OMAHA, Neb. – After suffering their
first loss of the season yesterday evening, the #10 University of Providence volleyball team responded valiantly, taking down #6 Concordia in three sets (25-23, 25-17, 25-23). The win marks the third Top 10 team the Argos (7-1) have defeated so far this season.
"I think we approached today with the correct mindset," head coach
Arunas Duda said. "I credit the girls a lot for switching gears and being able to bounce back after yesterday. We went point for point with them and I don't think they were ready for that."
The Argos were stout defensively, especially at the net. The squad recorded a total of 14 blocks on the game, tying their season-high.
Zoe Naugle led the effort, recording six on her own. The team also passed extremely well, going the whole game without recording any ball handling errors.
Sacha Legros led the team in digs with 10.
"We played defense extremely well," Duda said. "We started blocking the ball and that changed the whole outlook on the game. We pride ourselves on how well we can defend, both at the net and defensively. When our block has the opportunity to set up, even if we're not blocking balls, we're funneling the ball to our defense. Yesterday we didn't have a grasp on either one of those and today we were able to put it together."
Sadie Lott let the way offensively, notching 13 kills on an astounding .500 hitting percentage. Naugle recorded eight kills,
Madysen Hoerner added seven, while
Jenna Thorne had six.
Cydney Finberg-Roberts recorded a total of 33 assists.
The win caps off a successful tournament for the Argos. The team went 3-1 on the weekend, suffering their first loss of the season, but adding another Top 10 win to their resume. The team will hope to continue the momentum next weekend in Arizona at the OUAZ tournament, with another Top 25 showdown against #12 Bellevue.
"I think last night's loss was a great learning experience for our girls," Duda said. "They responded today. It just shows that the girls, when they come ready to play, can compete with anybody in the country. We still have a lot to learn and a long way to go but you can't be disappointed with three Top 10 wins in two weekends."
