RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The Lindsey Wilson volleyball team opened play at the Emileigh Jo Cooper Memorial Classic on Friday, posting consecutive three-set sweeps over West Virginia Tech and Ohio Christian to improve to 4-3 overall.
Freshman
Lara Danesi led the Blue Raiders in total kills and digs with 12 and 17, respectively.
As a team, Lindsey Wilson racked up 19 service aces, including five from
Ola Wyrzykowska and four apiece from
Elisa Burzio and
Haleigh Wood.
Match One: Lindsey Wilson 3, West Virginia Tech 0
The Blue Raider utilized seven first-set service aces and late surges in the second and third sets to remain undefeated all-time against the Golden Bears are start the day off with a sweep.
Knotted at 2-2 in the opening frame, a kill by Burzio channeled a 7-0 Lindsey Wilson run, during which Wyrzykowska laid down three aces. West Virginia Tech pushed back with consecutive points but were stuffed by an unrelenting Blue Raider attack that finished with 12 kills and zero errors in the first set. Lindsey Wilson dominated the closing stages of the set with an 8-0 rally, including three aces from
Alessia Bergesio.
The Golden Bears raced out to a 7-2 lead in the second set before tripping over their own mistakes. A string of three consecutive attack errors by Tech allowed the Blue Raiders to charge in front with a 7-1 stretch. The two sides traded points up to a 17-17 tie, and from there Lindsey Wilson took control scoring eight of the next 10 points to move ahead 2-0 in the match.
Another back-and-forth battle played out in the third, eventually building to a 16-16 deadlock. Once again, the Bears ran into trouble on the attack with a pair of miscues sparking a 9-3 rush by the Blue Raiders.
Savanah Pippin and Wyrzykowska each chipped in two kills during the final run as Lindsey Wilson clinched its second sweep of the season.
Match Two: Lindsey Wilson 3, Ohio Christian 0
A sluggish Trail Blazer offense helped send Lindsey Wilson on to another straight-set decision. The Blue Raiders held Ohio Christian to a negative attack percentage across all three sets while also stifling their opposition with 10 service aces.
The victors went ahead 7-2 early in the first frame and maintained a five-point lead up until a 13-8 scoreline. Ohio Christian settled into a rhythm, however, to go on an 8-1 run and take the lead. Following a timeout, Lindsey Wilson countered with a seven-point rally that featured two aces from Wood. The late push carried the Blue Raiders to a 25-20 set win.
Lindsey Wilson never trailed by more than a point over the remainder of the match. The Trail Blazers led 2-1 in the second and 1-0 in the third before quickly falling behind.
In the second, a 9-2 spurt with aces from Burzio and Wyrzykowska, and kills from the latter and Pippin, set the Blue Raiders up with a 10-4 advantage. The lead grew to as many as seven points, keeping Ohio Christian in the rearview mirror.
Lindsey Wilson played its strongest set of the match in the third, outing acing and outblocking the Trail Blazers 3-0 while organizing a comfortable edge that resulted in a 25-13 set victory.
The Blue Raiders conclude their stay in Ohio on Saturday when they take on Kentucky Christian at 11 a.m. CST and Shawnee State (Ohio) at 4 p.m. CST.
