Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - One match was lopsided and the other was significantly closer, but both resulted in victories for the University of Rio Grande women's volleyball team.
The RedStorm made quick work of Kentucky Christian University with a straight sets triumph before outlasting Cumberland (Tenn.) University in four sets on day one of the Emileigh Cooper Memorial Classic, Friday night, at the New Oliver Arena.
Rio blitzed KCU by scores of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-11 before knocking off Cumberland 25-22, 27-25, 23-25, 25-17 to run its season record to 6-3.
Head coach Billina Cooper Donaldson substituted liberally in the opening win over the Knights, with 16 different players seeing action.
The RedStorm never trailed in the contest until KCU's Lydia Ward opened set three with a service ace, but a kill by freshman Katelynn Coey (Glouster, OH) snapped a 6-6 tie and kickstarted what became a 17-3 run by the hosts which finished things off.
Coey and sophomore Kelli Stewart (Waverly, OH) had seven kills each by pace Rio, while junior Elle McLoughlin (Zanesville, OH) had 32 assists and six service aces in the winning effort.
Sophomore Jenna Harrison (Gallipolis, OH) and junior Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) had 11 and 10 digs, respectively, while senior Jordan Brooks (Reynoldsburg, OH) had a solo block and four block assists.
Madison Logan and Ava Harmeier had five kills each to lead Kentucky Christian, which finished the match with six more attack errors (23) than it did kills (17) over the course of 79 swings for a -.076 attack percentage.
Ward had seven assists and Ashlyn Funk had 10 digs for the Knights, with Ally Coriell tallying one solo block and one block assist.
The nightcap against the Phoenix proved a little more problematic.
Rio scored seven of the final winners to claim set one and survived one CU set point opportunity in set two by closing on a 4-1 spurt to grab a commanding match lead.
Cumberland bolted to a 16-5 lead in set three before the RedStorm rallied to twice slice the deficit to one at 23-22 and 24-23, but a Rio attack error extended the match to a fourth stanza.
The Phoenix scored the first point of set four, but the RedStorm then reeled off eight straight winners and never looked back.
Cumberland twice closed the gap to just two points, but another stretch of five consecutive winner by Rio broke things open late and helped set the final margin of victory and finish off the match.
Senior Amanda Rarick (Canal Winchester, OH) had 15 kills and Stewart notched 14 of her own to fuel the victory, while McLoughlin had 41 assists and Harrison was credited with 19 digs.
Brooks and McLoughlin had three block assists each for the RedStorm.
Hazel Konkel had 11 kills, a solo block and five block assists for Cumberland, while Hailey Jones had six block assists of her own and Elaine Shaneyfelt totaled 10 digs.
Emma Chavers and Manoella Gomes had 19 and 18 assists, respectively, for the Phoenix.
The final portion of the two-day, eight-team event honoring Cooper Donaldson's late niece and former assistant coach comes on Saturday with matches scheduled in both the main arena and lower gym of the Lyne Center at 9:30 a.m., noon, 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Rio Grande will face Defiance College at 9:30 a.m. and former River States Conference rival Ohio Christian University at 5 p.m. in its final two outings.
Both matches will take place in the Newt Oliver Arena.
