Rio Grande Sports Information
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Rio Grande women's volleyball team recorded a split of its two matches in Friday's opening round of the Onset Invitational at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
The RedStorm opened the day with a 25-20, 25-14, 25-22 triumph over Defiance (Ohio) College, but dropped a hard-fought, five-set affair with Rochester Christian (Mich.) 21-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 18-16.
The split left head coach Billina Donaldson's squad at 4-2 for the season.
Against Defiance, Rio Grande used a 6-0 run to take control of the opening set before rolling in set two and scoring four of the final five winners in set three to close things out.
Redshirt freshman Taylor Bartrum (Cherry Hill, KY) led the RedStorm with 12 kills, while senior Elle McLoughlin (Zanesville, OH) had 24 assists and junior Jenna Harrison (Gallipolis, OH) totaled a dozen digs.
Freshman Gracie Perkins (Wheelersburg, OH) added a solo block and a block assist in the winning effort.
Gabby Rodriguez led Defiance with 13 kills, while Haley Hammer and Amina Chamoun had 14 and 11 assists, respectively.
Chaney Brodbeck had six digs and Jaelyn Tomoletz added a solo block and a block assist in the losing cause.
In the wrapup against Rochester Christian, the Warriors pulled away midway through the fourth set to tie the match and force a fifth and deciding period.
Rio Grande rallied from an early deficit in set five and eventually had three match point situations, the last of which at 16-15 after a kill by Perkins, but RCU reeled off the final three winners - one on a RedStorm attack error and the final two on kills by Chante Hudgins and Kourtney Mack, respectively - to secure the victory.
Hudgins and Hailee Mancogna had 11 kills each to pace the Warriors, while Mackenzie Keefer and Emma Hock finished with 28 and 19 assists, respectively, in the win.
Ashley Horne had 13 digs for RCU, while Keefer and Madelyn Geisenhaver tallied 12 each and Hock finished with 10.
Hudgins also had four solo blocks and five block assists for the Warriors.
Junior Kelli Stewart (Waverly, OH) had 16 kills to lead Rio Grande, while Bartrum added 14 of her own and junior Averie Bruce (Baltimore, OH) was credited with 11.
McLoughlin had 52 assists, 13 digs and five block assists in the loss, while Harrison had 21 digs and Perkins finished with three solo blocks and three block assists.
Stewart and junior Nigella Reck (Covington, OH) added 16 and 12 digs, respectively, for the RedStorm.
Rio Grande will wrap up the two-day event on Saturday when it faces Spring Arbor (Mich.) at 11 a.m. and Aquinas (Mich.) at 3:30 p.m.
