QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University women's volleyball team returned to the win column Friday night, defeating Southwest Baptist University in four sets on International Night inside Pepsi Arena. The Hawks took the match 28-26, 25-21, 13-25, 25-21 to improve to 12-7 overall and 3-4 in GLVC play.
The opening set was a battle from start to finish. Southwest Baptist grabbed an early advantage and led 11-8 before Quincy slowly worked its way back, eventually taking its first lead at 13-12 behind consecutive kills from
Aysem Kocaalp and freshman
Izzy Steiner. The Hawks pushed the advantage to 20-15 after back-to-back service aces from Monika Bíliková, but the Bearcats responded with an 8-2 run to move ahead 23-22.
Quincy fought off set point at 24-23 with an
Olivia Curry kill before the teams traded points deep into extra play. Steiner came through with three kills during the closing stretch, giving the Hawks leads at 25-24 and 26-25, before Kocaalp finished the frame with consecutive kills to secure the 28-26 victory. Both teams finished the set with 15 kills and eight errors, with Quincy holding a slight .175-.167 advantage in hitting percentage.
The Hawks carried that momentum into the second set. After falling behind 5-3, Quincy rattled off six of the next seven points, with Steiner putting down three kills during the stretch to help build a 9-5 advantage. QU continued to extend the lead, moving ahead 17-11 before Southwest Baptist made a late push and trimmed the margin to 22-20. Quincy answered with three of the final four points, highlighted by a Kocaalp service ace, to take the set 25-21 and move within one frame of the victory. The Hawks turned in an efficient offensive performance, hitting .345 with 16 kills and six errors while holding the Bearcats to .208 with 10 kills and five errors.
Southwest Baptist responded emphatically in the third set. The Bearcats built an early 7-3 advantage before completely breaking the frame open from the service line. With Quincy trailing 13-8, SBU scored seven consecutive points, including four service aces, to stretch the margin to 20-8. The Hawks were unable to recover and dropped the set 25-13. Southwest Baptist was flawless offensively in the frame, recording 12 kills without an attack error for a .600 hitting percentage, while Quincy hit .080 with eight kills and six errors.
Quincy regrouped in the fourth despite falling behind 8-4. The Hawks gradually chipped away and tied the set at 9-9 before another Southwest Baptist point gave the Bearcats a one-point advantage. Quincy then found its rhythm, using a 6-2 stretch highlighted by back-to-back Kocaalp service aces and an
Erin Matzke kill to move ahead 15-12.
Southwest Baptist made one final push, erasing a four-point deficit to tie the set at 19-19, but Quincy responded when it mattered most. Kocaalp delivered another kill to regain the lead before a
Macey Rocco kill and a Bearcat attack error pushed the margin to 22-19. The Hawks never relinquished control, with Matzke putting down a late kill before Curry finished the match at 25-21. Quincy saved its best offensive set for last, hitting .390 with 18 kills and only two errors, while SBU hit .302 with 17 kills and four errors.
Quincy finished the match with 57 kills on a .259 hitting percentage, adding eight service aces, 49 digs and five total blocks. Southwest Baptist totaled 54 kills and hit .287 while finishing with seven aces, 45 digs and six blocks. The Hawks were at their best in the second and fourth sets, combining for 34 kills and just eight attacking errors across the two frames.
Kocaalp paced the Quincy offense with 16 kills on .278 hitting, adding three service aces for a team-high 19 points. It marked the sixth time this season she has recorded at least 15 kills. Steiner turned in the best offensive performance of her young collegiate career with a season-high 11 kills, adding a solo block and finishing with 12 points.
Matzke reached double figures out of the middle for the ninth time this season, recording 10 kills on .333 hitting while adding two solo blocks for 12 points. Bíliková added nine kills on .318 hitting, three service aces and two block assists for 13 points, while Curry chipped in eight kills. Rocco directed the offense with 46 assists while adding two block assists and a service ace.
The Hawks remain inside Pepsi Arena on Saturday when they welcome Drury University for another GLVC matchup. First serve is scheduled for 3:00 PM.
