University of Mount Union

ALLIANCE, Ohio-- Mount Union Women's Volleyball team took down non-conference opponent Westminster (PA) in four sets to improve to 6-2 on the season.
 
After losing a tight first set 25-21, the Purple Raiders dominated the next three by scores of 25-13, 25-14, and 25-12 to get their fourth straight win. The match, played on Wednesday, September 16th at Mount Union, was dominated by sophomore Zoe Sweigart (Canal Winchester), who finished with a career high of 19 kills. Sophomore DeLani Durst (Clyde) finished with a team high of 28 assists, just three off her career high and had 13 digs in the game for a double-double. Senior Libero Averi Haley (Orrville) was crucial for the Raiders, making huge plays in each set including 22 total digs. Senior Ava Bolen (Wellsburg, W. Va. / Brooke) finished the match with a solo block and six assisted blocks.
 
Senior Sadie Thomas (Cambridge Springs, Pa. / Maplewood) finished the match with 12 kills on 21 swings with no errors and junior Anna Mihacevich (Hinkley / Padua Franciscan) finished with 20 assists. Senior Lanie Schultz (South Park, Pa. / South Park) and freshman Remington Dieter (Sullivan / Black River) had double digit digs with 13 and 10 digs.
 
Westminster (5-5) was led by Olivia Trent with 16 kills, Morgan O'Brien with 20 assists, and Brooke Gecina with 17 digs.
 
The first set of the match was intense from the opening, with Mount Union taking the first point after a long rally. The Raiders got out to an early 4-1 lead after a forceful kill by Sweigart. Westminster immediately responded to tie it up at 4-4 then take the lead. In just the first few points fans at the MAAC saw a plethora of diving plays, forceful attacks, and long rallies. Westminster got out to an 11-7 lead, and Mount Union called the first timeout of the match. Mount Union was able to get some momentum back after a kill from senior Riley Meister and the Raiders got it to just a 17-18 deficit which forced Westminster to call their first timeout. Mount Union tied it up at 18 after the timeout, and the teams traded points to 10 until Bolen made a huge block to give Mount Union their first lead since 4-3. Westminster then took the lead back and finished set one winning it 25-21.
 
The Raiders got out to another strong start to set two, taking an early 6-2 lead, and coasted it all the way through to a dominant set two win that made it a set a piece for the Raiders and Titans. Bolen was dominant at the net in set two, using her height for blocks and attacks. A service ace from Schultz made it a 12-8 Purple Raider lead. The Raiders then had another ace, this time from Cami Welty, that was followed up by a Sweigart kill that gave Mount Union a 15-10 lead and forced Westminster to call timeout to try to stop the Mount Union second set dominance. Mount Union kept the momentum going following the timeout though and pushed the lead out to 20-11 before another Titan timeout, but Mount Union just had to coast to a 25-13 set two victory.
 
Set three was a near replica of the second set. Mount Union got out to another early lead, this time by a score of 7-2. Westminster tried to close the gap and get back into it, with the Raiders up just 7-6 after four straight from the Titans, but a powerful Sweigart kill gave the momentum back to Mount Union and they carried it all the way to the end of the set. The final score of set three was a dominant 25-14 in favor of Mount Union, and the Purple Raiders took a 2-1 set lead.
 
Set four was again a dominant win for the Purple Raiders. Early in the set, Mount Union got back to back blocks from Bolen and Sweigart, then a service ace from Mihacevich to give Mount Union a 6-3 lead. Three more points gave Mount Union a 9-3 lead before Westminster called a timeout. An incredible diving dig by Haley allowed Mount Union to win a point that made the score 12-5, and Mount Union didn't look back from there, winning the final set 15-12.
 
The Purple Raiders will be on the road this upcoming weekend at the Grove City Invitational, taking on four different opponents over two days on September 18th and 19th. They will be back home on Tuesday, September 22nd to take on Hiram College at 7 PM in the Timken Gymnasium.