood 3, St. Thomas 1 (26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21)
@Southeast Missouri 3, Evansville 0 (26-24, 26-24, 25-23)
@Southeast Missouri 3, Central Michigan 1 (25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 25-19)
New Hampshire 3,
Southern Indiana 1 (25-19, 27-25, 20-25, 25-21)
Southern Indiana 3, Radford 0 (25-15, 25-18, 26-24)
Eastern Illinois 3, ULM 0 (25-22, 25-13, 25-17)
Eastern Illinois 3, Valparaiso 2 (18-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-21, 15-4)
@Arkansas State 3,
Little Rock 0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-13)
North Alabama 3,
Little Rock 0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-17)
UT Martin 3, Marist 1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 29-27)
Murray State 3,
Tennessee State 2 (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12)
Cleveland State 3,
@Western Illinois 0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-8)
NEW HAMPSHIRE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1; SOUTHERN INDIANA 3, RADFORD 0
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (1-1) kicked off the 2023 campaign at Wilkinson Hall on Friday afternoon with a 3-1 loss (25-19, 27-25, 25-20, 25-21) to the University of New Hampshire before taking down Radford University in sweeping fashion, 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 26-24). The Screaming Eagles are one of four teams in this year's Indiana Invitational hosted by Indiana University and competed in the first two matches of the tournament.
USI vs. New Hampshire
An early deficit from the Wildcats handed the Eagles a 25-19 opening-set loss. UNH started off hot on the attack, earning four kills and a pair of aces to go up 8-2 early. The Wildcats' run ended after back-to-back kills from sophomore middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) and some key mistakes from UNH that put USI back in the game, trailing 9-8. Even though the Eagles tied it at 10 apiece, the Wildcats responded with a 6-1 stint that put USI in a deep hole, 16-11. After trading off points, UNH stole the show and took home the first-game victory. Senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) racked up four kills, all coming in the final points for the Eagles.
Despite holding a late lead, USI watched UNH go on a streak to hand the Eagles their second loss of the match, 27-25. The Wildcats kicked off the set with a 7-3 advantage until a 6-0 rally from the Eagles made it a 9-7 game. The surge started with junior setter Carly Sobieralski (Indianapolis, Indiana) throwing down a kill before Leah Anderson put up a pair of kills and junior outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana) added back-to-back service aces. Later in the set, USI held a 23-19 lead until UNH added five straight points to shift the momentum. Even though L. Anderson's two kills forced extra serves, the Wildcats stormed off with a two-set advantage. USI had a team-high 14 kills in the second frame.
A late push from the Eagles kept them alive, taking a 25-20 win over the Wildcats in the third set. USI jumped out to an early 6-4 lead after tallying five kills from three different Eagles. UNH later responded with a 6-0 surge that made it 15-10. After some mistakes from the Wildcats' offense and a kill from senior outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), the Eagles were back in it but trailing 18-14. USI hit the gas and went for a dominating 8-0 run that left the Wildcats in the dust. The stint was led by Weber's four aces and Bianca Anderson's three kills. USI ended the set on an 11-2 sequence that gave the Eagles their first win of the season.
USI could not catch fire in the final frame, falling 25-21 to UNH and losing the match. The Eagles and Wildcats were tied at five apiece before a couple of kills and an attacking error gave UNH the 8-5 advantage. Back-and-forth play went on throughout the rest of the match and led to a 19-14 Wildcats advantage. The Eagles were able to capitalize off some UNH miscues, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. The Wildcats put up a match-high 16 kills in the fourth frame compared to USI's 12 kills.
Sobieralski and Bednar each posted the team's first double-double of the season. Sobieralski nabbed a match-high 40 assists paired with a team-high 16 digs. Bednar posted 12 kills along with 14 digs, each the second-most for the Eagles. Leading the offensive attack was Leah Anderson with 16 kills while Weber provided a match-high six aces. Bianca Anderson was able to secure four blocks to lead USI at the net.
As a team, the Eagles earned 48 kills off 46 assists along with 70 digs and six blocks. USI got the upper hand on UNH in service aces, securing eight in comparison to the Wildcats' four.
