The Briar Cliff women's volleyball team went 1-1 on day one of the CSM/United Sports Academy Labor Day Classic Friday. The Chargers battled in their first match, falling to Saint Mary (Kan.) in five sets. BC rebounded later in the day with a 3-0 sweep over York. 
 
"The experience we gained in our match against Saint Mary was valuable to us," said head coach Lindsey Weatherford. "The experience from a five-set match will only help us when we are in that situation in the future."
 
BC's most effective sets were the first and third when they recorded a hitting percentage of .356 and .239, respectively. However, the Spires took sets two and four behind hitting percentages of over .400 in both sets. 
 
The first set saw plenty of back-and-forth action, with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. With the score tied at 23-23 and after a BC timeout, the Chargers score three of the next four points with kills from Chloe Johnson, Sami Wasmund and Toria Andre to close out the set 26-24.
 
BC took a commanding 11-3 lead early in set three, but the Spires chip away and tie it at 20-20. A Chloe Johnson kill would close out the set three win for BC. 
 
Alexis Johnson had a team high 11 kills, followed by 10 from Olivia Petersen. Sami Wasmund tallied eight kills and two blocks, while Toria Andre had eight kills and three blocks. Tannah Heath dished out a team high 32 assists.
 
"We were also able to sure up our offense and come back with better efficiency against York," said Weatherford.
 
The Chargers made quick work of the Panthers, winning in straight sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-9) in their final game of the day. York stayed within striking distance of the Cliff in set one, but a 4-0 BC run pushed the lead to 17-10. A kill by Alexis Johnson, set up by Heath, would close it out 25-17. 
 
Set two was closely contested and with BC leading 19-18, a Kiersten Baker kill jumpstarted a 6-0 run. During the run, Chloe Johnson notched a kill and Abbey Jones recorded a service ace.
 
BC closed the door in set three with a 7-0 run, followed by a 6-0 run to take a 19-6 advantage. Filimaua Afatia put down three straight kills for the Cliff, followed by a point from Isabelle Lenz to take a 23-9 edge. Keely Duell closed out the 3-0 sweep with an ace. 
 
The Chargers are back at the United Sports Academy tomorrow for a pair of contests. Game one is set for 9 a.m. against Mayville State, while game two is slated for 7:00 p.m. against UT Southern.