FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Spring Arbor University volleyball wrapped up the Onset Invitational in style on Saturday, defeating the University of Rio Grande 3-1 before sweeping Rochester Christian University to finish the weekend unbeaten.
With the victories, the Cougars remain perfect on the season and improve to 8-0.
Spring Arbor 3, Rio Grande 1
Scores: 25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 26-24
Spring Arbor came out firing in its first match of the day, riding a balanced attack and steady defense to a four-set win over Rio Grande.
Kendall Bollenbacher led the Cougars with 16 kills with a .375 hitting percentage to go along with 10 digs for a double-double.
Isabelle Kirkendall chipped in 10 kills. Setters
Camy Wedge and
Gabby Bryja kept the offense clicking with a combined 39 assists.
Defensively,
Palmer Fortress helped anchor the back row with 10 digs and
Aliza Munro added eight. At the net,
Julia Mitchell recorded eight blocks and
Keely Hinzman finished with six to slow the RedStorm attack.
The Cougars held Rio Grande to just an .094 hitting percentage while hitting at a .254 clip.
Spring Arbor 3, Rochester Christian 0
Scores: 25-19, 25-15, 25-22
In the nightcap, Spring Arbor capped the tournament with a dominant sweep of Rochester Christian.
Kirkendall was nearly unstoppable on the outside, putting away 13 kills on a blistering .522 hitting percentage. Bollenbacher backed her up with 12 kills and nine digs, while
Kelsie Lilly added eight kills at a .350 clip.
Wedge again steered the offense with 21 assists and Bryja added 12 helpers. Munro and Fortress paced the defense with 12 and 11 digs, respectively, as the Cougars racked up 58 digs as a team.
SAU was sharp at the service line, totaling eight aces, and the defense at the net contributed nine total blocks to keep the Warriors off balance.
Up next, Spring Arbor hosts Cornerstone University (3-1) in its home opener on Wednesday, Aug. 27 starting at 7 p.m.
