GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team picked up a pair of victories Friday at the Grand Rapids Downtown Classic, sweeping rival Northwood before defeating Seton Hill in four sets.
The Cardinals (4-2) won seven of eight sets on the day, opening with a 25-14, 25-13, 25-21 victory over Northwood before topping Seton Hill 25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 26-24.
Match 1: Cardinals 3, Timberwolves 0
SVSU controlled the opening match offensively, recording 50 kills and hitting .298 while holding Northwood to 28 kills and a .091 clip.
The Cardinals used a five-point run to pull away in the opening set before finishing off the 25-14 win. Saginaw Valley carried that momentum into the second, hitting .400 with 17 kills and just three errors to cruise to a 25-13 victory.
Northwood kept the third close before SVSU broke a 16-16 tie with four consecutive points. The Timberwolves later pulled within 21-20, but the Cardinals answered with three straight to reach match point before completing the sweep, 25-21.
Ruby Earl (Howell, Mich., Howell HS) and Rachel Townsend (Oxford, Mich., Oxford HS) led a balanced Cardinal attack with 12 kills, while Kendall White (DeWitt, Mich., St. John's HS) recorded 17 digs. Earl and Townsend had 15 and 13 digs respectively to both post double-doubles. Taylor Smith (Pewamo, Mich., Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools) and Marissa Roe (Chesterton, Ind., Chesterton HS) led with four blocks each. Smith had two solos and ran the offense with 43 assists. SVSU also dominated at the net as the Cardinals totaled eight blocks while the Timberwolves failed to record one.
Match 2: Cardinals 3, Griffins 1
SVSU used a four-point run to erase an early deficit in the first set before pulling away for a 25-20 win. The Cardinals then found their rhythm offensively in the second. With the score tied 8-8, Townsend sparked a four-point service run that included two aces and a block from Roe and Earl to give SVSU a 12-9 advantage.
Saginaw Valley hit .282 in the second and took the set 25-17 for a 2-0 match lead.
Seton Hill avoided the sweep with a 25-22 win in the third despite SVSU putting together a pair of five-point runs during the frame.
The fourth featured nine ties and four lead changes before coming down to the final points. Facing a 24-23 deficit, Chloe Vanwinkle (Clio, Mich., Clio High School) delivered a kill to even the score. Kendall Ihm (Owosso, Mich., Owosso HS) and Vanwinkle combined for a block on the next rally before Vanwinkle finished the match with another kill for the 26-24 victory.
Earl led SVSU with 14 kills, four block assists and had 10 digs for another double-double. Townsend added nine kills, 10 digs and two aces, while White finished with a team-high 23 digs. Smith had another 36 assists and recorded a double-double with 12 digs. The Cardinals totaled 10 blocks and held Seton Hill to a .105 hitting percentage.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley volleyball continues the Grand Rapids Downtown Classic on Saturday, September 5. The Cardinals play Cedarville and Slippery Rock at 10 AM and 2 PM at the Davenport Student Center.
