OMAHA, Neb. – The #10 University of Providence volleyball team took down MidAmerica Nazarene in three sets (25-19, 25-6, 25-16) in the first game of the GoSarpy.com Labor Day Tournament in Omaha, Neb. Thursday evening.
After the Argos won a back and forth first set, the Argos cruised in the second set, winning 25-6. The Pioneers (2-7) fought back in the third set, but weren't enough to overcome the Argos, falling 25-16.
"It did take us awhile in that first set to get back in a rhythm," head coach
Arunas Duda said. "We haven't played in two weeks and it kind of showed a little bit. But once we settled in, I thought the girls did a great job. We blocked better than we have in awhile and it was nice to see everyone step up a little bit."
Jenna Thorne led the attack offensively with 15 kills on a .361 hitting percentage.
Madysen Hoerner recorded 11 kills on an astounding .647 hitting percentage while
Sadie Lott added nine kills.
Cydney Finberg-Roberts directed the offense, recording 33 assists.
"Fin did a great job running around starting our offense," Duda said. "I thought our pins today played extremely well. Maddie especially as a freshman, I thought she hit almost flawlessly. She was on a roll. She looked really good. She put the ball on the floor quite a bit."
The Argos were also well-rounded defensively.
Sacha Legros led the way with 14 digs, while
Taylor Christensen, Finberg-Roberts and Lott all notched 11. Lott also averaged a team high five blocks.
The Argos will hope to carry the momentum into the second day of the tournament. They will take on McPherson at 2:00 p.m. MTN, followed by Doane at 6:00 p.m. MTN. The squad will conclude the tournament with a Top 10 showdown against #6 Concordia on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. MTN.
"I think this win sets us up in the right direction," Duda said. "I think our girls were a little lethargic to start, but this sets a tone that we're here to play. The girls are focused, they're ready to go. I'm glad we got one underneath our belt and am looking forward to getting on the court tomorrow."
