Volleyball Results: Sept. 10
Grace 3, St. Francis 1
Grace College’s volleyball team picked up an impressive road win on Friday, rallying to beat St. Francis 3-1 in Fort Wayne.
The Lady Lancers fell behind early, dropping the first set in competitive fashion. But Grace stormed back to win the next three sets to take the match.
Grace forced USF into three attacking errors early in set one that allowed them to grab a quick 4-1 lead. After Grace grabbed the initial advantage, the teams played nearly even.
The Lady Lancers led the Cougars (2-12, 0-3 CL) by a narrow margin until the midway point of the set. A small burst from USF allowed them the edge in front of Grace 15-13.
USF carried the momentum into an opening set victory. Grace staved off two set points but eventually fell 25-22 in set one.
In the second set, things began to look dire for Grace. After matching the Cougars point for point at the beginning stages, USF took control and jumped ahead 18-12.
Following a well-placed Grace timeout, the Lady Lancers went on a 9-1 run. Anna Frey put an exclamation mark on the run with a ferocious attack that USF could not handle, giving Grace a 21-19 lead.
The Cougars reclaimed the lead and even had a set point, but Grace battled back to grab a 26-25 lead. On the next rally, Grace’s Emily Peterson feigned a set but instead directed the ball over the net, shocking the Cougars and earning the set point for Grace at 27-25.
The score was level at 19-19 in set three, but the Lady Lancers closed the set on a 6-1 run. Jenna Mueller started the run with a well-aimed attack, and Alisha Leffring and Jadyn Ross teamed up for a block to secure Grace’s second set on the night with a 25-20 win.
Grace captured the first two points of the fourth set and never looked back. The Cougars stayed close, but the Lady Lancers never relinquished the lead.
Grace used a 4-1 run to earn some breathing room and eventually won 25-21. Mueller scored the last two points for Grace.
Grace returns to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. with a match at No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan.