SOUTH BEND, IN – Women’s volleyball hosted a tri-match with Goshen, and Siena Heights on Saturday. The first match for the IU South Bend was against Siena Heights.
The Titans opened the match strong after a kill by Ashley McClintock (SR/Westville, Indiana) gave them a 6-1 lead forcing a Siena Heights timeout. The Saints would fight back to tie the set at 9-9. After that point the first set was all Saints as they went on to bury the Titans 25-16 taking a 1-0 lead in the match. Siena Heights was able to carry their momentum from the first set into the second getting off to a 9-1 lead and eventually winning the set 25-17.
Trailing 0-2 in the match, the Titans started the third set ready to make a comeback. A service error gave IU South Bend a 1-0 lead then Morgan Powell (FR/New Prarie, Indiana) served up an ace to give the Titans an early 2-0 lead. They went on to win the set rather handily 25-16.
Just as Siena Heights had done earlier, IU South Bend was able to carry the momentum they gained in the third set over to the fourth. They jumped out to an early 10-4 lead, but the Saints were able to tie the set at 13-13. The two teams would go on to exchange points until the score was once again tied at 19-19. This is when the Titans went on a 6-1 run finished via a kill by Sydney Lubinski (SO/South Bend, Indiana) to win the set 25-20.
The fifth set was a struggle as neither team could gain a significant advantage on the other. With the score tied at 12-12 it was anyone’s game to win, but this time it was Siena Heights who made the plays to win the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.
The second game IU South Bend played was against Goshen. The Titans ended up losing this match in four sets (25-20, 18-25, 18-25, 24-26).
A kill by Ashli Drewes (JR/New Buffalo, Michigan) gave the Titans a quick 1-0 lead in the first set. The two teams went on to back and forth until the score was tied 20-20. At this point the Titans scored five straight points with the help of a kill by Sarah Allison (JR/Mishawaka, Indiana), two aces by Morgan Powell, a block by Ashli McClintock, and a kill by Janelle Rehlander (SR/LaPorte, Indiana) to win the set 25-20. The next two sets were all Goshen as the Titans dropped both by a score of 18-25.
Facing two Goshen match points in the fourth set the Titans scored two straight to tie the score at 24-24. But it was Goshen who was able to win the set 26-24 and the match 3-1.
After the day’s action Janelle Rehlander had accumulated enough digs to become IU South Bend’s all-time leader in digs.
IU South Bend will stay at home Sept. 12 to take on Trinity Christian College.