V-Hawks Dominate Rams in Pool Play

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team, the #5 overall seed in the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Tournament, played their first game of pool play at the Final Site on Wednesday evening, topping Columbia International University (S.C.), 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 26-24). The V-Hawks improve to 32-4, while the Rams fall to 32-2.

Although the Rams scored the first two points of the match, Viterbo stormed back with a 12-0 run, highlighted by three Jada Mitchell kills and a Grace Rohde ace. CIU would score three straight, but Kenzie Winker's kill sparked another 7-1 run, with two kills by Martina McGrath, and the 20-7 lead. Maddie Connor recorded a late ace that helped the V-Hawks take the first set, 25-9.

Winker, McGrath and Sadie Treptow led the attack as Viterbo built another early lead, 12-5 in the second. Treptow and Rohde each had a pair of kills as a part of the V-Hawk's 8-1 run, and Rohde kept the pressure on with another kill and ace, before Treptow's kill ended the set, 25-12.

Connor started the third set with an ace, and Rohde followed soon with one of her own. However, after a run of V-Hawk errors, and a Ram block, CIU built a 14-10 lead. Mitchell's kill ended the run, and the teams traded points until the Rams led 20-16. Viterbo evened the match 20-20 after a Rohde kill, Mia Quist ace, and Mitchell solo block, kills from Rohde, Connor, and Winker gave Viterbo the late lead, and Kenidi McCabe ended the match with an ace, 26-24.

Winker led all players with 16 kills while hitting .406, and Rohde added 13 on .476 hitting percentage. McCabe's 18 digs was a match high, while Connor posted 18 assists, and Cailie Kowal contributed 15. Mitchell had five blocks. Hanah Weiss led the Rams with six kills and Melissa Campos soto dished 13 assists.

The V-Hawks return to action on Friday, December 1 as they take on Southern Oregon in the final game of Pool Play. For the full schedule and results of the national tournament, click here.