V-Hawks End Labor Day Classic with a Pair of Sweeps

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team, ranked #4 in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll, finished their weekend at the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic with a pair of sweeps over Morningside University (Iowa) (25-17, 25-11, 25-21) and Dordt University (Iowa) (25-23, 25-20, 25-19). The V-Hawks now sit at 10-2, the Mustangs are 6-7, and the Defenders are 1-6.

The V-Hawks would take control of the first set behind early kills from Jada Mitchell and Grace Rohde. Maddie Connor would record a kill to start another run that included a block and a kill from Sadie Treptow to go up 17-9. After Morningside rattled off three straight points, Martina McGrath took over with three fills in five volleys, and Mitchell ended the set with a solo block and kill, 15-17.

Connor started the second with an ace, and Kenidi McCabe added two of her own as VU jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the second. McGrath and Kenzie Winker combined for a block to keep the momentum in the V-Hawks favor, and while leading by double digits, Elodie Danet set up Winker for back-to-back kills. She would then end the set with a kill of her own, 25-11. 

The third set would start closer than the last, with Treptow and McCabe leading the scoring for Viterbo and a solo block for MU's Katherine Miller tied the match 10-10. Mitchell started a quick run with a kill and Treptow-assisted block, and McGrath highlighted another 5-0 run with two blocks and a kill. The Mustangs started a small run of their own, but the rally came too late, and Rohde ended the match with a kill, 25-21.

Winker led all players with 14 kills, while Mitchell and McGrath each added 12 on .579 and .556 hitting, respectively. Connor had a game-high 39 kills, and McCabe led with 22 digs. McGrath added four blocks. Sydney Marlow had nine kills and Aleksandra Dalach had 22 assists.

Against Dordt,  the opening set would start close, with seven ties by the time it reached 10-10 with Rohde leading the scoring and Winker adding an ace. Connor's second ace of the set as well as Winker's kill put Viterbo up one, 16-15. Errors by the Defenders and a Mia Quist ace helped the V-Hawks start to pull away, and Winker ended the set, 25-23.

Mitchell and Rohde paced the V-Hawks scoring to start the second, and Cailie Kowal added an ace to bring the score to 9-4. Quist added an ace, and Dordt errors helped Viterbo keep a comfortable lead. Mitchell and Rohde continued to trade kills until the set ended 25-20.

Marissa Kleman heled spark an early run for the V-Hawks in the third, and Rohde added an ace for the 10-6 lead. Viterbo continued to capitalize on Dordt errors, building the lead to 17-11 before McGrath's kills extended the lead to 21-15. McCabe ended the match 25-19 with a final service ace.

Rohde led all players with 14 kills, and Mitchell was just behind her with 13 on .579 hitting. Connor had 36 assists, and McCabe led with 11 digs. Riley Doenhoefer had 12 kills for Dordt, Makenna Kooima matched 11 digs, and Sophie Johnson assisted 30 times.

The V-Hawks return to action on Friday, September 8 as they host William Penn  (Mo.) in the first match of the 2023 Days Inn V-Hawk Invitational.