Sioux City, Iowa- The University of Saint Mary Volleyball team started their weekend Labor Day tournament with a doubleheader. Beating Briar Cliff University in five sets, 24-26, 25-14, 22-25, 25-12, and 15-13. Game two against the University of Jamestown also went five sets, but the Spires were not able to finish the day with a win.
Game One
Briar Cliff took an early lead in set one, capitalizing on a few Saint Mary errors. Later in the set, Saint Mary went on a streak that was started with a kill from Ainsley Gardner. The set went back and forth in the later stages, but Briar Cliff would win in overtime, 26-24. The Spires took the early lead in set two and did not look back after a seven-point run that featured a kill by Keagan Shockley and Devon Ford. After a service ace from Haydan Heuermann, the Chargers were forced to take a time out. Another kill by Shockley put the Spires ahead 15-7, and with all the momentum on their side, they cruised to a 25-14 win in set two.
The Chargers would grab set three, putting the Spire's backs against the wall. Set four was all Saint Mary with two extended runs that gave them a comfortable lead and helped propel them to tie the matchup 2-2. The final set of the match was possibly the most exciting, with each team refusing to give an inch. A few kills from Madison Folsom helped the Spires get out to a decisive 10-6 lead, but the Chargers were not done either. Briar Cliff had a small run of their own but could not keep up the pressure, with the Spires winning the final set 15-13.
Game Two
The Spires seemed to have caught the Jimmies off guard in the opening set of their second game, finding themselves up 8-5 in the early parts of the set. Jamestown slowly worked their way back into the game, and soon the score was tied at 15 a piece. After that, the Spires and Jimmies went back and forth, but Saint Mary never gave up the lead and took set one 25-23. Set two was much like the first, with both teams trying to gain the slightest edge. A few errors from the Spires gave the Jimmies a short run and a comfortable lead that was not given up. Saint Mary stayed within striking range until a late run by Jamestown gave the Jimmies a win and tied the contest up 1-1.
Set three had more drama, with Saint Mary working their way back into the lead at the closing par of the set. This time it was the Spires who had a late scoring run, and a Rylee Kenitzer kill won the set for Saint Mary by a score of 25-18. The Spires had trouble finding their stride in set four and went down by eight at one point. They were not able to keep up with the constant attack from the Jimmies and dropped set four 25-16. In set five, Jamestown opened with a five-point scoring run that gave them a string lead and essentially put the final set out of reach for Saint Mary as they lost in a grinder of a match 15-7 and 3-2 overall.
Up Next
The Spires will conclude their tournament in Sioux City on Saturday with another doubleheader. They will lead off the day against Viterbo University at 1 p.m. and will end the day against Northwestern College at 5 p.m.