USI vs. Radford
A set-ending 6-0 run gave the Eagles the 25-15 opening-frame victory. USI was trailing Radford 8-7 before the Eagles scored three straight off a pair of attacking errors and a kill from senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois). USI would add four more with the help of a Leah Anderson ace and a kill from sophomore middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) to make it 14-9. After the Highlanders cut the Eagles' lead to four, USI went on a 6-0 tear that gave them a 1-0 match advantage. Both Andersons scored kills during the run and three each in the set. The Eagles were also able to take advantage of the 12 Radford errors, the most in the match.
USI had a pair of runs that secured the 25-18 second-set win over Radford. The Eagles kicked off the set with three straight points before back-and-forth play led to an 8-7 lead for USI. The Highlanders would take a 12-10 lead off a pair of errors from the Eagles. Down 13-11, USI put up an 11-1 stint with 5-0 and 6-0 runs. Senior outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) was the heavy force during the surge, posting a kill and three aces. Even after a late push by Radford, USI held their ground and defeated the Highlanders to hold a 2-0 match lead. The Eagles' net pressure forced 10 Radford errors that led to a negative .100 hitting percentage.
Radford's late run was no match as USI earned the sweep, 26-24. The Eagles went down 4-1 early before catching up and forcing a 7-7 tie. Both sides traded points until the Highlanders' 5-1 surge put them up 14-12. USI responded with four kills from four different Eagles to knot it up at 17 apiece. Radford regained the lead, 19-18, before giving up three straight off attacking errors, handing the Eagles a 21-19 advantage. USI held on to a 24-21 lead until Radford stormed back to tie it at 24-24 until junior middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) threw down back-to-back kills to end the Highlanders' night and give the Eagles their first victory of the season.
USI led in all five categories with 33 kills, 30 assists, 44 digs, seven blocks, and six aces. A total team effort was used to earn the sweep as Leah Anderson was the lone Eagle to have double-digit kills with a match-high 11 and a team-leading four blocks to add to her stat line. Sobieralski nabbed a match-high 26 kills while sophomore libero/defensive specialist Keira Moore (Newburgh, Indiana) captured a team-high 14 digs. At the line, Bednar served up four aces to lead all players.
The Eagles wrap up the Indiana Invitational tomorrow at 9 a.m. (CT) when USI faces Indiana University. This will be the first time the two schools have faced off in program history.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, BELLARMINE 0; WILLIAM & MARY 3, TENNESSEE TECH 2
BOONE, N.C. - The Tennessee Tech volleyball team was quick to pick up its first victory of the 2023 campaign, racking up a 3-0 win over Bellarmine Friday morning on the opening day of the Mountaineer Classic in Boone, N.C. The Golden Eagles concluded the first day of play at the Holmes Convocation Center 1-1 overall, falling to William & Mary in a 3-2 thriller in the afternoon.
Tech got right after it in the first tilt of the day, setting the tone early with a 25-23 victory in the opening set with Madolyn Isringhausen kicking things off with a kill for the first point of the year. The purple and gold trailed just twice in the opening game and started to pull away late with a four-point lead at 21-17.
Bellarmine made things interesting, fighting back to square the contest at 22-22, but the Golden Eagles outlasted the Knights down the stretch to take the advantage. Both sides struggled offensively in the second stanza, recording negative attack percentages.
Relying on a solid showing at the net and a strong presence at the service line, the purple and gold came out on top in a 25-19 decision. Tech racked up four aces and three blocks to move up 2-0 in the match, outscoring Bellarmine 12-4 down the stretch.
The Golden Eagle offense leaped to the task in the third and final set, accounting for 17 kills in a 25-20 win. The unit was efficient, hitting .364 with just five errors to provide the team's first season-opening victory since 2019.
Isringhausen put together a spectacular showing in the first action of her junior campaign, leading the match with 13 kills while hitting a robust .381 for the match. She added a pair of aces and six digs to the mix while racking up 15.5 points.
