SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Quincy University women's volleyball team continued its strong late-season surge with an impressive 3–1 road victory over Illinois Springfield on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks have now won five straight matches, improving to 18–5 overall and 7–2 in GLVC play, and extending their win streak over the Prairie Stars to four straight.
The opening set set the tone for the match, featuring long rallies and plenty of back-and-forth action. UIS held an early 6–5 advantage before Quincy answered with a six-point run, capitalizing on multiple Prairie Star errors and strong swings from
Susanna Beretti. UIS managed to tie things at 15 apiece, but the Hawks held their composure, responding with a 4–1 spurt to take control. Quincy closed on a strong note, scoring the final three points of the set — including a service ace from
Elena Kasavica — to secure the 25–20 win. Quincy hit .200 with 11 kills in the frame, while UIS hit .083 with 11 kills and eight errors.
Set two was a rollercoaster that saw both teams trade lengthy runs. UIS jumped out to an 8–4 lead, but Quincy quickly answered with a nine-point explosion highlighted by three kills from Beretti and several unforced UIS errors. The Hawks stretched their advantage to 22–15 and appeared poised to cruise to a 2–0 match lead. However, the Prairie Stars mounted an incredible rally, scoring seven straight points to tie the set. The two sides traded punches into extra points, but back-to-back UIS kills capped off a stunning comeback for a 28–26 win. The Hawks struggled offensively, hitting just .063 with 16 kills and 12 errors, while UIS hit .106.
Quincy wasted no time reclaiming momentum in set three, jumping out to an 11–5 lead thanks to a pair of extended scoring runs. UIS managed to chip away and pull within three, but a dominant 6–1 burst from the Hawks widened the gap again and effectively put the set out of reach. Quincy finished strong, with
Zeynep Cetin delivering the final kill to take the frame 25–18. The Hawks were efficient on offense, hitting .250 with 12 kills and only four errors, while their defense stifled UIS to a –.037 hitting percentage — their lowest of the day.
The fourth set began tightly contested, with UIS leading 14–13 midway through. That would be the last time they held momentum. The Hawks took complete control by rattling off 11 consecutive points, sparked by four kills from Beretti, a service ace from Pye-Blacknard, and crisp play from Kasavica in setting distribution. UIS briefly stopped the bleeding with a single kill, but Quincy finished the match in dominant fashion — scoring four straight points, capped by back-to-back kills from Beretti and two aces from
Amber Glen, to close out the 25–15 set and the match. Quincy hit a blistering .395 in the final frame with 16 kills and just one error, while UIS posted its best offensive set at .226.
It was another standout performance from
Susanna Beretti, who continued her remarkable season with 25 kills on .311 hitting, adding 10 digs and one block for good measure. The effort marked her sixth match this season with 20 or more kills, and she continues to lead the GLVC in both total kills (375) and kills per set (4.63) — a mark that also ranks top 10 nationally in NCAA Division II.
Selin Turgut anchored the defense with a career-high 21 digs, providing a steady back-row presence throughout the night.
Janelle Pye-Blacknard matched her career highs with 16 kills and 20 points, while adding a pair of aces and blocks.
Elena Kasavica orchestrated the offense with 48 assists and nearly added a double-double with nine digs. The Hawks finished the match with eight service aces and out-hit UIS .201 to .099, controlling play in nearly every statistical category.
The Hawks will return home on Friday, November 7th, when they host Truman State at 6:00 PM inside Pepsi Arena. Quincy has dominated the series, winning 10 consecutive matches against the Bulldogs dating back to 2019, and will look to keep its momentum rolling into the final stretch of GLVC play.
