CLEVELAND, Tenn. – On the first day of the Lee University Showcase tournament, the fifth-ranked Embry-Riddle volleyball team won a pair of four-set matches to improve to 6-1 on the season. The Blue and Gold took down Indiana Tech (18-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23) before defeating Bethel (Tenn.) (23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-13). The Eagles will take on sixth-ranked Lee in the final match of the tournament tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
 
ERAU 3, IIT 1
 
Embry-Riddle fell behind early in the first set against Indiana Tech (3-7), trailing 7-3 before Head Coach Joslynn Gallop called for a timeout. The break in the action didn't slow down the Warriors as they pushed the advantage to 15-7. A service ace from Taylor Martin followed by an Indiana Tech error pulled the Eagles to within six (20-14), but that was as close as ERAU would get, with IIT taking the first set easily, 25-18.
 
The second set started out very similar to the first, as Indiana Tech jumped out to an 8-3 lead prompting another early Embry-Riddle timeout. A few minutes later, ERAU used an 8-1 run to take the lead, 13-12. After IIT fought back to tie the set at 20, a pair of Warrior errors gave the Eagles a 22-20 lead. After two Indiana Tech points tied things again, Emily Jacobson put down a kill to put Embry-Riddle back in front, 23-22. The Warriors tied it at 23, but a service error gave ERAU set point and a block from Morgan Shattuck and Jordan Holcomb closed out the set, 25-23, tying the match at one set apiece.
 
As they did in the first two sets, Indiana Tech took an early 6-3 lead. Midway through the set, Embry-Riddle went on a 10-3 run to take a commanding 19-14 lead. The Warriors scored the next three points before ERAU finished the set with six consecutive points, including two service aces from Veera Hietala, winning the set, 25-17, and taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
In set four, IIT scored the first three points and held the lead for a majority of the set. The Eagles took the lead for good on a Warrior attack error to give ERAU a 19-18 advantage. A kill from Shattuck made it a two-point lead, from which point each team traded sideouts for the rest of the set. Martin finally ended the set and match with a kill, giving Embry-Riddle a 25-23 win in the set and a 3-1 match victory.
 
Martin led all players with 21 kills to go along with 13 digs. Holcomb also finished with a double-double (17 kills, 15 digs) while Jacobson registered 10 kills and a .385 hitting percentage. Hietala picked up a match-high 25 digs and Adriana Vazquez racked up a match-high 44 assists as the Blue and Gold hit .233 for the match.
 
Kelsey Cox led the Warriors with 12 kills and six blocks while Stacy Nagy chipped in with nine kills. Kayla Foreman (19 digs, 10 assists) and Kelsey Fitzpatrick (34 assists, 17 digs) each recorded double-doubles, leading the team in digs and assists, respectively.
 
ERAU 3, BU 1
 
In the nightcap, ERAU got off to a better start, jumping out to a 14-8 lead in the first set. From that point, Bethel (0-6) went on a 15-6 run to take a 23-20 advantage. Back-to-back kills from Holcomb pulled Embry-Riddle to within a point (23-22), but the Lady Wildcats clinched the set three points later, 25-23.
 
The second set saw the Eagles start strong again, taking a 13-8 lead. BU fought back to take the lead, 18-17, before ERAU got a kill from Holcomb and three kills from Martin to regain the lead, 21-19. The Lady Wildcats tied things at 22 before the Eagles finished the set with three straight points, 25-22.
 
Bethel started the third set by winning four of the first five points, only to see Embry-Riddle rally to win 10 of the next 15 to take an 11-8 advantage. Three straight errors by BU extended the lead to 19-14 and consecutive kills from Martin and Holcomb increased the margin to six points (22-16). After the Lady Wildcats closed the gap to 24-22, Vazquez sent a ball over on second contact to pick up a kill and end the set, 25-22, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The Eagles used a 12-5 run to establish a commanding 15-8 lead in the fourth set. A kill from Erika Hinel sparked an 8-1 run that included four Holcomb kills and three Jacobson kills to close out the set, 25-13, and the match, 3-1.
 
Holcomb recorded match-highs in kills (22), digs (20) and hitting percentage (.442). Martin added 21 kills and eight digs while Jacobson chipped in with nine kills. Hannah Gray picked up 20 digs while Hietala tallied 14 digs and Vazquez compiled 55 assists as the Eagles hit .322 for the match.
 
Pollyanna Vitel led Bethel with 15 kills to go along with 10 digs. Sashalee Wallen added 13 kills and a match-high five blocks. Rebecca Jobst registered a team-high 13 digs and Shea Sheppard racked up 37 assists.