ROCKFORD, Ill. -- The Rockford University women's volleyball team beat the Dominican University Stars, 3-1, on Thursday night. The victory marked the Regents' first win over the Stars, the conference's leader in tournament titles, at home since 2007.
Ashley Mersch was impactful from the outside, leading the team with 12 kills.
Milee Law and
Isabella Valdes combined for 31 assists while also contributing an ace each.
Lilly Dewey totaled 13 digs in the match and
Leila Cooks trailed closely behind with 10.
The Regents compiled 14 aces in the contest, with
Jalyn Rhodes and
Carlie Buetsch contributing five and four, respectively.
The first set was vastly one-sided. Rockford put together a 15-1 run in the middle of the frame, running away with it 25-10.
The Stars found a new energy in the second period. They fought their way back from down 23-18, riding a wave of momentum and just enough Regents' miscues to take the set 27-25 and even the match.
RU didn't waste time getting back on track. After a Dominican point to start the set, Rockford reeled off 11 points in a row. Buetsch had multiple aces during the stretch. The start was too much for Dominican to overcome as RU took the set 25-15.
The final frame was more competitive but two separate 5-0 runs by the Regents gave them the breathing room they needed. Mersch hammered six kills in the set to help Rockford seal the deal with a 25-18 win.
The Regents will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 10, when they face off against Lakeland at noon in Plymouth.
