To close out their Tri-match on Friday night of Beloiter Days weekend, women’s volleyball played their final match of the night against Rockford University. The game hit almost two and a half hours after starting an hour late, but the competitive atmosphere left fans at the edge of their seats.
Although starting out slow against a team who had just finished their first game, they ended the first set 16-25, but quickly came back for an intense second set. Pushing through, Beloit came up with a 26-24 second set. The third set was once again close, a 25-22 victory for the Buccaneers.
Even though both teams fought through every set, the struggle really showed through in the fourth set as they battled for the win. The close score and changing lead dramaticized the last few points, with Rockford eventually coming out on top 27-25.
The last set is where Rockford’s exhaustion from two back-to-back games kicked in, and Beloit was able to get a slight lead, winning the last set 15-12. The intense night with 25 lead changes and 49 ties was an immense triumph for the Bucs. Beloit finished with 94 digs to Rockford’s 82.
Along with showing team grit, a lot of players stuck out for their individual success on the court. Daniela Perez’30 had 15 kills, including the game-winner for her team. Libero Adelaide Schmitt’28 had 30 digs, as well as a lot of energy on the court, while Maddisyn Adams’29 added 17 digs and four service aces.
Naomi Murphy’27 added 10 kills, Kierra Rayne Hoover’27 added eight, Selin Tufte’28 had seven (as well as a solo block), and Audrey Deane’30 had five.
Setters Aaliyah Gerard’29 and Lizzie Paschal’28 set the pace for the continual offense throughout the night, always setting their team up for the next point. Gerard had 19 assists and two aces, and Paschal matched that, adding nine digs of her own.
Featured image: Fianne Makela’29
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