SMC Volleyball Loses Pair at Siouxland Invitational
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dickinson State (ND) (2-0, 0-0) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Spartanburg Methodist (0-5, 0-0) | 20 | 23 | 19 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spartanburg Methodist (0-6) | 25 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 1 |
|
Northwestern (1-0) | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Sioux City, Iowa – The Spartanburg Methodist College volleyball team traveled to the Hawkeye State for the Siouxland Invitational, where it faced four of the nation's top programs. The Pioneers opened play on Friday, falling 25-20, 25-23, 25-19 to Dickinson State and 22-25, 25-11, 25-13, 25-14 to No. 7 Northwestern.
Rileigh Franklin paced the Pioneers against Dickinson State, posting a career-best 10 kills with a .450 hitting percentage. Kendall Meinders added eight kills in the loss.
The opening set was tightly contested, with the teams deadlocked at 15 after a Franklin kill and a block by Franklin and Leilani Campbell. Dickinson State responded with two straight points to take control, and though the Pioneers twice pulled within one, the Blue Hawks held on for the 25-20 win.
In the second set, SMC held a pair of two-point leads, but a four-point surge gave DSU a 17-14 advantage. The set featured four ties, the last coming at 22 after a Meinders kill, but the Blue Hawks closed with three of the next four points to claim a 25-23 victory.
SMC jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third, but DSU answered with a 5-0 run to take control at 14-10 and never trailed again, sealing the sweep.
In their second match of the day, the Pioneers battled nationally-ranked Northwestern. Despite the setback, Hana Vucinic led the way with 14 digs and eight kills, while Franklin continued her strong play with six kills and two blocks. Aurora Aho added 13 digs and three service aces.
The Pioneers came out strong, scoring the first five points of the match on their way to a 7-1 lead that forced a Raider timeout. Northwestern rallied to close within one at 22-21, but Vucinic delivered back-to-back kills before finishing the set with her third to give SMC a 25-22 win.
Northwestern dominated the second set, reeling off 11 straight points in a 25-11 decision. In the third, SMC trailed just 4-3 before a 9-0 Raider run put the set out of reach. The fourth set saw NWC open with an 11-1 surge and maintain control the rest of the way, securing the match.
