DAYTON, Tenn. – The (RV) Blue Raider volleyball team split its Saturday slate at Bryan College, coming up short to Reinhardt (Ga.) before taking down the homestanding Lions.
Both matches went the maximum five sets as Lindsey Wilson received standout performances from two of its seniors.
Luiza Gonçalves accomplished a rare setter's triple-double against Reinhardt. She passed out 32 assists, recorded 13 digs, and hit 0.556 for 10 kills on 18 swings. Gonçalves is the first Blue Raider setter to achieve a triple-double since Camryn Rich on September 27, 2022.
Ola Wyrzykowska posted a pair of double-doubles, including a blistering 0.439 attack percentage versus Bryan, in which she muscled a career-high 27 kills to go with 10 digs and three aces, making her the program's first to have 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs, 150 service aces, and 100 blocks in their career.
Lindsey Wilson acquired additional defensive support from
Sofija Pjevic – 10 blocks – and
Momo Hampton – 27 digs.
Match One: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 2, Reinhardt (Ga.) 3
The Eagles came out of gate strong in the first set with a 5-1 run. Lindsey Wilson cut it down to within two points, twice, but could not find a way around.
Brooke Robinson had four kills as Reinhardt took set one 25-19.
In the second, the Eagles led 15-12 but committed back-to-back errors before a Gonçalves kill to tie the score at 15-15. A four-point Blue Raider run capped by a Robinson service ace gave Lindsey Wilson a 19-16 lead. Reinhardt pushed back to go ahead 23-22 on three consecutive kills. After a Blue Raider timeout, a combo block by Pjevic and
Marija Raonic, followed by an Eagle attack error and Hampton service ace won the set for Lindsey Wilson, 25-23.
Reinhardt used separate short runs to fly away in the third set, but in the fourth, the Blue Raiders pieced a 7-1 spurt to break from a 13-13 tie. The Eagles tried to come back, late, using a 5-1 run to make it 23-21, only for another miscue and Hampton ace to win the set for Lindsey Wilson.
In the fifth, the Eagles outhit Lindsey Wilson 0.261 to -0.033 and outscored the Blue Raiders 11-2 to close.
Match Two: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 3, Bryan (Tenn.) 2
The Blue Raiders overcame a 2-1 deficit against a non-conference opponent for the first time in two years to upend Bryan on its home floor.
The Lions scored the first three points of set one, but Lindsey Wilson countered with seven straight points, including two Wyrzykowska aces and kills from Pjevic,
Ava Blomenberg, and
Natalie Wandrie. Bryan responded to take a 9-8 lead, then slipped away with a five-point run to extend its advantage to 17-14. The Blue Raiders cut the margin down to one, but the Lions held on to win the set 25-22.
Trailing 9-7 in the second, consecutive kills by Wyrzykowska opened a 5-0 Blue Raider run. Bryan answered back with a 5-1 run to tie the set at 14-14. Wyrzykowska was heard from, again, for a kill and joint block with Pjevic, followed by back-to-back aces by
Hannah Garcia to give Lindsey Wilson separation at 20-17. Wandrie ended the set and tied the match with a kill from
Monika Szwarc.
Bryan started out in the third on a 6-1 run but were then outscored 13-5 by Lindsey Wilson. After a Lions' timeout, the home team slowly chipped away and retook the lead with the last three points of the set.
The Blue Raiders hit 0.400 in the fourth to the Lions' 0.091. A 3-0 start with crucial with the help of blocks by Pjevic and Blomenberg. Lindsey Wilson never surrendered the lead or let Bryan tie the score the rest of the frame. Wyrzykowska struck for seven of her 27 kills in set four, three of which came over the Blue Raiders' last six points..
Lindsey Wilson took advantage of eight Bryan errors in the fifth set. Kills from Wyrzykowska and Wandrie, however, got the scoring started for a 2-1 Blue Raider lead. Garcia's fifth service ace of the match and a Lions' hitting error bumped the score to 12-6. A 7-2 surge by Bryan nearly spoiled Lindsey Wilson's efforts, but Wyrzykowska drove the last ball into the ground for a 15-13 set win.
Lindsey Wilson hits the road to Cumberland (Tenn.) at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, October 21.