Rookie Ava Schubert dazzled across the board in her collegiate debut, ranking second on the squad with seven terminations on a .250 attack percentage. The right side also contributed a team-high three aces and totaled four blocks to finish with 12.5 points.
The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Setter and Freshman of the Year, Jordan Karlen, distributed the ball well on the day, accounting for 27 assists to go along with six digs. Graduate middle blocker Skylar Boom added four blocks and six kills to the Tech effort while junior libero McKenna Young turned in a team-high 14 digs.
The purple and gold battled valiantly with William & Mary in the second match of the day, eventually falling to The Tribe 3-2. Tech claimed the opening set, 25-18, leading by as many as nine points while piling up 11 kills, three aces, and a block.
William & Mary bounced back in set two, exploding for a 25-15 win behind an efficient attack that turned in 12 terminations. The Golden Eagles fought hard in set three, eventually turning a one-point advantage at 11-10 into a decisive 25-17 win.
Once again, The Tribe had a direct answer to the purple and gold, knotting things up at 2-2 behind a 25-10 decision in set four. Set five was an absolute war between the two sides, with both squads deadlocked at 10 points late. William & Mary closed the match on a 5-0 run to take a 15-10 win in the set and 3-2 victory in the match.
Isringhausen led Tech's offensive effort again, contributing team highs of 12 kills, four aces, and 16.0 digs. Piling up 10 digs as well, she posted her first double-double of the season.
Karlen also notched her first double-double of the year, tallying 36 assists with 13 digs. Young boasted a match-high 20 digs to lead the defense while fellow junior Aleeya Jones tacked on 12 digs of her own.
Boom hit .250 with nine terminations while adding two solo rejections. Ayanna Rodgers posted six kills on .333 efficiency, assisting on a pair of blocks. Schubert recorded seven kills and two more blocks to continue her solid first day of action as a Golden Eagle.
The Golden Eagles will wrap up action at the Mountaineer Classic Saturday afternoon, matching up against tournament host App State in a 12:30 p.m. CT contest.
UT MARTIN 3, MARIST 1
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball squad earned a hard-fought victory on Opening Day of the 2023 season this afternoon, dispatching the Marist Red Foxes in four sets (25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 29-27) as part of the Tennessee Classic.
The Skyhawks performed well on both ends today, hitting .214 as a team while providing a whopping 17 blocks against a Marist squad that won 18 matches and finished second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference a year ago.
Playing her first match in a little over 21 months, graduate middle blocker Olivia Saunders showed no signs of rust. The Mississauga, Ontario, Canada native tied a career-high with 17 kills on a .412 attack percentage while also chipping in seven blocks defensively. Six of her kills came in the decisive fourth set as UT Martin fought off set point on four separate occasions before rallying for the victory.
The duo of Haeleigh Paulino (match-high three service aces) and Addy Vaughn (five kills on a .455 hitting percentage, three blocks) each distributed 19 assists to keep the Skyhawk offense flowing smoothly.
Defensively, Dylan Mott registered a team-best 14 digs while Mia Saenz enforced the net with a match-high nine blocks – five of which came in the final set alone. Four UT Martin players rejected at least five blocks apiece, aiding the Skyhawks to a 17-6 advantage in that category.
Kayla Bryant tied her career-high in kills (eight) and digs (nine) while adding a career-best five blocks as part of a near double-double.
UT Martin returns to action for a pair of matches tomorrow as it takes on Texas State at 9 a.m. before squaring off against Tennessee at 5:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
ARKANSAS STATE 3, LITTLE ROCK 0; NORTH ALABAMA 3, LITTLE ROCK 0
JONESBORO, Ark. - Little Rock Volleyball opened the 2023 season with a 3-0 loss at Arkansas State at the A State Invitational. Freshman Bella Cherry led the team in kills with nine, while Sophomore Rylee McClintock led the team in digs with ten.
The Trojans took a 2-0 lead to start the first set on a service ace by Dariana Valencia and a Red Wolf error. After a Trojan service error, three straight kills by Arkansas State tied the score. The rally extended back and forth until an error by Little Rock led to five straight ASU points. The Trojans fought back tying the score at 20. Both teams exchanged points, going into extra sets. A kill by Daedrianna Cail tied the score at 24, before the Red Wolves scored the final two points on a kill and service ace winning 26-24.
