Rio Grande Sports Information
MILLIGAN, Tenn. - The University of Rio Grande women's volleyball team closed out the final day of the Milligan Mountain Madness Tournament on Saturday with a split of its two matches, knocking off Georgetown (Ky.) College before falling to the host Buffaloes.
The RedStorm dumped the Tigers in their opener 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-19 and fell to Milligan by scores 25-10, 25-14, 25-22 to finish the weekend at 1-3.
After dropping the opening set against Georgetown, Rio never trailed in set two and took control of set three with a run of seven straight winners to erase a 12-9 deficit.
The RedStorm also had a momentum-changing run in set four, reeling off seven straight points to erase a 10-7 shortfall and grab a lead it would never relinquish to close out the match.
Senior Amanda Rarick (Canal Winchester, OH) led the winning effort with a match-best 14 kills to go along with a solo block and two block assists, while junior Avery Huntzinger (Canal Winchester, OH) totaled 20 assists and junior Ashton Webb (Gallipolis, OH) had 19 digs.
Rio also got two solo blocks and a block assist from senior Shalea Byrd (Canal Winchester, OH), while junior Sofia Otero Marrero (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) had 12 assists and freshman Jenna Harrison (Gallipolis, OH) contributed 10 digs.
In the wrapup against Milligan, the host Buffaloes enjoyed a solid day at the net with 39 kills and just 10 attack errors for a .326 swing percentage.
Consequently, the RedStorm had just five more kills (26) than attack errors (21) and finished with a .050 attack percentage.
Rio Grande trailed 6-0 out of the gate in set one and watched Milligan finish set two on an 11-3 run to grab a commanding match lead.
The RedStorm scored the first five winners in set three and led by as much as 11-4, but the Buffaloes used a 5-0 spurt of their own to forge a 17-17 tie and then eventually grabbed a 19-18 lead on a kill by Shelby Miller.
Rio did manage a 21-all tie on a kill by Rarick and a 22-22 deadlock following a kill by freshman Alliyah Wharton (Port Clinton, OH), but the final three points of the set - and the match - went to the hosts.
Wharton led the RedStorm with eight kills, while Huntzinger had 20 assists and Webb had 11 digs.
Avery Maiden had 13 kills to pace Milligan, while Kolbie Green had a match-high 34 assists and Riley Brinn totaled 11 digs.
Ella Maiden added two solo blocks and two block assists in the winning effort, while Greyson Stevens had three solo blocks for the Buffaloes.
Rio Grande returns to action next weekend when it hosts the Emileigh Jo Cooper Memorial Classic at the Lyne Center.
The RedStorm will face Union (Ky.) in their opening match of the two-day event on Friday, at 2 p.m., at the Newt Oliver Arena.
