V-Hawks End Labor Day Classic with Two Wins

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team won a pair of games Saturday afternoon at the College of Saint Mary/United Sports Academy Labor Day Classic. The V-Hawks started the day with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16) win over the University of Saint Mary (Kan.), and earned a 3-1 (25-14, 25-18, 25-25, 25-20) win over Morningside University (Iowa) later in the night. Following todays games, the V-Hawks improve to 7-4, the Spires drop to 5-4, and the Mustangs record comes to 3-9.

Lauryn Sobasky started the day off right for the V-Hawks with a service ace and an early kill. Kenzie Winker's kill tied the game at 6-6, and the teams would trade points to 10-10. The Spires would then go on a 6-0, including two Haydan Heuermann aces, run to take the first significant lead of the game, 16-10. A few errors from Saint Mary, combined with a Kenidi McCabe ace and a Mariah Calkins kill sparked a Viterbo run until they took an 18-17 lead on a Marissa Kleman-Calkins block. The Spires managed to retake the lead at 21-20. But Viterbo ended the game on a 5-1 run, capped by a Martina McGrath kill from Maddie Connor.

The second set began with a Grace Rohde kill, followed by three from Winker. Rohde would put the V-Hawks up 9-6, but they could not pull away, and the Spires would take the lead 12-11 on a Renata Dominguez block. Saint Mary would lead by as much as 17-13, but Viterbo would use a 5-0 run capped by a Sobasky ace to reclaim the lead. Jada Mitchell would power the final V-Hawks push with a kill and two block assists, including the set-winner with Rohde.

Viterbo took control of the third set early, going up 6-2 with kills form Kleman and an ace from Adrianna Reinhart. Mia Quist recorded an ace of her own, followed by a Calkins kill to put the V-Hawks up 12-5. Sobasky found Winker to finish another 6-2 run for VU, and although Saint Mary put together their own 6-1 run, the rally came too late, and another Quist ace and a Grace Myhre kill ended the set, and the match, 25-16.

Winker posted a game-high 12 kills while hitting .222, Sobasky led all players with 17 assists, and Reinhart had the game high in digs with 22. Mitchell blocked five hits (four assists, one solo).

Keagan Shockley led the Spires with six kills, Heuermann had 11 assists, and Laney Ward had 16 digs.

Viterbo started the late game with a pair of McCabe aces, and a trio of Kleman kills to quickly go up 7-2. Mitchell and Martina McGrath's kills helped push that lead to 10-3, and Kleman and Calkins blocked a pair of hits to go up 18-7. Rohde would end the opening set, 25-14, with back-to-back kills.

Morningside took early control in the second game, going up 6-1 on a Claire Wilson kill. Winker's kill ended the run and started Viterbo's retaliation. McGrath put up consecutive kills, and Cailie Kowal -recorded consecutive aces to put the V-Hawks up 9-7. Wilson's kill would even the score at 13-13, but another 5-0 run gave the V-Hawks breathing room, and they wouldn't let the Mustangs back into the game, winning the second set 25-18 on a Morningside attacking error.

The Mustangs were able to get ahead of the V-Hawks again to start the third set, going up 10-3. The V-Hawks responded in a big was, going on a 10-1 run highlighted by two Morgan Roeber aces, a Taylor Larson ace, and three Rohde kills. Viterbo managed to push the lead to 19-16 on consecutive kills from Kelman, but four straight points gave the Mustangs the lead again. Despite Viterbo retaking the lead 22-20, Morningside would claim the third set 25-23, it on a Gaby Wilson-Claire Wilson block.

Sobasky, Kowal, and Larson each recorded aces early in the fourth set, combined with a McGrath-Mitchell block helped put the V-Hawks up 9-6. McCabe earned an ace, and her third career kill, to push the lead to 13-9. The Mustangs would get within two on a Payten Lode kill at 20-18, but Viterbo held on to secure the 25-20 set and match win off a Mitchell kill from Sobasky.

Grace Rohde tied a game-high of 16 kills while hitting .375. Winker (12) and Mitchell (10) each also posted double digit kills. Sobasky's 31 assists led all players, while Reinhart (18) and McCabe (10) each put up double-digit digs. Kleman and Calkins each had three block assists.

Sydney Marlow tied the game-high of 16 kills, Bridget Smith recorded 17 assists, and Aureana Bernales 25 digs was the game-high. Gillian DePauw had one solo block and three block assists.

The V-Hawks return to action n on Friday, September 9 in their home opener against #18 Taylor University (Ind.) as part of the Viterbo Volleyball Fall Invitational.