Little Rock started the second set on a 2-0 run with kills by Cherry and Cail. The teams battled tying the score three times, before two-straight Trojan errors led to an Arkansas State lead. The Red Wolves kept the momentum and finished the set with a kill winning 25-17.
Both teams exchanged points to start set three. After a kill followed by a service ace for Arkansas State, the Red Wolves ratted off five total unanswered points. The Trojans could not recover losing the final set 25-13.
Little Rock Volleyball closed out the first day of the A State Invitational with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-17) loss to North Alabama. Daedrianna Cail led the team with 11 kills and a .381 hitting percentage.
In the first set, North Alabama started on a 3-0 run. The Trojans first point came off a kill by Carolina Rodriguez. Little Rock battled back and tied the score at 12 on a service ace by Dariana Valencia. North Alabama controlled the rest of the set scoring as many as four straight points and winning the set on two Trojan errors 25-20.
Little Rock took the first point of set two off a UNA error. Both teams battled back and forth with the score tying three times, before the Trojans took the lead. Little Rock's next run saw a service ace by Bella Cherry and kills by Camila Rodriguez and Cail. North Alabama battled back tying the score at 15 on a service ace. UNA then rattled off four straight points to take the lead and hold it. A kill gave the Lions the 25-20 set win.
Two UNA errors gave the Trojans the lead to start set three. The Lions quickly rattled off four straight point and never relinquished the lead. Little Rock finished the set hitting .192.
Little Rock finished the A State Invitational on Saturday as the Trojans face Louisiana Tech at Noon.
MURRAY STATE 3, TENNESSEE STATE 2
MACOMB, Ill. - The Tennessee State Tiger volleyball team lost 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 12-15) to the Murray State Racers Friday at Leatherneck Classic at Western Hall. The non-conference loss moved Tennessee State to 0-1 on the season. Senior Celestial Miller led a balanced attack, finishing with ten kills on the day to lead the Tigers' offense. Freshman Alanys Otero shined in her first collegiate match, tallying 31 assists. Defensively, TSU had two players reach double figures in digs: freshman Celianiz Cabranes had 22, and junior Storm White had 11. Kennedy Davis contributed nine blocks from the front row, and Gabrielle Johnson added six rejections.
SET 1 | The Tigers couldn't survive a ferocious Murray State rally in the first set, falling 25-18 after leading by seven points at 8-1 earlier in the set.
SET 2 | Tennessee State fired back after dropping the first set to take set two 25-21, evening the match at 1-1. The TSU grabbed the advantage for good at 20-19 in a set with just one lead change before the Tigers took over in the second half of the stanza. The Tennessee State offense also got a boost from four aces in the stanza.
SET 3 | Tennessee State won 25-21 in set three to take a 2-1 advantage. Tennessee State took the lead for good at 17-16 in a set that showcased two lead changes before the Tigers took over in the second half of the stanza. The Tennessee State offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza. Tennessee State's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Murray State attacks in the stanza.
SET 4 | TSU couldn't keep the win streak going, as the Racers forced a fifth set with a 25-21 fourth-set win. The Tigers lost the first point and never clawed back into the lead before falling in the set.
SET 5 | TSU took a lead of two sets to one before losing the final two sets, including a 15-12 loss in the fifth set. The Tigers couldn't hang on in a back-and-forth set five, losing in a stanza that featured four lead changes and was tied 11 times. Neither team led by more than three points in the set.
TSU will be back in action tomorrow at noon when they take on Cleveland State in the Leatherneck Classic.
LINDENWOOD 3, OAKLAND 2; LINDENWOOD 3, ST. THOMAS 1
CHICAGO, Ill. - Lindenwood (2-0, 0-0 OVC) opened up their second Division I season with two consecutive wins at the Chicago Classic against Oakland (0-1, 0-0 Horizon) and St. Thomas (0-2, Summit League). It marked their second straight season opening up with two wins at a non-conference tournament/invitational.
