HAMMOND, Ind. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team split a pair of five-set matches on the opening day of the Midwest Region Crossover on Friday at the Hammond Sportsplex. The Cardinals opened the tournament with a 3-2 victory over the Ashland Eagles before falling 3-2 to the Rockhurst Hawks in a bird versus bird double match up.
Match 1: Cardinals 3, Eagles 2
The Cardinals opened the day with a 25-22, 28-26, 15-25, 15-25, 16-14 victory over Ashland.
SVSU overcame an early 8-5 deficit in the opening set before taking control midway through the frame. A three-point run behind the serve of Rachel Townsend pushed the Cardinal advantage to 17-12, and Jackie Scheiber eventually finished the set with a kill for the 25-22 win.
The second set featured 12 ties as neither team could create separation. Ashland held a 26-25 advantage late, but Scheiber answered with a kill to tie the set. Ava Decker followed with a block before Scheiber delivered another kill to give SVSU the 28-26 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
Ashland responded by taking the next two sets, 25-15 and 25-15, forcing a decisive fifth frame.
Saginaw Valley jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the fifth behind the serve of Taylor Smith, but the Eagles battled back and eventually reached match point with a 14-12 lead. The Cardinals answered with four consecutive points. An Ashland service error pulled SVSU within one before Townsend and Marissa Roe combined for a block to tie the set at 14. Roe then teamed with Scheiber for another block to give the Cardinals match point before Roe finished the comeback with a kill for the 16-14 victory.
Roe was a force at the net, finishing with 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage while adding seven total blocks. Scheiber led the Cardinals with 13 kills, while Decker added eight kills on a .400 hitting percentage. Kendall White anchored the defense with 21 digs.
Match 2: Cardinals 2, Hawks 3
The Cardinals carried their momentum into the nightcap, taking the first two sets against Rockhurst before the Hawks rallied for an 18-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-12 victory. SVSU hit .371 in the opening set and .341 in the second while combining for 36 kills across the first two frames.
Saginaw Valley used a 7-0 run in the opening set to turn a 5-4 advantage into a 12-5 lead. Townsend, Smith and Chloe Vanwinkle all contributed during the stretch as the Cardinals eventually closed out the set, 25-18.
The second set remained close before SVSU created some separation with a three-point run that turned a 10-10 tie into a 13-10 advantage. Rockhurst later pulled even at 21-21, but the Cardinals scored four of the final five points, with Vanwinkle recording kills for each of the final two points to secure the 25-22 win.
Rockhurst responded with a 25-20 victory in the third before taking a back-and-forth fourth set, 25-22, to force another fifth set.
The Hawks jumped out to a 6-0 advantage in the deciding frame. SVSU chipped away at the deficit and eventually pulled within one at 13-12, but Rockhurst scored the final two points to complete the comeback.
Townsend led the Cardinals with 18 kills while adding 11 digs. Vanwinkle finished with 12 kills and 10 digs, while Scheiber and Roe each recorded 10 kills. Roe hit .400 for the match. Smith directed the offense with 51 assists and added 11 digs, while White led the back row with 22 digs.
Saginaw Valley finished with 63 kills and hit .238 while holding a 9-8 advantage in total blocks. The Cardinals' 11 service-reception errors proved costly as Rockhurst finished with 11 aces.
Townsend and Smith posted double-doubles in both matches while Vanwinkle had a double-double against Rockhurst. Townsend totaled 29 kills, 28 digs, and four blocks. Smith racked up 93 assists, 26 digs, and seven kills. White put up 43 digs over the two matches.
Up Next: Cardinal volleyball has one more match at the Midwest Region Crossover as they take on Drury on Saturday, October 17. First serve is set for 12:30 PM ET on Court 2 at the Hammond Sportsplex in Hammond, Indiana.
