MEDFORD, Mass. – The 17th-ranked Calvin University volleyball team finished the Boston Invite on a high note with a pair of wins over Whittier College and Tufts University on Saturday.
The Knights took the opener against Whittier 3-1 (18-25, 25-10, 28-26 and 25-15), and then closed the tournament with a 3-1 win at Tufts (33-31, 23-25, 25-14 and 25-22).
Match 1
Calvin (6-2) started the day with a 3-1 win over Whittier (6-3) by the scores of 18-25, 25-10, 28-26 and 25-15.
Whittier got off to a strong start with a 25-18 win in the first set, but the Knights responded with a dominant second set. Calvin held the Poets to a -.089 attack percentage in the set thanks to four blocks, and
Aerin Baker (Saugatuck, Mich./Saugatuck) and
Emma Ekblaw paced the Knights' attack with five kills apiece in the set.
The third set went back and forth with 12 ties and three lead changes. The Knights trailed 24-22 late, but saved three set points with the help of a pair of Ekblaw kills, and then put the set away 28-26 on a kill from
Tianna Stygstra (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian).
Calvin rode that momentum into the fourth set as it raced out to a 17-5 lead and never looked back on the way to the win.
Baker led the Knights with 19 kills and hit .444 on the attack for the match, while Ekblaw added 13 kills and
Avery Ekkens (Portage, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) chipped in 10 kills to go with a career-high 25 digs.
Mackenzie Gerig (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) added 21 digs in the win.
Match 2
The Knights finished off the day with a 3-1 win over the hosts from Tufts by the scores of 33-31, 23-25, 25-14 and 25-22.
The two teams battled in a wild first set that extended well beyond the 25-point mark. The set featured 23 ties and 10 lead changes. Calvin (7-2) held a late lead, but the Jumbos saved four set points before the Knights were finally able to put the set away with a block by Baker and
Jasmine Namminga (Pella, Iowa/Pella Community). Calvin hit .333 on the attack for the set, led by seven kills from Baker and five from Ekkens.
Tufts (3-6) responded with a strong second set to even the match 1-1, but the Knights regained the momentum in the third as they roared out of the huddle with a 10-0 lead before finishing the set 25-14 to take a 2-1 lead overall.
Calvin once again started strong in the fourth set before the Jumbos ran off five straight points to tie the score 19-19. The Knights would not be denied down the stretch, however, and held off the hosts to secure the Saturday sweep.
The Knights were dominant up front on the attack and on defense, hitting .213 for the match while finishing with 15 total blocks.
Vanessa Martinez (Hudsonville, Mich./Wyoming) led the defensive effort with 10 blocks to go with seven kills.
Baker once again led the attack with 15 kills, while Ekblaw added 11 kills to go with five blocks. Gerig led the back row effort with 18 digs.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Really happy with how we responded today after yesterday ," Calvin head women's volleyball coach Dr.
Amber Warners said. "We played with a lot of heart, grit, and everyone put the team over themselves. It really showed in our play."
NEXT UP: Calvin women's volleyball will return to action on Friday, September 20, when it plays a pair of matches at North Park University. The Knights will start the day with a match against Aurora University at 4:30 CT, followed by a match against North Park at 7:30 PM CT.
