Titans Take No. 15 Viterbo to Five Sets in Gritty Battle

SOUTH BEND — IU South Bend volleyball went toe-to-toe with one of the top programs in the nation Wednesday evening, pushing No. 15 Viterbo to five sets before ultimately falling (27-29, 13-25, 25-23, 25-23, 12-15).

The Titans (12-17, 8-7 CCAC) saw their seven-match winning streak come to an end, but not without a statement performance against the V-Hawks (21-6, 15-0 CCAC). IU South Bend stormed back after dropping the first two frames, rallying to even the match and forcing a decisive fifth set in a thriller that showcased the team’s resilience and growth.

Emalee Maesch was electric yet again, reaching season-high marks and finishing with a match-high 21 kills on .267 hitting, along with 18 digs and 22.5 points. Alyssa Carson added 17 kills, five digs, and one solo block, while Jillian Bruckner tallied nine kills and two block assists to help fuel the comeback effort. Ryleigh Grott turned in a strong two-way showing with seven kills, five solo blocks and a block assist for 12.5 points of her own.

Setter Brynn Lake dished out 45 assists and posted 19 digs, while libero Sydney Hanna was spectacular defensively with 45 digs. The senior reached the 40-dig threshold for the first time in her career, beating her previous best mark for a single match by 11 digs.

After dropping the first two sets, IU South Bend found its rhythm midway through the third, using a 6-1 run to take control and claim the set 25-23. The Titans carried that momentum into the fourth, grinding out another 25-23 win behind clutch swings from Maesch and Carson to force the deciding frame.

In the fifth, IU South Bend erased an early 8-4 deficit to pull within 13-12, but the nationally ranked V-Hawks held on late to escape with the win.