NEED TO KNOW:
Match 1 Score: Meredith 3, Bluffton 1
Match 2 Score: Meredith 3, Alma 0
Record: Meredith, 5-0
WASHINGTON, Pa. - Meredith volleyball continued its outstanding play, cruising to two more wins on Saturday to emerge undefeated in the Vicki Staton Memorial Tournament in Washington, Pennsylvania.
The Avenging Angels closed out Bluffton in four sets in the morning before dispatching Alma in their fourth 3-0 sweep in five matches played this season.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, senior libero
Megan Murray was named Tournament MVP while
Caitlyn Russell earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Match 1: Meredith 3, Bluffton 1
Although Meredith finally dropped a set, the Beavers had to go into extra points to force the match to a fourth set. However, the Avenging Angels were undeterred, taking the fourth set by a 25-20 margin to clinch the match.
Murray earned her Tournament MVP status, recording a season-best 23 digs over the four sets, while also delivering a pair of service aces.
Russell was a standout offensively, with a season-high 20 kills and an efficient .302 hitting percentage. She also tallied a double-double, adding 13 digs as well. Russell's 20 kills marks her third career game reaching 20 or more, having done so once in her sophomore campaign and once more last season.
Elena Bostick continued her strong start to her first season as an Avenging Angel, with 11 digs as the only other player to reach double digits.
Reagan Kresho and
Daven Brabble were strong at the net, tallying three block assists apiece.
Match 2: Meredith 3, Alma 0
Looking to remain unbeaten and close out a perfect tournament in Pennsylvania, Meredith left no doubt in the finale against Alma.
Meredith hit .333 as a team in the first set, racing out to an 8-0 lead for the second straight day. Although the Scots gradually fought back to make it closer later in the set, the Avenging Angels held steady and closed it out at 25-18.
The second set brought more dominance from MC. The Angels used a 7-0 run to establish control of the set at 17-7 and put the pedal down, with back-to-back aces from
Kaiden Hawkins sealing the 2-0 lead for Meredith.
The attempt to close out the sweep was met with early adversity, as Alma flipped the script and ran out to a 14-7 edge midway through the set. However, from there, the Avenging Angels went to work, chipping away at their deficit and eventually taking the lead at 17-16.
Trailing 22-20, Meredith reeled off a decisive 4-0 run, punctuated by a service ace from Murray. Then, after Alma took the next point, Bostick came through with a clutch kill to clinch the match and the 5-0 start to the season.
Up next, Meredith will take on Roanoke on the road this Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
- In Match One of the day, the Avenging Angels recovered from dropping a hard-fought third set to clinch the match with a strong fourth set.
- In Match Two, a late 4-0 run in the third set helped the Avenging Angels come away with their fourth 3-0 sweep in five matches to start the season.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Murray tallied 34 digs on the day and took home Tournament MVP honors.
- Russell added 31 kills and nearly 20 digs over the two matches Saturday and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
NEWS AND NOTES:
- This marks the program's first 5-0 start since the 2016 season.
