QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University women's volleyball team continued its red-hot start to conference play on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Lewis University (25-22, 25-14, 25-12) inside Pepsi Arena. The victory pushed the Hawks to 2-0 in GLVC action, extended their overall winning streak to eight matches, and marked their 13th straight home win.
The first set was tightly contested, with Lewis battling point for point and forcing the Hawks to respond in key moments. Quincy trailed midway through the frame before rallying with kills from
Susanna Beretti and
Janelle Pye-Blacknard to reclaim momentum. A service ace from Pye-Blacknard late in the set gave the Hawks breathing room, and
Zeynep Cetin finished the job with a kill to close out a 25-22 win in set one.
The Hawks carried that momentum straight into the second set, racing out to a 5-0 lead behind kills from
Selin Turgut and Beretti and an ace from
Elena Kasavica. Quincy controlled the pace throughout, with
Erin Matzke finding repeated success through the middle. The Hawks stretched their lead to double digits and never looked back, finishing the frame with a dominant 25-14 score.
Quincy completely took over in the third set, imposing its will on both sides of the ball. The Hawks opened a 12-5 advantage and then piled on with efficient swings from Beretti and Pye-Blacknard, as well as defensive pressure at the net from Matzke and Turgut. Quincy closed the match on a 13-5 run, sealing a decisive 25-12 victory to complete the sweep.
Statistically, Quincy's balance and efficiency stood out. The Hawks tallied 47 kills on a .274 hitting percentage compared to Lewis' 24 kills on a .146 clip. Quincy also held a decisive 44-24 edge in assists, powered by Kasavica's 36 helpers. The Hawks' back row was outstanding, recording 49 digs against Lewis' 46, led by Kasavica with 12 and Beretti with 11. At the net, Quincy finished with four total blocks, while Lewis managed six. Both teams collected four service aces, but the Hawks' ability to side out efficiently, posting sideout percentages of 52% in the first set, 64% in the second, and 76% in the third, proved decisive.
Individually, Beretti once again spearheaded the offense with 13 kills on 33 attempts, adding 11 digs and two service aces for 16 points. Pye-Blacknard hit above .300 at a .360 clip for the fifth time this season, finishing with 13 kills on 25 swings. Matzke added seven kills at a .235 clip, while Turgut contributed a steady seven kills along with nine digs.
With the victory, Quincy improved to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in GLVC play. The Hawks will now take their winning streak on the road, traveling to Lebanon, Illinois, to face McKendree on Friday, October 3, at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 PM.