SPEARFISH, SD - The University of Mary Volleyball team concluded their non-conference schedule and trip to the Black Hills early Saturday. The Marauders faced tough challenges on less than desired rest after closing out the competition late Friday night but still managed to battle through competitive rallies for another solid split on the day. UMary started the day with another thrilling comeback 3-2 (25-15, 25-27, 22-25, 25-18, 16-14) win over Montana State University Billings and later finished with a hard-fought 3-0 (18-25, 24-26, 20-25) defeat to Texas A&M University Kingsville.
FIRST MATCH
Less than 12 hours removed from a comeback win down 1-2 in sets, UMary Volleyball (4-4) pulled it off again. Led by 22 kills from
Ally Gruber and double-digit kill performances from three other players, the Marauders erased another 1-2 set deficit to put away Montana State University Billings for a second time in two weeks.
Despite the quick turnaround after closing out the first night of action, the Marauders got off to a fast start in a 25-15 victory in the opening set.
Ally Gruber led the charge with six kills right off the bat.
Reyna Isenbart ended the dominating frame with back-to-back kills.
The Yellowjackets quickly answered by controlling the first half of set one, getting off to a 16-10 start. UMary then answered with four and five-point runs to retake the lead 18-17, and later have the match point at 24-22. MSUB, however, withstood the pressure and thanks to a few attack errors from the Marauders, knotted the match at one set a piece with a 27-25 set victory.
A 7-point run in the middle of the third set would give the Yellow Jackets the edge they'd need to hold onto another win in a competitive third set 25-22 over UMary. The Marauders combined for 14 team kills and 3 service aces through the frame.
With their backs against the wall and one more set defeat threatening, the Marauders rallied back hard as a team in set four. Combining for 17 team kills, UMary kept the match alive by taking the set 25-18 thanks to a late rally.
Both squads traded off points and blows in the fifth set of another highly competitive match. With the match tied at 14-14,
Ally Gruber pulled through for the Marauders in the clutch smashing two kills to defiantly end the set 16-14, and give the Marauders their second win in a row.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Ally Gruber continued her hot start with another career performance. The senior from Belgrade, MN swung for 22 kills, a new career-high, and recorded them on an impressive 0.302 hitting percentage. Not just at the net, she was also big in the back row with a team-high and career-high 29 digs.
Maddie Cooper played well again after her big Friday night performance. The junior from Fargo, ND had 13 kills on a 0.400 hitting percentage.
Reyna Isenbart continued her strong weekend with 11 kills on a 0.258 hitting percentage.
Chloe Lieser had another great game in the back row with 26 digs and impressive 5 ace serves.
McKenna Kirkpatrick emerged as a difference maker with 10 kills and 6.0 total blocks.
A day after surpassing 1,000 assists,
Kameron Selvig turned in another big game with 42 assists across the court.
SECOND MATCH
Just a few more hours after another grueling five-set match, UMary battled hard but fell in defeat to a tough Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-2) team 3-0.
The opening set was close between both squads, however, the Javelinas would slowly increase their lead down the stretch for a 25-18 set victory after two straight kills from Ayanna Jackson.
The Marauders would continue to push the Javelinas to the limit in set two, with
Ally Gruber reemerging in the match with 10 kills in the second set alone. Nonetheless, Kingsville would still manage to edge the Marauders with a 26-24 set final.
The third set was highlighted by two massive runs. First from UMary as the Marauders rallied off six straight points to take a 13-7 lead. However, that lead would be erased thanks to a Kingsville run of ten points to retake the lead 20-15. The Javelinas clung to their five-point lead on the way to a 25-20 set and match victory in three sets.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Ally Gruber finished Saturday with another strong performance on the attack with a team-high 15 kills (0.314 hitting percentage). She also recorded 9 digs, just one shy of three consecutive double-double games.
Nehkyah Ellis chipped in 7 efficient kills on a 0.357 hitting percentage and 8 digs.
McKenna Kirkpatrick finished with 5 kills in the game to add 15 total to her credit on the day.
HOME DEBUT
UMary Volleyball will return home to the McDowell Activity Center on September 15-16. The Marauders will open league play in the Northern Sun against #8 Minnesota Duluth on Friday, September 15 at 6 p.m. The homestand will end with a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday, September 16 against #7 St. Cloud State University. These matches will be the first official contests on the newly redesigned Al Bortke Court inside the MAC on the University of Mary campus.
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