Box Score BECKLEY, WV – The IU Southeast volleyball team dropped a four-set match to the University of Rio Grande on Friday 23-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-20 before bouncing back with a five-set win over West Virginia Tech Saturday 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 15-10.
On Friday, Izzy Stallard led the Grenadiers with 13 kills, while Emilee Organ added 10 and 22 digs of her own. IUS won the first set with a 25-23 victory but was unable to build momentum for the remainder of the match
IU Southeast (4-3, 4-3 RSC) committed 28 attack errors in the match, including 11 in the second set alone and the RedStorm capitalized. The Grenadiers also committed 25 block errors in the match.
Hannah Sipe had 31 assists to lead the Grenadiers. Santina Schembra and Kenna Burman each had a match-high three aces.
On Saturday, Izzy Stallard and Delaney Nichols led the Grenadiers to their victory against West Virginia Tech with 17 kills each. Abigail Vogel added 13 kills of her own, a career high, while Kenna Burman added 30 digs.
In the first set, IU Southeast closed the period on an 8-3 run after the frame was tied at 17. Izzy Stallard and Abigail Vogel had kills in three of the final four points to win the set.
IU Southeast trailed in the second set 12-10 before Vogel, Organ and Sipe recorded three-straight kills and a WVU Tech set error extended the lead to 14-12. IU Southeast would not trail again in the set. Delaney Nichols won the period with a kill.
Errors once again shut down the Grenadier attack in the third set had 11 of their 29 attack errors in the third set which allowed the Golden Bears to pick up their first win of the match.
After the Golden Bears took the fourth set, the Grenadiers opened the fifth set on a 5-2 run sparking a WVU Tech timeout. Hannah Sipe had both of her aces during that run.
With the Grenadiers clinging to a 8-7 lead, IU Southeast put the match away with a 6-0 run. Delaney Nichols had three-straight kills to force match point and, after WVU Tech hung around, she ended the match with her career-high 17th kill.
Hannah Sipe had 60 assists in the match and led IU Southeast with two aces. Nichols also added three solo blocks to lead the Grenadiers.
The Grenadiers will play next at home against the Brescia University Bearcats (2-3) on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7:00 p.m.
