Women's Volleyball opens season with two wins at St. Vincent Bearcat Challenge
LATROBE, Pa. - The RIT Women's Volleyball team opened the 2024 campaign with a pair of victories at the St. Vincent Bearcat Challenge, Friday, in Pennsylvania. The Tigers started with a 3-2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-16, 23-25, 17-15) win over Bethany before coming back for a 3-2 (25-27, 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-9) win over the host Bearcats.
RIT 3, Bethany 2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-16, 23-25, 17-15)
- RIT sophomore outside hitter Mia Gerber totaled career-highs of 18 kills and 25 digs while senior outside hitter Samantha Cox tied a career high with 16 kills to lead the Tigers in the opening victory over Bethany.
- Graduate student libero Hailey Blixt added 25 digs while classmate setter Sydney Neff added 53 assists.
- RIT jumped out to a 7-2 first-set lead which later grew to a nine-point, 13-4, edge. Bethany responded with a 17-6 run to take a 21-18 lead en route to the two-point opening win.
- Tied, 8-8, in the second, the Tigers rode an 8-3 run to a 15-11 lead, but Bethany notched four-straight points to knot score, 15-15. RIT later led, 21-20, but the Bison scored three-straight for a 23-21 edge. The Tigers scored the next three points, before Bethany retied the score, 24-24. Tied, 25-25, a kill by senior outside hitter Samantha Cox followed by a service ace by junior outside hitter Jacqueline Witteman pushed the Tigers to the second-set win.
- RIT trailed, 10-9, in the third before an 11-3 run, keyed by three Cox kills, yielded a 20-13 lead. Bethany scored the next three points, but the Tigers put the set away with five-consecutive points.
- Bethany opened and early 6-0, fourth-set lead, but the Tigers responded with a 9-3 run for a 9-9 tie. The Bison reclaimed a 12-10 lead, but a 7-1 RIT run, including three kills from Cox, pushed the Tigers to a 14-12 lead. RIT late led, 22-18, but Bethany won seven of the next eight points to complete the comeback and knot the match at two sets apiece.
- RIT led, 6-3, in the fifth before Bethany bounced back with a 5-0 run for an 8-6 edge. The Tigers came back to take a 10-9 lead, but a 4-0 Bison run put RIT in a 13-10 hole. Three-consecutive Bison attack errors followed by a ball-handling error gave RIT its first match point, 14-13. Bethany fought off two more match points, but committed a setting error to give the Tigers a 16-15 edge. First-year setter Olivia Colling sealed the win with a service ace.
RIT 3, ST. VINCENT 2 (25-27, 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-9)
- Cox logged a career-high 22 kills and added four solo blocks while Blixt picked up a career-high 34 digs to lead the Tigers back from an 0-2 deficit to earn their second victory of the day.
- Neff totaled 57 assists to go along with 14 digs.
- RIT fell behind, 8-5, early in the first before riding an 8-2 run to a 13-10 lead. Neither team led by more than two the rest of the set that saw nine ties, while both teams fought off a set point. Tied, 25-25, the Bearcats notched back-to-back points to take the opening win.
- The Tigers took a 9-6 lead to open the second, before St. Vincent rode a 5-1 surge to an 11-10 lead. RIT responded with a 6-3 run for a 16-14 lead, but the Bearcats put together an 8-1 run for a 22-17 edge. The Tigers scored four unanswered to pull back within one, 22-21, but the Bearcats scored the final three points to build a two-set lead.
- RIT fell behind, 5-1, in the third, but responded with an 8-2 run for a 9-7 lead. The Tigers surrendered three-straight points to trail by one, 10-9, but bounced back with a decisive 10-3 surge, including four kills by Cox, for a 19-13 lead that proved insurmountable.
- Neither team led by more than two in the fourth set until RIT used a 7-2 run, including four Vento kills, to build a 20-14 lead. The Bearcats climbed back within two, 21-19, but the Tigers won the set by three to force the deciding fifth.
- RIT made up an early 5-2 deficit with six-straight points, including three Cox kills, for an 8-5 lead. The Bearcats scored two-straight points to pull back within one, but closed the match with a 7-2 run, including five unanswered to complete the evening.
- Blixt eclipsed the 800-career dig plateau with 804 to date while Neff went over 700 career digs with 703 entering Saturday.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT plays two more matches at St. Vincent on Saturday (Aug. 31), taking on Pitt-Greensburg at 10:00 a.m. and Westminster at 12:00 p.m.
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