Grace Spikers Claim Pair Of Wins
LIMA, Ohio – The Grace College volleyball team had a pair of impressive displays at the University of Northwestern Ohio Tournament on Friday.
The Lady Lancers (7-4) swept both of their opponents, making short work of UNOH and Purdue North Central.
In the opening match, Grace had little trouble with the hosts UNOH in a three-set sweep. Grace had one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, racking up 45 kills with 17 errors on a .292 percentage.
The match started Grace’s way from the first serve as the Lady Lancers scored the first seven points of the opening set. The Racers never came within five points of Grace’s cushion in a 25-17 route.
Grace led from start to finish in the second set in a nine-point win. The Lady Lancers hit at a .462 percentage in the game.
The final set was the closest of the match as Grace led by just one at 19-18. But back-to-back kills from Kari Feddema and Laken Chaney gave Grace breathing room, and Sierra Smith ended the match with a kill in a 25-21 win.
Chaney paced Grace’s dynamic attack by dishing out 39 assists to go along with 11 digs. Smith was dominant at the net, smashing 14 kills on 20 attempts for a .650 percentage.
Kelsee Zuidema added 12 kills and three block assists, Feddema had seven kills and two block assists, and Kaitlin Kerrigan chipped in seven kills and seven digs.
The Racers (1-9) were held to a .078 hitting percentage as a team and had 20 fewer kills than the Lady Lancers.
In the second match, Grace’s offense continued its torrid pace. The Lady Lancers had their most prolific offensive effort of the season with 44 kills and only eight errors for a season-high .419 percentage.
The first set was the closest between Grace and the Panthers (1-5). The score was knotted at 15-15, but timely kills from Kerrigan, Zuidema and Woolsey coupled with a service ace by Chaney gave Grace the edge it needed. Grace pulled away for a 25-22 win.
The final two sets were 25-15 decisions for Grace. The Lady Lancers were unstoppable in the second set, punishing the Panthers with 18 kills and just two errors. Grace ended the third set on a 12-5 run, clinching the match with its second sweep of the day.
Chaney racked up 37 assists in the three sets, distributing at least eight kills to five different players. Zuidema had nine kills, and Kerrigan, Smith, Woolsey and Feddema had eight kills apiece. Grace Woolsey was particularly effective with eight kills on 10 tries, and she also added two aces and four block assists.
The Lady Lancers continue the UNOH Tournament on Saturday with matches against Missouri Valley (10 a.m.) and Midway (4 p.m.).