"I am very proud of this team. Since the season ended last year we have a focused determination to improve and make strides to be better in key areas," said head coach Will Condon. "As a coach it is great to see that effort rewarded with some nice wins."
"Day one is always interesting because the scouting component is removed and it is more about adapting to the situation. I thought we did a good job of making adjustments in the moment. The best part is they are not satisfied and know we have to keep working every day to get a little better. That mentality is great to see from them."
Lindenwood - 3 Oakland - 2 (25-19, 29-17, 14-25, 22-25, 15-11)
The Lions opened up their 2023 campaign with a win against Oakland University at the Chicago Classic, hosted by UIC. Lindenwood led two sets to nothing early, but the Golden Grizzles evened the match to force a fifth match. LU pulled away late in the fifth to snatch the win.
Addy McAleer and Rebecca Janke anchored an offense with 16 kills each. In her first career match for Lindenwood, McAleer set career highs in kills (16), attempts (48), and digs (12). She was one of three players to post a double-double in the match.
During the first set, Nyah Wilson led the charge for the Lions with three kills and two service aces. As a team, the Lions had 12 kills in the first set with a hitting percentage of .267. The defense in set one held Oakland to a .167 hitting percentage with only nine kills.
The Lions' offense had their best set of the series in the second when they put up 20 kills and a .318 hitting percentage. Janke had six kills in the second set alone while McAleer chipped in five of her own.
Oakland would put the pressure on the Lions during the next two sets, including holding Lindenwood to 14 points in the third set and a .188 hitting percentage. The Golden Grizzles' leading attacker Patti Cesarini had four of her 15 kills in the third set.
After a 22-25 set four loss, the Lions bounced back on the attack to claim the fifth set victory by a score of 15-11. In the fifth set alone, Wilson had two kills and a service ace while Janke finished the match with the final kill to lock up the win.
Allie Otten posted a team leading 35 assists and 17 digs for her first double-double of the season. Wilson also posted a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs. Freshman Ashley Geluck had seven kills in her first match and a team leading five blocks.
Lindenwood - 3 St. Thomas - 1 (26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21)
The Lions continued their hot start to the season with a 3-1 victory over Summit League opponent St. Thomas. Lindenwood wrapped up their Friday schedule with their second victory in as many matches.
Janke posted her second straight match with 10+ kills with 15 in the win against St. Thomas. She also led the team in blocks with seven block assists. Lindenwood had a total of 14 blocks in the match compared to just five by St. Thomas.
McAleer also posted her second straight 10+ kill match with 11 in the win. She ranked third on the team in hitting percentage with a .286 (min. eight kills). McAleer had an all-around performance with three assists, three digs, and five block assists.
The Lions opened up their second straight match with a 2-0 lead heading into the third set. Lindenwood had double digit team kills in all four sets during their match against St. Thomas with 14 of them coming in the first. They then followed that with a match high 17 kills in the second.
St. Thomas was able to take the third set after holding Lindenwood to 10 kills and a .111 hitting percentage. They were led by Lauren Galvin in the match with 13 kills and a .310 hitting percentage. Ellie Gustafson also had 12 kills in the loss.
Otten backed up her 35 assist first match with 36 more in the second. She also was able to capture her second straight double-double with 14 assists. Jessie Seidel led the Lions with 20 digs on the defensive side of the net.
Lindenwood will be back in action during the Chicago Classic on Saturday when they take on host team UIC at 3:00 p.m. Their final match will be live streamed on ESPN+
MOREHEAD STATE 3, STONEHILL 0; MOREHEAD STATE 3, QUEENS (NC) 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State volleyball team walked away with a 3-0 win (25-20, 25-13, 25-15) against the Stonehill Skyhawks Friday at home at Johnson Arena. The win marked the first win of 2023, and first year head coach Kyrsten Becker-McBride's first win as the head coach of the Eagle volleyball program.
The non-conference victory improved Morehead State's overall record to 1-0 on the season.
