WHEELING, W.Va.— UIndy had a strong showing on the opening day of the Wheeling Volleyball Hall of Fame-Alumni Tournament, securing victories over California (PA) and Ursuline, both with a score of 3-0.
UIndy 3, California (PA) 0
In their match against California (PA), the Greyhounds dominated with scores of 25-15, 25-17, and 25-17. UIndy amassed 51 kills and boasted a .276 hitting percentage while limiting California (PA) to just 24 kills and a .063 mark.
Maddie Lynch proved pivotal, opening the first set with four early kills, including one that broke a 4-4 tie. The Greyhounds surged ahead with a
Carly Fonda service ace and consecutive
Allison Jansen kills to lead 8-4. Although California (PA) closed the gap to 10-8 with two attack errors, UIndy responded with a California (PA) attack error and a
Grace Portwood kill to re-establish a 12-8 lead. The Greyhounds continued to build on their lead, scoring five of the final six points, culminating in a service ace from Portwood to seal the first set at 25-15.
In the second set,
Amaree Haralson's serve propelled UIndy to a 5-0 lead, with Laine contributing two kills and Lynch and Portwood adding one each. California (PA) attempted a comeback, narrowing the score to 10-7, but the Greyhounds responded emphatically, with Lynch leading the charge to extend the lead to 18-11. Although California (PA) pulled to within 21-17, UIndy closed out the set with a final push, winning 25-17 on a series of errors and blocks.
The third set saw UIndy trailing 5-2 early on, but a series of strong plays, including a kill from Jansen and a string of five unanswered points, gave the Greyhounds a 14-8 advantage. Despite California (PA) trimming the score to 19-15, UIndy maintained control, with Portwood and Jansen adding late kills to close out the match at 25-17.
UIndy 3, Ursuline 0
Against Ursuline, UIndy continued their winning streak with set scores of 25-16, 25-13, and 25-14, hitting an impressive .347 with 47 kills while holding Ursuline to a mere .021 attack percentage.
The Greyhounds quickly responded to Ursuline's opening point with a series of plays from Lynch, Pflederer, and Bruton, moving to a 4-1 lead. UIndy maintained their lead, reaching 15-10 before Ursuline battled back to 15-13. The Greyhounds then rebuilt their margin with a flurry of kills and closed the first set 25-16, thanks to a strong service effort from Haralson.
In set two, Ursuline initially led 3-0, but UIndy rallied back with Lynch scoring three consecutive kills to tie it at 3-3. Following a back-and-forth battle, the Greyhounds pulled away with a six-point run, including contributions from Eisenmann and McKenney. UIndy won the set decisively at 25-13, with Bowling delivering the finishing blow.
The third set began tightly at 3-3 until UIndy pulled ahead with a 10-4 run, extending their lead to 13-7. After Ursuline cut the lead to 13-10, UIndy answered with a series of powerful plays, ultimately closing out the set and match 25-14.
INSIDE THE BOX
-Lynch led both matches in kills, opening with 15 against the Vulcans, before notching 10 against the Arrows
-Against California (PA), Bruton was just one dig shy of the program record in digs in a three-set match, scooping up a career-high 28.
-In the kills collumn the Hounds outperformed their opponents 98-48, only allowing each team 24.
UP NEXT
The Hounds return to the Alma Grace McDonough Center for day two of the Wheeling Volleyball Hall of Fame- Alumni Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 5, facing Point Park at 2 p.m. before capping off their weekend against Wheeling at 6 p.m.
