Mount Vernon, IA— Millikin University volleyball traveled to Iowa for a weekend of matches, first facing the Rams of Cornell College Friday evening. The Big Blue went tit for tat with 28 ties through the entirety of the match, not able to grab a set.
Coming in hot was Gabriella Ricci with four kills in the opening set on .500% hitting. Kyra Carothers added a perfect three for three on attacking.
Maggye Smith broke out with eight kills to lead all players in the second set with a block assist and five digs. After 11 ties and two lead changes, MU dropped the second 24-26.
The third was another nail biter with a score of 23-25, taken by Cornell. With only eight kills from Millikin, it wasn't enough to overcome the Rams 16 kills.
Finishing with a double-double was Alyssa Frederking with 29 assists and 10 digs. To top it off, Frederking also picked up one kill and one ace.
On the defensive side, leading the team with 16 digs was Francesca Brandonisio and Nikkel Johnson with three total blocks on the big Cornell offense.
"We competed hard against a well-established team, served aggressively, and our hitters did a great job adjusting to a big block, finding other ways to score", says Interim Head Coach Hannah Dick. She expresses how proud she is of the growth shown since Wednesday, looking to add more pieces in over the remainder of the weekend.
The Big Blue continue their trip down the road to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to play two matches at Coe College. Volleyball will meet at the net with Coe at 10am and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 12:15pm in the Athletic & Recreation Complex, also being streamed on the American Rivers Sports Network.
