HAMMOND, Ind. - Quincy wrapped up the Midwest Region Crossover on Saturday with a 3–1 victory over Cedarville, responding to an opening-set setback by taking the next three frames, 19–25, 25–14, 26–24, 25–20, at the Hammond Sportsplex.
The opener was tight through the early exchanges, with the Hawks and Yellow Jackets trading points up to 7-7. Cedarville seized control with a quick 4-0 run followed by a 6–1 run fueled by kills from the left pin and a pair of Quincy errors, pushing ahead 19–11. Quincy tried to get back into the game courtesy of four kills from
Susanna Beretti, but the deficit was too large for the Hawks as a kill ended set one 25-19 in favor of Cedarville.
The second set saw the Hawks flip the match with their most dominant stretch of the day. After trailing 3–1 early, Quincy put together a five-point run powered by kills from Turgut,
Janelle Pye-Blacknard, and Beretti to take the lead. From that point on, the Hawks never looked back, stringing together consistent two- and three-point surges that kept Cedarville out of rhythm. The set ended emphatically with back-to-back kills from Pye-Blacknard and Beretti to secure a 25–14 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set proved to be the most dramatic of the afternoon. Both teams traded blows in a seesaw battle that featured multiple runs but no separation, as the largest lead by either side was just three points. Late in the frame, Cedarville pulled ahead 24–22 and appeared ready to take control of the match. Quincy responded under pressure, capitalizing on three straight Yellow Jacket errors before Pye-Blacknard slammed home the final point. The Hawks' 4–0 closing run sealed a 26–24 win and a 2–1 set lead.
The fourth set mirrored the intensity of the third, with the two teams locked in back-and-forth action. Midway through, Quincy held a narrow 11–10 advantage before Pye-Blacknard sparked a surge. With three kills in a four-point stretch, the Hawks extended their lead to 15–11. Cedarville fought back to within one at 17–16, but Quincy answered with a decisive 4–0 run featuring two kills from Cetin and a service ace from
Elena Kasavica to establish a 21–16 cushion. The Jackets again tried to rally, but Beretti's 21st kill of the match closed the door, giving Quincy the set 25–20 and the 3–1 match victory.
Quincy hit .199 with 55 kills on 161 swings, showing consistency across all four sets, with double-digit kills in each set. The Hawks were steady defensively with 72 digs, outdug Cedarville by 5, and recorded seven blocks. Quincy's six aces included a career-high three from libero
Lilly Marth, who also tallied 16 digs.
Individually,
Susanna Beretti was unstoppable, finishing with 21 kills, 18 digs, and a service ace for a match-high 22.0 points.
Janelle Pye-Blacknard added 15 kills and 14 digs in a double-double effort. Setter
Elena Kasavica paced the offense with 45 assists, chipped in 12 digs, and delivered two aces.
Zeynep Cetin was efficient with seven kills on a .308 clip and anchored the defense at the net with five blocks, surpassing 100 career blocks in the process.
Selin Turgut contributed six kills, 11 digs, and four block assists, while Marth's career-high ace mark highlighted her steady back-row play.
The Hawks head into GLVC play the rest of the way, opening the conference-only stretch on the road at Drury University on Friday, October 24, inside the O'Reilly Family Events Center in Springfield, Missouri.
