RedStorm records sweep of Midway

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - After her front-line regulars established a commanding lead, University of Rio Grande women's volleyball head coach Billina Cooper Donaldson gave the RedStorm's reserves a chance to gain valuable playing time.
     The decision produced the same results.
     Three of Rio's six starters played in just one set as the RedStorm rolled to a 25-18, 25-21, 25-22 win over Midway University, Saturday afternoon, in River States Conference play at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     Rio Grande improved to 11-6 overall and 2-0 in league play with a fourth consecutive win.
     The visiting Eagles dropped to 1-8 overall and 0-2 in the RSC with the loss.
     Midway hit just .093 with 29 kills and 20 errors in 97 attacks, while also committing nine service errors.
     Rio Grande also had nine service errors, but also had seven aces to go along with a .176 attack percentage (39 kills, 21 errors, 102 swings).
     The RedStorm led just 19-17 late in set one, but scored six of the final seven winners to take the early match lead.
     Set two was tied at 10-all before Rio took control with a 9-3 scoring spurt - five of which came via Eagle errors.
     Midway close to within 22-21 after a pair of Rio attack errors, but consecutive kills by freshman Katie Marshall (Carroll, OH) and junior Kelli Stewart (Waverly, OH), respectively, and another Midway attack error closed out the stanza.
     Set three provided quite a bit less drama.
     Rio Grande scored the first eight points of the period and, after the Eagles closed to within 10-5, scored six consecutive winners to open up a double-digit lead.
     The Eagles did use a late 7-1 run to get within 24-22, but a kill by Marshall put an end to the proceedings.
     Marshall finished with 10 kills to lead Rio, while sophomore Lydia Steyer (Perrysburg, OH) and senior Elle McLoughlin (Zanesville, OH) had 22 and 10 assists, respectively.
     Steyer and senior Olivia Smith (Bainbridge, OH) both had two service aces each and freshman Mary Osten (Portae, IN) tallied a team-best seven digs.
     Freshman Gracie Perkins (Wheelersburg, OH) had a solo block and two block assists in the winning effort.
     Alyssa Meadows had a match-high 12 kills to lead Midway, while Emma Lesher had 17 assists and Ava Benner finished with eight digs.
     Kayedon Mattingly had two block assists in a losing cause for the Eagles.
     Rio Grande returns to action next Friday when it travels to RSC newcomer Kentucky Christian University.
     First serve is set for 7 p.m.