MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Rockford University women's volleyball team dropped both its matches 3-1 to Maranatha Baptist University and Ripon College on Friday evening. Rockford opened the day with a tough, hard-fought match against the Sabercats. The two schools split the first two sets and then Maranatha eked out narrow 26-24 and 25-23 wins in the third and fourth sets for the 3-1 win. Similarly, the Regents and Red Hawks also split the first two sets, but Ripon took control in both the third and fourth sets to fly past the Regents for the 3-1 win.
Maranatha 3 Rockford 1
- Rockford briefly led 1-0 in the first set before Maranatha went on a 15-5 run to take a commanding 16-5 lead.
- Unfortunately, the Regents never got any closer than eight the rest of the way and dropped the opening set 25-13.
- The second set got off to a better start as the Regents grabbed a quick 6-4 lead. Alexx Burton, Alexis Brashaw and Tamsy Leverton each had a kill over that span.
- With the set now tied 11-11, the Regents ran off the next 8 points to grab a 19-11 lead. Alexis Brashaw led the charge with two kills during the run.
- Rockford continued to hold a seven-point lead and scored the final four points to take the set 25-14 and knot the match at 1-1.
- Rockford again got off to a quick start by grabbing a 9-6 lead in the third set. Tamsy Leverton was a force for the Regents with 5 kills to start the set.
- The Regents extended their lead to as many as four, off back-to-back kills from Melody Moreno.
- The set then went back and forth and would eventually end up tied at 20-20.
- Rockford would score the next four points, including kills from Alexis Brashaw and Melody Moreno, to take a 24-20 lead.
- Unfortunately, the Sabercats ran off the next six points to win the set and take a 2-1 advantage.
- This time it was Maranatha that got off to a fast start, with an 11-7 advantage.
- The Regents responded with six straight points to retake the lead at 13-11.
- The set continued to seesaw back and forth, with neither team leading by more than three points.
- However, it was the Sabercats who were able to win enough points down the stretch to take the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.
Ripon 3 Rockford 1
- The Red Hawks came flying out of the gates in the first set with a 7-1 lead.
- Rockford was able to trim the deficit back down to three points on several occasions, before the Red Hawks pushed their advantage back out to as many as nine at 21-12.
- Unfortunately, the Regents could not get within striking distance, and dropped the set 25-16.
- Ripon again got off to a quick start in the second set grabbing a 12-7 advantage.
- However, Rockford answered with a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the set at 14-12. Melody Moreno smashed home a pair of services aces over that span.
- With the Regents now leading 22-18, the Red Hawks were able to get back within a single point, but Rockford's Grace Vyborny ended the threat with a kill and gave her team the 25-23 victory.
- It was more of the same to start the third set, as Ripon stormed out to a 14-5 lead.
- Unfortunately, the Regents never got any closer than five the rest of the way and dropped the third set 25-18.
- The fourth set was extremely tight early on, with numerous ties and neither team leading by more than three points.
- With Ripon still clinging to a slim 16-14 advantage, the Red Hawks went on a 5-0 run to essential put the set away and seal the win.
- Rockford did get back within two, but unfortunately, dropped the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
Maranatha
Ripon
