Volleyball earns a fourth straight invitational split Saturday

By Teodora Jovic
Athletic Communications Intern

LIMA, Ohio - Union's volleyball team started its first match on the second day of the Racer Rumble competition in dominant fashion against Fisk University.

Union started off slow but picked up momentum as the set went along in the first. At one point they were trailing 16-12 until a kill by Madison Jennings assisted by Maddy McGaughey fired them up and they came roaring back. A kill by Raquel Kessler assisted by Kaelyn Faul evened things at 17 and gave them a pivotal edge which they utilized. From there they were in the lead, with a final kill by Emily Shumaker assisted by Faul securing the set 25-21.

In the second set, the Bulldogs started strong, carrying momentum from the first set. A kill by Alison Smith assisted by McGaughey got them up 10-4. They kept up the impressive aggressive play with multiple kills helping them stay in front for the entirety of the set. The Bulldogs ended the set with four kills to give them a two-set advantage.

The third set proved a tight battle as Fisk jumped ahead 13-11 for the opponents, but too many errors got in the way for the Bulldogs who struggled to clinch a lead. Multiple kills by Trinity Crawford propelled Fisk to capture the third set 25-16.

After losing a sluggish third set 25-16, the Bulldogs didn't let this stumble faze them. Union used aggression as a weapon once again to race to an 11-3 lead with a service ace by Jadyn Brackins highlighting their impressive plays. Their opponents refused to let up, however, keeping the scoreboard close. Another decisive kill by Kessler pushed Union to a 17-13 lead and they closed things out on a final kill by Michaela Cox.

The Bulldog's second match against Indiana Tech proved a much tougher affair, with the girls going down 3-0 to the undefeated team at the tournament.

The Warriors proved why they didn't lose a set at the Racer Rumble, playing some very impressive volleyball. The Bulldogs however didn't go down without a fight. The first set was a very tightly matched contest. A kill by Alison Smith leveled the score to 8-8 and both teams played great offense to keep the score practically even all the way through. The Warrior had two set points, but two errors got the Bulldogs back to an even score. A bad set even gave the Bulldogs a set point but the Warriors played to key pressure points better to secure the set at 27-25.

The Warriors proved too much for the Bulldogs, with the next two sets being one-way traffic.

Tech wrapped up with a 25-10 second-set win on a attack error.

The third followed in a similar fashion. Glimpses of hope were evident with some kills and service aces by the Bulldogs, but they couldn't find the same rhythm as they had in the first set. A final kill by the Warriors secured their victory 25-12.

After a fourth-straight 1-1 split, Union now sits at 4-4 as it prepares to enter Appalachian Athletic Conference play. The Bulldogs open the AAC slate at Tennessee Wesleyan on Sept. 8.