LEBANON, Ill. – The Quincy University women's volleyball team made it nine straight wins with a dominant sweep over McKendree on Friday night (25-22, 25-12, 25-13) at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle as McKendree jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and held control through much of the first half. Quincy finally found momentum with a four-point run that gave them their first lead at 10-9, and the two sides continued to trade points until another run put the Hawks up 17-15. The Bearcats managed to tie the score at 20, but Quincy finished strong, scoring five of the final seven points, and a kill from
Janelle Pye-Blacknard secured the 25-22 victory.
In the second set, McKendree again gained an early edge at 6-5, but the Hawks quickly flipped the script. With Pye-Blacknard at the service line, Quincy rattled off nine straight points to seize a commanding 14-6 lead. From that point, the Hawks were in complete control, closing the frame on a 5-1 run to win comfortably, 25-12.
The third set saw McKendree jump out to a 4-2 advantage before Quincy stormed back with a five-point burst to take the lead. The Hawks never trailed again, stringing together three separate runs of five or more points to build a commanding cushion. McKendree tried to extend the set with a late four-point push, but Pye-Blacknard put the match away with her 11th kill, finishing off a 25-13 win and the 3-0 sweep.
The Hawks were efficient and balanced throughout the night, hitting .292 as a team while holding McKendree to just .057.
Susanna Beretti powered the offense with 14 kills on a .393 hitting clip and added 19 digs to record a double-double. Pye-Blacknard contributed 11 kills, 11 digs, and a service ace to go along with her timely serving run that changed the second set.
Zeynep Cetin was a force at the net with nine kills on 16 swings for a .438 percentage while adding four blocks, and setter
Elena Kasavica directed the attack with 34 assists while also chipping in 19 digs. Defensively, Quincy collected 69 digs and 12 blocks as a team, using a steady presence at the net and in the back row to control the match from start to finish.
The Hawks will look to carry their momentum into a pivotal conference showdown as they continue action on the road against the Tritons of UMSL. Both teams enter the matchup undefeated in GLVC play, setting up an early-season battle at the top of the standings. First serve is set for 3:00 PM on Saturday from the Mark Twain Building in St. Louis.
