LAKELAND, Fla. - The 12th-ranked Embry-Riddle volleyball team wrapped up The Sun Conference Mid-Season Tournament with a pair of sweeps on Saturday, knocking off Warner (25-21, 25-19, 25-12) and Webber International (25-13, 25-10, 25-16). With the wins, the Eagles improve to 17-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play, and extend their winning streak to 14 matches.
In the first match, Embry-Riddle dug themselves an early 4-1 hole with three attack errors to start the match. But the Eagles quickly bounced back, going on an 11-4 run capped by a pair of kills from Abby Hall to take a 12-8 lead. After Warner tied things up at 14, ERAU went on a 10-4 run to grab a 24-18 advantage. The Blue and Gold would hold on to take the first set, 25-21.
The second set started the same way as the first, with the Eagles falling behind 4-1. Embry-Riddle fought back to tie the set at 9-9, but the Royals continued to battle, regaining a 16-13 lead that prompted ERAU head coach Joslynn Gallop to take a timeout. Immediately after the timeout, the Blue and Gold rattled off five consecutive points, including three kills from Jordan Holcomb, to gain an 18-16 lead. The Eagles continued to stretch the lead, eventually winning the set by a score of 25-19.
After battling the Royals for much of the first two sets, Embry-Riddle came out and dominated the third set. Warner found themselves down by just two points at 9-7, but the Eagles pulled away quickly and never looked back, taking the third set, 25-12.
Hall registered a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Holcomb added 12 kills and eight digs. Adriana Vazquez tallied a match-high 40 assists, leading the offense to a .302 hitting percentage. Warner's Samantha Schild led all players with 12 digs.
In ERAU's final match of the tournament, the Eagles came out strong to take an early lead against Webber International. A 7-0 run early in the first set put the Blue and Gold ahead 14-4, and Embry-Riddle ended the set on a 9-2 run, taking the set by a score of 25-13.
The Warriors started better in the second set, jumping out to an 8-4 lead. But from that point, the Eagles went on a tear, winning 21 of the next 23 points to claim the set 25-10.
WIU again started strong in set three, taking an early 10-7 lead. But with the Warriors leading, 12-10, Embry-Riddle again went on a tear, using a 15-4 run to win the set, 25-16.
In a match where both offenses struggled to get on track, Hall led all players with eight kills. Nina Kontrec recorded a match-high seven digs, while Vazquez registered a match-high 17 assists. As a team, Embry-Riddle outhit Webber International, .143 to -.270.
The Eagles will hit the road again next weekend, travelling to Georgia and South Carolina for a pair of matches. Embry-Riddle will first visit SCAD Savannah on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a trip to NCAA II South Carolina-Aiken on Saturday at 2 p.m.
