Eagles Face Warriors in First Road KCAC Match
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Avila (3-8,0-1) | 24 | 18 | 25 | 16 | 1 |
|
Sterling (8-4,1-1) | 26 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 3 |
STERLING, Kan. – Avila volleyball took the long trip west to face the Sterling Warriors in their first road KCAC contest of the 2023 campaign on Friday night. There, the Eagles (3-9, 0-2 KCAC) rebounded to win the third set and extend the match, but ultimately could not overcome the Warriors (8-4, 1-1 KCAC) on the road.
Playing their second conference match in three nights, Avila served well and received well Friday, racking up nine aces in the four sets, but the Eagles could not fend off Sterling's balanced offense consistently – Sterling hit a strong .240 as a team in the match and featured six players with at least five kills.
Not coincidentally, Avila's best team performance came in the third set. The Eagles led 12-8 before Sterling mounted a rally and tied things up at 14 apiece, prompting a timeout from head coach Marylyn Mozena. Later, with the score tied at 17, the Eagles reeled off four straight points, keyed by a service ace from Paige Gillund, and the Warriors never got back within three – Diamond Sedlak delivered the winning kill, giving the Eagles the third set, 25-21, and keeping them alive in the match.
The Warriors answered right back, however, holding Avila in the negatives in team hitting in the fourth set to end Avila's hopes at a rally and give the home team the four-set victory. Veteran middle Emily Peterson paced the Warrior offense with 11 kills on .321 hitting, and Morgan Pellegrino had 10 kills. Avila's Maddie Jones led all players with 15 kills in a double-double performance and Siobhan Dittmer continued her recent strong run with 10 kills; Abigail Blake led all players with 18 digs.
Avila's junior varsity squad got the night started with a victory in its "conference opener," defeating Sterling 2-1 in their 3-set match.
Up next, Avila volleyball will head out to Oklahoma to face the KCAC's other Eagles squad, Oklahoma Wesleyan, this Wednesday, September 27. First serve is scheduled for 6 PM; as always, you can watch all the action on the KCAC Network.
