GEORGETOWN, Ky. - The 13th-ranked Embry-Riddle volleyball team knocked off a pair of quality teams on Saturday, including host and 18th-ranked Georgetown College, en route to winning the Second Annual Rumpke Invitational.  With the wins, ERAU improves to 11-1 on the season and extends their winning streak to eight.

The first match amounted to a pool championship match, as both Embry-Riddle and Union came in with 2-0 records in pool play, meaning the winner was guaranteed a spot in the championship match.  Embry-Riddle jumped out to an early lead in the first set and never looked back.  A solo block by Emily Jacobson put the Blue and Gold ahead 6-1, and a double block by Gloria Kemp and Jordan Holcomb extended the lead to 13-4.  Nina Kontrec would serve six consecutive points twice in the set, including the final six that gave ERAU the set, 25-8.  For the set, the Eagles hit .550 while Union hit -.143.

There was more of the same in the second set, as the Eagles jumped to a 7-2 lead on a Holcomb kill.  Another double block, this time from Jacobson and Holcomb, lifted the lead to 10 points (19-9).  ERAU would take six of the next seven points to claim the set, 25-10.  Once again, the Blue and Gold outhit Union by a wide margin, .462 to -.036.

In the third set, Union took their first lead of more than one point when a service error put them ahead, 8-6.  A service ace would give Union a four-point cushion (10-6), but the Eagles responded to knot things up at 12-12.  ERAU would retake the lead at 18-17 on a kill by Morgan Shattuck, but they couldn't run away with the set as they had in the previous two.  The two teams exchanged sideouts to stay within one point of each other until a Hall kill followed by a Union attack error finally ended things at 26-24 in favor of Embry-Riddle.

The Eagles hit .384 for the match while Union hit -.012.  Hall was the only player in double-figures in kills with 15, while Holcomb hit .533 with eight kills.  Jacobson hit .357 with six kills and six blocks, and Adriana Vazquez racked up 40 assists, seven digs, and two blocks.

By finishing 3-0 in pool play, Embry-Riddle advanced to the championship match against the winner of the other pool, No. 18 Georgetown College, who carried a perfect 8-0 record into the match.

Things were tight throughout most of the first set until the Eagles rattled off six straight points to take a 21-13 lead.  After the Tigers trimmed the deficit to five points (23-18), ERAU took the next two points to win the set, 25-18.

In the second set, Georgetown took a slim lead early and Embry-Riddle was never able to overcome it.  Kyla Welch's kill put the Tigers ahead 13-9, and Kelsey Luckette's kill made it 19-12 in favor of the Tigers.  The Eagles used a late run to trim the lead to four points (24-20), but fell short, losing the set, 25-20.

The Blue and Gold bounced right back in set three, preventing the home standing Tigers from continuing to build upon their momentum.  Kemp recorded a kill that gave ERAU a 10-7 lead, and the Eagles would maintain the advantage for the remainder of the set.  An attack error put Embry-Riddle ahead by five (19-14) and another Georgetown attack error closed out the set, 25-18 in favor of the Eagles.

The fourth set was the most competitive of any set in the tournament, featuring 14 ties and four lead changes.  Georgetown held a 14-10 lead, which would be the biggest lead of the set held by either side, and saw it quickly evaporate as ERAU rattled off four straight points, including back-to-back service aces by Taylor Martin, to tie things up at 14-14.  The Tigers regained a two-point cushion and maintained the lead for quite a while, until an attack error by Cathy Frank tied things once again, this time at 23-23.  GC had match point at 24-23, but a service error extended the set.  The Eagles had match points at 25-24 and 26-25, but both times the Tigers found a way to win the point and stay alive.  Georgetown again had set point at 27-26, but Jordan Holcomb pounded a kill to extend the set once more.  After fending off two more match points, the Tigers finally succumbed to Embry-Riddle as Martin's kill ended things with ERAU taking the set, 31-29, and the match, 3-1.

The Eagles had four players in double-figures in the kill department, including Hall (22), Holcomb (14), Kemp (12), and Martin (11).  Vazquez had a match-high 59 assists to go along with 10 digs, while Holcomb chipped in with 13 digs and Martin added 12 digs and four service aces.

The Embry-Riddle volleyball team returns to action and opens up Sun Conference play next weekend at the ICI Center when they play host to St. Thomas on Friday (Sept. 17) at 7 p.m. and Florida Memorial on Saturday (Sept. 18) at 2 p.m.