M.E. Hargan finished with 10 kills on the day to lead the Eagles offense while finishing with a hitting percentage of .28. Defensively, had two players reach double figures in digs as Peighton Isley had 13 and Shea Hefner had 10
SET 1 | The Eagles took control on the first point and held the lead the rest of the way to secure the first set 25-20. Morehead State led by 10 points at 14-4 before finishing off the set.
SET 2 | Morehead State took the second set 25-13 to promptly jump to a 2-0 lead. The Eagles grabbed control of the set lead early on at 5-4 and never looked back. Morehead State opened its biggest lead of the stanza, 12 points, to close out the set. The Morehead State offense also got a boost from five aces in the stanza.
SET 3 | Morehead State closed the match in a 3-0 sweep after winning set three. The Eagles won the set 25-15 propelled by a strong showing on the attacking side. Morehead State registered a .395 attack percentage with 18 kills in the set win. The Eagles ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza. The Morehead State offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
The Morehead State volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 victory (25-14, 25-15, 25-11) against the Queens (NC) Royals Friday at home at Johnson Arena.
The non-conference win boosted the Eagles' overall record to 2-0 on the season.
The Eagles offense was paced by Amelia Nott, who finished with 14 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .542, and by Maycie Welborn, who had 10 while hitting .45. Irene Wogenstahl put together a fine performance as well, posting seven kills with a .353 hitting percentage and three blocks, while M.E. Hargan had nine kills.
Defensively, had three players reach double figures in digs, including Peighton Isley's 24, 14 from Hargan, and 14 more from Shea Hefner, holding the Royals to a -.024 hitting percentage.
SET 1 | The Eagles grabbed control on the first point and held the lead the rest of the way to win the first set 25-14. Morehead State opened up its biggest lead, 11 points, to close out the set, totaling 17 kills along the way.
SET 2 | After their win in the first set, Morehead State put themselves on the cusp of a sweep with a 25-15 victory in set number two. The Eagles led from the opening point on in the set to earn the victory. Morehead State opened its biggest lead of the stanza, 10 points, to close out the set, totaling 15 kills in the set.
SET 3 | Morehead State took set three to finish the match in a 3-0 sweep. The Eagles grabbed control of the set early when the score was 4-3 and never looked back to win 25-11. Morehead State led by 15 points at 24-9 before closing out the stanza, collecting 16 kills along the way.
CLEVELAND STATE 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois volleyball fell in three sets (25-16, 25-20, 25-8) in their opening match of the Leatherneck Classic to the Cleveland State Vikings on Friday night. WIU falls to 0-1 overall on the season.
SET 1
After falling behind 0-1, Brittany Wulf went cross-court to tie the game at one, giving WIU their first kill. Both teams would trade points as the score would sit at 5-5 after a service error by CSU. The Vikings would not make any more mistakes as a 15-4 run would put them out in front 20-9 in the first set. Elizabeth Ziegler would end the run with her first kill of the season, bringing the score 20-10. The Leathernecks would eventually drop set one 25-16.
SET 2
WIU fell behind in set two as Cleveland State used a 4-0 run to start the set. WIU would not go away as kills by Julianna Schmidt and Wulf would help Western Illinois to fight back, tying the set at ten. With the score tied at 10-10, CSU used a 5-1 run, forcing a WIU timeout. The run would continue after the timeout as the Vikings would increase their lead to 16-11. WIU would be down 22-15 before a 4-0 run would bring them within three. The Leathernecks could not close the gap as they would fall 25-20 in set two.
SET 3
Cleveland State was in complete control in set three. An opening 11-3 run would give the Vikings the needed breathing room. WIU would cut the lead down to six after a kill by Schmidt., but that was the closest they got as WIU would fall in the final set 25-8.
Brittany Wulf led the Leathernecks with nine kills. Grace Kremer and Julianna Schmidt were tied for second with four, respectively. Karli Wenzel led WIU with eight digs. Maggie Craker and Wulf both had seven.
WIU is back in action tomorrow afternoon as they take on Murray State in their final match of the Leatherneck Classic at 3:00 p.m.
