BELLEVUE, Neb. -- After a Friday that featured a Top-25 comeback win, the Warriors were at it again on Saturday at Bellevue's GoSarpy.com Labor Day Classic. Tech (8-0) swept No. 25 Ottawa University (Kan.) to move to 7-0 in the early afternoon match and closed out its Nebraska trip with a 3-2 result over RV Columbia International University (S.C.) to keep its unbeaten run to start the
Matt Fishman era intact.
CIU (7-6) stormed out to a 2-0 lead over the Orange and Black in the day's second match, capitalizing on the Warriors' .133 and .029 attacking percentages in sets one and two respectively, to win 25-22 and 25-20. Tech roared back with .385, .533, and .280 hitting to stun the Rams and leave Bellevue with its second 0-2 comeback (Friday 3-2 win over Grand View). In the 25-19 set three victory, CIU pushed out to a 4-0 lead and maintained an advantage until the Warriors chipped away for a 15-14 lead on a
Noelle VanOort kill and pulled away to a 23-17 advantage after kills from
Emma Westra and
Taylor Paul.
Havilyn Cummings produced the 24th point on one of her 16 kills before VanOort kept the Warriors' hopes alive with the final point of the set.
Tech again overcame an early deficit in set four to send the match to a fifth, where it was all Warriors after a 6-6 tie. Back-to-back Cummings kills and then a Cummings-VanOort block capped off a three-point rally, before Westra completed the comeback with her 16th kill of the match to equal Cummings for team-best honors. Cummings (18 points), Westra (17), VanOort (14.5) and Paul (12.5) stuffed the stat sheet with support from
Andrea Schriver (29 assists) and
Kelsey Schaldenbrand (22).
Jacey Blust finished with 20 digs.
Indiana Tech brushed aside OU 25-17 to kick off its afternoon sweep of the 25th-ranked Braves. Tech won set two 25-22 and set three 25-21 with consistent hitting (.347) and a strong defensive effort. The Braves were north of .200 only in the second set and committed a total of 17 errors. VanOort (13) and Paul (12) reached double-figure kills. Schriver and Schaldenbrand shared setting duties for a combined total of 41 assists.
Tech kicks off its Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference season on Wednesday, Sept. 7, in a 7 PM Schaefer Center date with UNOH.
