CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Mount St. Joseph University women's volleyball team welcomed their rival from across the Ohio River the Saints of Thomas More to the Harrington Center on Tuesday night. The match was the second time in less than a month that the two teams have faced off. The Mount was attempting to avenge a season-opening straight set loss to the Saints in Crestview Hills, Ky.
The Lions set the tone early, taking the opening set of the match 25-17. The early portion of the first set was back and forth, but the Lions went on an early 10-3 run to take control of the set. Sophomore
Emily Abshire and Freshman
Morgan Whitaker each provided two kills during the run. The Lions maintained the comfortable lead for much of the set, but Thomas more began to claw back. The Saints pulled within three points at 16-13, but the Lions again had an answer. With junior
Brooke Aselage at the service line the Mount ripped off another 5-0 run, two of the points coming on kills from sophomore
Grace Young.
Set two was a much more tightly contested one, as there were seven lead changes before either team reached 12 points. The Lions took the lead at 12-11, and it was a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the set. This time though they were not able to pull away from the Saints, as the lead only grew above two points twice in the set. The Lions took late control at 24-20 and looked poised to secure the set, but Thomas More won three consecutive points to get back into it. A Saints service error put the final nail in the coffin of set two with the Lions taking the 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-23 win.
Thomas More riding a bit of momentum from the late rally in set number three came out and in the fourth set on a mission to get back into the match. The would do so to the tune of a 25-21 third set win.
The fourth and final set would be the best set of the night, settling at a final score of 26-24 in favor of the Lions. With the team all tied-up late in the set at 21, the Saints appeared to take control. The pushed out to a 23-21 lead, before big kills from Young and Whitaker tied the set again at 23. Thomas More earned the next point, giving them the serve and an attempt at a set point. Trailing by one and the match on the line, setter
Sam Buschur delivered a ball to Aselage on the outside who pounded it to the floor to tie the match. A point later the Lions had their first opportunity at a match-point and it was the only opportunity they would need.
Morgan Whitaker put away the final ball, securing the match for the Lions.
STANDOUTS:
Sophomore libero
Erin Androne was seemingly in the right place all match, continually keeping ball in play that looked like would-be kills for the Saints. Androne finished with a match-high 23 digs.
Offensively four Lions registered double-digit kills, Abshire led the way with 18, Aselage had 15, Whitaker had 12 and Young had 10.
Sam Buschur distributed the ball fantastic to the tune of 45 assists.
Defensively to go along with Androne, Aselage had 17 assists,
Brooklyn Brunner had 15, Buschur had 13 and
Grace Wilking had 8.
UP NEXT:
The Lions will open Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play on Saturday as they travel to Richmond, Indiana to take on the Quakers of Earlham College. Saturday's match is scheduled to get underway at 1:00 PM.
