GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 18th-ranked Calvin University women's volleyball team finished off a weekend sweep of the MIAA/NCAC Crossover tournament with a pair of wins over Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) and Denison University on Saturday at Van Noord Arena on Saturday.
The Knights defeated OWU 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21) in the opener, and then closed the crossover with a 3-0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-12) sweep of Denison.
Match 1
Calvin started the day with a strong performance in a 3-1 win over the Battling Bishops from OWU.
The Knights cruised to two early wins with strong starts to each of the first two sets, but the Bishops battled back with a good third set to extend the match to a fourth game.
The Calvin attack came through in the fourth set, however, as
Aerin Baker (Saugatuck, Mich./Saugatuck),
Emma Ekblaw (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) and
Avery Ekkens (Portage, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian) each recorded four kills in the set to help the Knights close out the match.
Defense was critical for the Knights early as they held OWU (3-3) to a .032 attack efficiency in the first set and a .079 mark in the second.
Ekkens led the charge on the attack and in the back row, recording 17 kills and 12 digs to lead Calvin in both categories.
Vanessa Martinez (Hudsonville, Mich./Wyoming) led the front row defense with five blocks, while Ekblaw finished with 11 kills.
Match 2
Calvin (5-1) closed out the MIAA/NCAC Crossover with a dominant 3-0 win over the Big Red from Denison (2-4).
The Knights raced out to a big early lead in a 25-9 first-set win as Denison recorded just three kills against 10 errors (-.206 attack efficiency) thanks to six Calvin blocks in the set.
Jasmine Namminga (Pella, Iowa/Pella Community) led the defensive effort with five blocks in the set, while Ekblaw chipped in four.
The Big Red kept the second set close throughout, but Namminga and
Sophie Shields (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) combined for another block to end the set with the Knights winning 25-23.
The third set was smooth sailing for the Knights, who jumped out to a 15-3 lead and never looked back to close out the Big Red.
Calvin finished the match with 14 blocks, with Namminga and Ekblaw leading the charge with eight apiece. Martinez also added six blocks in the win.
Ekblaw led the attack with 12 kills and hit .545, while Ekkens recorded nine kills with a .360 attack efficiency.
Tryna Vander Zwaag (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) led Calvin in both assists (19) and digs (17).
COACH'S COMMENT: "I thought we played good defense again, and I thought that our serve/pass game was nice overall," Calvin head women's volleyball coach Dr.
Amber Warners said. "I think I'm most proud that there were some sticky times where we maybe weren't doing as well and you have to figure out a way to get out of those. I thought we did that better today than last weekend."
NEXT UP: Calvin women's volleyball will return to action on Friday, September 13, when it travels to Medford, Massachusetts, for a tournament hosted by Tufts University. The Knights will face Christopher Newport University on September 13 at 6:30 PM to open the tournament, followed by matches against Whittier College and Tufts on September 14.