SIUE 3, EASTERN MICHIGAN 1; BRADLEY 3, SIUE 0
PEORIA, Ill. - SIUE volleyball opened the 2023 season with a pair of matches at the Bradley CEFCU Invitational on Friday at Renaissance Coliseum. The Cougars (1-1, 0-0) took victory over Eastern Michigan in the morning before falling to Bradley in the evening.
Match One: SIUE vs. Eastern Michigan
SIUE's attack controlled the pace in the first match of the day, as the Cougars downed EMU in four sets with scores of 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, and 25-21. SIUE hit for a .196 clip in the contest while three players racked up double-digit kills. SIUE moves to 4-3 in season openers under the direction of Head Coach Kendall Paulus.
Priscilla Jones picked up a double-double in the match, leading the Cougars' attack with 12 kills for a .571 clip. The junior middle blocker added a career-high 11 digs for her first collegiate double-double. Her .571 hitting percentage is the highest by a Cougar (min. 12 kills) since Savannah Christian hit .542 at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 5, 2021.
Alyse Drifka led the setting efforts at center court, dishing out 27 assists. The junior setter contributed 12 of SIUE's 62 digs for her first double-double of the season.
Julia Treichel led the Cougars' defense, picking up 13 digs in the match. She also led SIUE with three service aces.
Sydney Hummert finished with 10 kills and nine digs while leading SIUE with four blocks. The junior outside hitter eclipsed 500 digs on her career in the contest.
Savannah Christian also hit a milestone, recording her 200th career block.
Chelsey Abel picked up double-digit kills in the match, finishing with 11.
Abel, Abi Banitt, Megan DePoorter, and Corinna Jones made their SIUE debuts.
Match Two: SIUE at Bradley
Bradley used a .180 attack percentage to sweep SIUE in three sets with scores of 18-25, 20-25, and 22-25. The Cougars kept up with the Braves all match long, as the contest was tied 23 times with 11 lead changes.
Hummert led the Cougars attack with nine kills on 21 attacks for a .238 clip. She added four digs and a block. Treichel added eight kills while Abel finished with five
At center court, Drifka dished out a team-leading 10 assists while Grace Beekman contributed with eight.
At the net, Priscilla Jones concluded the contest with three blocks.
Banitt led the Cougars with nine of the Cougars' 40 digs.
The Cougars close out the Bradley CEFCU Invitational on Saturday against IUPUI. First serve is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, EVANSVILLE 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri volleyball (1-0) opened the 2023 season Friday morning with a 3-0 sweep of Evansville (0-1) at Houck Field House.
The Redhawks won 26-24, 26-24, 25-23 for the first victory of the season behind 12 kills from Marisa Guisti and 35 assists from setter Izzy Lukens.
Guisti, a transfer from Butler, made her first start in a Redhawks jersey Friday morning and led the team with 12 kills and a .364 hitting percentage.
Lukens, the senior from Omaha, Nebraska, registered 35 assists on 97 attempts for a .361 percentage.
The Redhawks and Evansville played over the 25-point limit in the first two sets as the Redhawks came back in both sets.
The match featured 31 ties and 18 lead changes in a back-and-forth contest in a match that lasted two hours and three minutes.
Freshman Lucy Arndt made her first career start in her first collegiate match as she finished with the second most kills on the team with 11.
Kaelyn O'Brien and Zoey Beasley were in the starting lineup and chipped in nine kills on 26 attempts a piece to help power SEMO to the first victory of the season.
Guisti, Arndt, O'Brien and Beasley were responsible for 41 of 77 total Redhawks points.
Guisti and Arndt were also active on the defensive side of the net with three solo blocks and five block assists between the two.
Evansville held an 11-7 block advantage over SEMO.
SEMO hit .176 overall as a team in the first match of 2023 as Evansville hit at a .193-mark.
Southeast Missouri volleyball (2-0) won the second match of the day on Friday night over Central Michigan (0-2) by a final score of 3-1 in front of a crowd of 400 at Houck Field House.
