Carthage 3, Bluffton 1
Carthage 3, RV Hope 1
HOLLAND, Mich. — The Carthage women's volleyball team picked up a pair of four-set victories Saturday at the Hope Tournament, defeating Bluffton, 3-1 (25-14, 24-26, 25-16, 25-17), before taking down host Hope, 3-1 (25-23, 17-25, 26-24, 25-21). Hope received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 rankings
VS BLUFFTON
Set 1: Carthage used a 7-0 run to turn a 14-9 lead into a 20-9 advantage. Mina Reichert recorded a pair of service aces during the run, while Emma Crow and Kristina Manojlovic added kills. The Firebirds closed out the opening set, 25-14, on a kill by Macy Wente.
Set 2: The Firebirds built a 15-6 lead before Bluffton rallied to tie the set at 20-20. Carthage later pulled even at 24-24 behind a Manojlovic service ace, but the Beavers scored the final two points to take the set, 26-24.
Set 3: Carthage held a 15-13 advantage before pulling away late. A Taylor Baratta service ace and a pair of kills by Ava Dettwiler helped the Firebirds build a 23-15 lead before Carthage closed out the set, 25-16.
Set 4: Carthage jumped out to a 9-1 lead and maintained control throughout the final set. The Firebirds extended their advantage to 13-5 before closing out the match, 25-17, on a Della Walsh service ace.
VS HOPE
Set 1: Hope built a 15-10 lead before Carthage battled back to pull within one at 15-14. The Firebirds took their first lead at 16-15 and later extended the advantage to 18-16. Hope rallied late, but Carthage held on for a 25-23 victory on a Wente kill.
Set 2: Hope controlled the second set, taking a 15-12 lead before extending its advantage to 20-14. The Flying Dutch continued to pull away and closed out the set, 25-17, to even the match.
Set 3: Carthage opened the third set with a 4-1 lead and later held a 13-10 advantage. Hope battled back to tie the score at 24-24, but an attack error gave the Firebirds a 25-24 lead before a block by Baratta and Crow secured the 26-24 victory.
Set 4: Hope held a 9-6 lead before Carthage answered with six straight points to take a 12-9 advantage. The Flying Dutch rallied to tie the set at 20-20, but the Firebirds scored four consecutive points to take a 24-20 lead. After Hope pulled within three, Crow delivered the final kill to give Carthage a 25-21 victory.
Against Bluffton, the Firebirds recorded 55 kills, 14 service aces, 71 digs and 13 total blocks. Manojlovic led Carthage with 23 kills while hitting .296, while Wente added nine kills and Wierzgac recorded seven kills and 10 total blocks. Dettwiler finished with 32 assists, while Walsh contributed 15 assists and three service aces.
Against Hope, Carthage totaled 61 kills, 95 digs and six total blocks. Manojlovic paced the Firebirds with 24 kills while hitting .373, while Crow added 13 kills on a .263 hitting percentage. Dettwiler finished with 33 assists and seven kills, while Walsh added 15 assists.
"Big day for the Birds in Holland Mich." said Head Coach Leanne Ulmer. "I am really proud of the way we competed!!! Tina [Monojlovic] was so good today. She had 47 kills, passed great and played some great defense. Emma [Crow] and Hailey [Wierzgac] had some clutch blocks. Ava [Dettwiler] and Della [Walsh] set a good offense and played some tough defense. Ava [McTeague] and Grace [Wenthold] did a great job in serve receive and on defense. Taylor [Baratta] contributed some clutch blocks as well. It was a great team weekend. Excited to get back to practice to be ready for our CCIW match against Augie."
Carthage (11-5, 1-0 CCIW) returns to action Wednesday, Sept. 30, against Augustana College at 7 p.m. in Rock Island, Ill. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.
