DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 12th-ranked Embry-Riddle volleyball team improved to 10-0 in conference play with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-21) sweep of visiting Webber International on Thursday night at the ICI Center. The win moves the Eagles overall record to 25-2 on the season, while the Warriors fall to 11-13, 3-8 in TSC play.
The Blue and Gold took a slim lead early, and although they never pulled away from the Warriors, the were able to maintain the lead throughout the first set. A block from Taylor Martin and Gloria Kemp gave the Eagles an 8-4 lead, and a kill from Jordan Holcomb extended the lead to 15-10. The margin would reach as many as six points when ERAU gained a 23-17 lead on back-to-back Warrior attack errors, and an Abby Hall kill ended the set at 25-20 in favor of Embry-Riddle.
The second set saw Webber get off to a good start, using a 9-1 run to take a 10-4 lead. The Eagles would chip away at the deficit, eventually tying things at 14-14 on an Emily Jacobson kill. The Blue and Gold took their first lead since it was 3-2 when Martin put down a kill to make it 17-16. The Warriors bounced back with a 3-0 run to lead 19-17, to which the Eagles responded with a 3-0 run of their own to regain the lead, 20-19. After Webber took a slim 21-20 advantage, Embry-Riddle rattled off three straight points to take a 23-21 lead, forcing WIU to take a timeout. The Warriors would get as close as 24-23, but a kill from Kemp clinched the set for the Eagles, 25-23.
In the third set, ERAU used a quick 3-0 run to open up a four-point lead at 15-11. After Webber tightened the gap, the Eagles went on a 6-2 run to take a commanding 22-16 advantage. The Warriors would close to within three points, but couldn't get any closer, and a kill from Martin ended the set at 25-20, giving Embry-Riddle their eighth sweep in 10 conference matches.
Holcomb led all players with 15 kills in addition to picking up nine digs. Martin added 11 kills and six digs, while Hall chipped in with seven kills and 13 digs. Nina Kontrec recorded a match-high 15 digs, and Adriana Vazquez tallied a match-high 36 assists.
Julianne Dougherty registered team-highs in kills (seven) and digs (13) for the Warriors, while Ashley Wolfe added six kills and six blocks.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday (Oct. 30) when they host Warner at 2 p.m. With a win on Saturday, Embry-Riddle will wrap up the No. 1 seed in The Sun Conference Tournament.