RIVER FOREST, Ill. - The Rockford University women's volleyball team earned a hard-fought 3-1 road win on Thursday night over the Concordia University Chicago Cougars. The Regents and Cougars split the first two sets (25-22 and 21-25), before the final two sets needed extra points to decide a winner. Rockford took the third set 26-24 and then fought off four set points in the fourth set, before stringing together the final three points of the match to win the set 30-28 and the match 3-1. The win snaps a 24-match losing streak to CUC, which dated all the way back to when the two schools played together in the Northern Illinois Iowa Conference. Prior to tonight, Rockford's last win over Concordia Chicago was on October 12, 2004.
- Concordia Chicago led for the majority of the first set and by as many as 4 points at 15-11.
- With CUC still clinging to a 16-15 advantage, Rockford went on an 8-1 run to take its first lead of the match at 23-17. Alexis Brashaw led the way with a pair of kills over that span.
- Rockford was able to fend off a late Cougar surge and take the first set 25-22.
- The second set had the exact opposite start to it as the first, with Rockford jumping out to an 11-6 lead.
- With the set now tied at 15-15, Concordia Chicago used a 7-1 spurt to take its largest lead of the set at 22-16.
- Rockford was able to get back within three at 24-21, but CUC scored the final point to even the match at 1-1.
- The third set featured multiple runs by both teams, causing the lead to bounce back and forth.
- CUC scored the first four points of the set, followed by a 7-1 run from the Regents. Four different Regents tallied a kill over that span, led by two from Tamsy Leverton.
- With Rockford now leading 9-6, the Cougars ran off five straight points to retake the lead at 11-9.
- The Regents responded with an 8-1 run of their own to leap back in front. Melody Moreno led the Regent charge with a pair of kills.
- Rockford extended its lead to as many as seven at 24-17. However, the Cougars scored the next seven points to knot the set at 24-24.
- Fortunately, the Regents responded with the final two points, capped off by an Alexis Brashaw kill to win the third set 26-24.
- The fourth set followed a similar pattern with Concordia Chicago jumping out to a quick 6-1 advantage, before Rockford used a 7-1 run to take its first lead of the set at 8-7.
- From that point on, neither team led by more than three points until very late in the set. Rockford stretched its advantage to five points at 22-17 and then had four match points at 24-20. However, the Cougars would score the next five points and secure their first of four set points.
- Fortunately, the resilient Regents fought off each and every one of them, until an Alexx Burton kill gave the Regents their fifth and final match point of the set. Rockford would capitalize on this one to win the set 30-28 and the match 3-1.
- Alexis Brashaw finished with a team-high 10 kills, a match-high 5 blocks, 3 digs and 2 assists.
- Melody Moreno added 7 kills, 3 aces and 16 digs.
- Brynn Atwell tallied a season-high 23 digs, 2 assists and an ace.
- Alexx Burton recorded a career-high 14 digs, 6 kills, 2 assists and a block.
- Jasmine Landberg had a season-high 14 digs.
- Keara Ross had a career-high 14 digs and a career-high 3 aces.
- Leila Cooks finished with a team-high 22 assists, 7 digs, a season-high 4 blocks and a season-high 3 kills.