Freshman Lucy Arndt, who made her second career start, led the way with 14 kills to power the Redhawks to victory in four sets. Arndt finished the match with a .320 hitting percentage.
SEMO won the match 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 25-19 over the Chippewas who dropped their second match in a row.
As a team, the Redhawks hit .264 with 45 kills on 110 total attacks compared to Central Michigan who hit just .156 as a team.
SEMO showed resilience in the second set, trailing at one point 16-9, and fought back to take the second set of the contest to push CMU to the brink.
The Chippewas responded with their best set of the tournament in the third set, hitting .371 as a team led by Devon Bright. Bright finished with 12 kills as CMU's leading attacker.
Zoey Beasley finished with 13 kills for the Redhawks. The Paragould, Ark.-native had 13 kills on 24 total attacks for a .333 hitting percentage.
The Redhawks won the battle at the net, besting CMU by a mark of nine blocks to just six led by Marisa Giusti and Kaelyn O'Brien.
Giusti finished with a pair of solo blocks and assisted on three as O'Brien finished with three assists of her own.
Tara Beilsmith remained steady on the back line for the Redhawks, as the libero finished with 19 digs and seven assists.
Izzy Lukens finished with 31 assists on the evening. In two matches, the setter from Omaha, Nebraska has 66 assists.
Friday night's match had 13 ties and just two lead changes as the match expired in one hour and 50 minutes.
The Redhawks will close out the SEMO Invitational tomorrow afternoon with a match against Southern Illinois at 3 p.m. in Houck Field House.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, ULM 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, VALPARAISO 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. -The EIU volleyball team defeated Valparaiso three sets to two in front of a raucous Lantz Arena on Friday night. The set scores were as follows: 18-25, 25-20,18-25, 25-21, and 15-4. The Panthers fell behind the Beacons twice, but after finishing the fourth set on a 7-1 run, cruised to the finish line in set five. The battle marked the nightcap of day one of the EIU Panther Classic.
On offense, Eastern was led by graduate transfer Natalie Mitchem, who smashed her way through the Valpo defense for 25 kills. Giovana Larregui Lopez was also a force to be reckoned with, collecting 16 kills of her own. Catalina Rochaix was once again the facilitator of EIU's offensive success, tallying 58 assists.
EIU also recorded nine service aces, with Rochaix, Laura Paniagua, and Sylvia Hasz contributing a pair each.
On defense, Christina Martinez Mundo stacked up a game-high 29 digs, followed by Larregui Lopez with 17. The Panthers also recorded seven total blocks, with freshman Julia Stanev collecting 4.5 of them.
For the Beacons, Elise Swistek and Mallory Januski combined for 24 kills, while Addy Kois and Victoria Bulmahn set up the attack with 23 and 17 assists, respectively. Emma Hickey led the team with 16 digs.
EIU will close out their first weekend of the 2023 season with a match against Akron, set to begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Lantz Arena. It will be the final match of the Panther Classic.
EIU 3, ULM 0
The EIU volleyball team defeated Louisiana Monroe 3-0 in their opening match of the 2023 campaign. The final set scores were as follows: 25-22, 25-13, and 25-17. The victory started the Panthers' season out on a high note that they will look to build on heading into their final two matchups of the Panther Classic.
Offensively, EIU was led by Giovana Larregui Lopez, who powered her way to 17 kills with a .556 hitting percentage. Natalie Mitchem (9) and Kaitlyn Flynn (7) also made their presence felt, combining for 16 kills. The Panthers' attack was set up by Catalina Rochaix, who accounted for 36 of the team's 40 assists. EIU recorded 11 total service aces, with five players contributing two each.
On defense, Christina Martinez Mundo led the way with 17 digs. Eastern also compiled four and a half total blocks, with Julia Stanev leading the team with three block assists. Mitchem and Rochaix also added two block assists of their own.
The ULM attack was led by Ariana Brown with 10 kills, while Bailey Roberson tallied a team-leading 15 assists. On defense, the Warhawks were led by Callie Humphrey with 10 digs.
Next up for Eastern is Valparaiso, who also won their first match in straight sets, at 7 p.m. in Lantz Arena.