ALLIANCE, Ohio--The Mount Union women's volleyball team rebounded from a disappointing defeat in their first match of the day with a strong performance to win their final match in straight sets. The victory gave the Raiders (3-1) a runner-up finish at the Mount Union Invitational. Senior Julie Radigan (Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Falls) and sophomore Taylor Webb (Geneva/Geneva) earned all-tournament honors for their outstanding play over the two days.

The Purple Raiders fell to #15 Hope (Mich.) 28-30, 16-25, 20-25 to begin the day. In the final match of the day, they defeated Allegheny (Pa.) 25-17, 25-21, 25-11.

In what proved to be the match that determined the winner of the Mount Union Invitational, the Raiders dug a 7-1 hole in the first set agianst Hope and trailed by as many as 8 points before rallying to tie the set at 22. After a kill by freshman Nicole Snyder tied the set again at 26, the Raiders took their first lead on an attack error by Hope. Consecutive kills by Hope's Jessica Maier gave the Flying Dutch a 28-27 advantage, but a kill by freshman Maya Brown pulled Mount Union even. Kills by Nicole George and Maier on the next two points gave Hope the first set.

The second set belonged to Hope outside hitter Jenna Grasmeyer. The six-foot freshman recorded kills on six of Hope's first 11 points to give them an 11-6 advantage. Consecutive service errors by the Purple Raiders gave Hope all of the momentum as a 14-10 deficit ballooned to 20-12. Hope would take the set 25-16.

Webb was determined not to let the Raiders go down without a fight. The six-foot outside hitter countered Grasmeyer with eight kills of her own in the set. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they had four more service errors and Hope would win 25-20 to take the match in straight sets.

After regrouping, the Raiders took showed why they will be one of the top teams in the Ohio Athletic Conference this season by defeating Allegheny in straight sets. They took an early 6-3 lead in the first set and never looked back. Allegheny never got within three points and Mount Union won 25-17 on a kill by Webb, her seventh of the set.

The second set saw a few players get their first action in a Raider uniform. Several hitting errors on the part of Allegheny proved to be the difference as Mount Union took the set, 25-21. A 14-1 run propelled the Raiders to a 25-11 victory in the final set.

Webb led Mount Union with 30 kills in both matches, while Radigan tallied 54 assists and eight kills in six sets played. Snyder came off the bench for 11 kills. Junior libero Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) contributed 38 digs and had four service aces against Allegheny.

Mount Union is next in action September 7th when they travel to Case Western Reserve, whose only loss of the weekend also came in straight sets to Hope.

Hope def. Mount Union 30-28,25-16,25-20

Hope (4-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Jenna Grasmeyer 15-2-3; Jessica Maier
8-4-1; Courtney Earles 6-0-2; Nicole George 5-0-2; Mari Schoolmaster
3-0-3; Greer Bratschie 1-0-1; Caitlin Trompeter 0-2-0; Totals 38-8-6.0.
(Assists) - Greer Bratschie 29. (Dig leaders) - Jessica Maier 16; Lindy
Melville 14; Jenna Grasmeyer 8

Mount Union (2-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Taylor Webb 16-0-2; Rachel
Adoplh 5-0-0; Nicole Snyder 5-0-1; Julie Radigan 4-0-0; Maya Brown
3-0-3; Deanna Glass 3-0-4; Kristen Gromes 1-0-0; Riley Galant 0-2-0;
Christine Frazier 0-1-0; Lauren Mastroine 0-1-0; Totals 37-4-5.0.
(Assists) - Julie Radigan 30. (Dig leaders) - Kristen Gromes 25; Julie
Radigan 8

Site: Mount Union (MAAC)
Date: Sep. 3, 2011
Attend: 363
Time: 1:24
Referees: Gary Hajek, Jim Sangeich

Mount Union def. Allegheny (Pa.) 25-17,25-21,25-11

Allegheny (Pa.) (0-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Saige Foster 8-0-0;
Caitlin Rothman 7-1-0; Katelynn Long 3-2-0; Erin Kuhn 2-0-0;
Brynne Hazzard 1-0-0; Audra Batdroff 1-0-1; Alex Ceschini 0-1-0;
Totals 22-4-1.0. (Assists) - Madie Hudac 21. (Dig leaders) - Winnie
Wong 17; Madie Hudac 8

Mount Union (2-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Taylor Webb 14-0-0; Nicole
Snyder 6-0-1; Melanie Patterson 5-0-0; Deanna Glass 5-0-1; Julie
Radigan 4-0-0; Rachel Adoplh 3-0-2; Lauren Mastroine 1-2-0; Laura
Coxe 1-0-2; Christine Frazier 1-2-0; Allison Insana 0-2-0; Kristen
Gromes 0-4-0; Totals 40-10-3.0. (Assists) - Julie Radigan 24.
(Dig leaders) - Kristen Gromes 13; Riley Galant 5

Site: Alliance, Ohio (MAAC)
Date: 09/03/2011
Attend: 123