HOOVER, Ala. – Led by 27 kills from
Kristin vom Schemm, the Embry-Riddle volleyball team survived a comeback bid from Montevallo, earning a 3-2 win (25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 15-11) in its first match of the South Region Crossover Tournament. The victory improves ERAU's season mark to 11-2, while the Falcons drop to 10-11.
Vom Schemm set a season-high with her 27 kills and picked up 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the year.
Melanie Canfield chipped in with 15 kills and a match-high four service aces, while
Jordan Schumacher totaled 11 kills and 11 digs to notch her fifth double-double of the season.
Alyssa Rudd tied her season high with 57 assists and set a new season high with 22 digs and
Olivia Roa led all players with 26 digs. Roa also passed Senia McIntyre (1996-99) on the career digs list, moving into second place in school history with 1,857 digs.
The Eagles never trailed in the first set, using a 7-1 run to pull out to a comfortable 17-11 lead en route to a 25-20 set win.
Set two saw Montevallo take an early 7-4 lead, but a 6-1 rally pushed the Blue and Gold in front, 12-10. The Falcons fought back, eventually retaking the lead by a score of 19-16. A service error by Montevallo followed by a Canfield ace cut the deficit to one point, and after the Falcons earned a side-out, Embry-Riddle scored the next five points to go ahead, 23-20. The teams exchanged side-outs over the final four points, which was enough for the Eagles to win the frame, 25-22.
A 7-1 run in the middle of the third set put the Eagles in front, 13-8, and the Blue and Gold maintained a five-point cushion into the latter stages, leading by a 22-17 score. Montevallo then scored four straight points, three coming via blocks, to get within a point. After a service error put ERAU two points from completing a sweep, the Falcons once again scored four straight points, giving them a 25-23 set win.
The Eagles held an 8-4 lead early in set four, but the Falcons used an 8-2 run to move in front, 12-10, and Montevallo would not trail for the remainder of the frame. Embry-Riddle kept it close throughout the set and was able to get within a point late at 24-23, but a Falcon kill closed the door on the set, 25-23, sending the match to a winner-take-all fifth set.
Embry-Riddle, who came into the day 3-0 in five-set matches this season, showed its mettle in the decisive set once again. ERAU won four of the first five points, all coming via vom Schemm kills. The Falcons quickly bounced back, winning six of the next seven rallies to take the lead, 7-5. A few points later, Schumacher scored a skill to put the Blue and Gold back in front, 9-8, which would prove to be the final lead change of the contest. All told, Embry-Riddle won nine of the final 12 points, with vom Schemm kills accounting for three of those points, including the match-ending point, giving her eight kills in the fifth set.
The Eagles will conclude the South Region Crossover tomorrow with a pair of matches, beginning with a 12:15 p.m. match against Union (Tenn.). ERAU will face off against West Florida in the final match of the tournament at 8 p.m. in a battle of the top seeds from the Sunshine State Conference and Gulf South Conference.
