Briar Cliff volleyball returned for day two of the CSM Labor Day Classic Saturday morning. The Chargers dropped their first match against Bethel College (22-25, 20-25, 18-25), and rebounded with a 3-1 win over Evangel (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-21).

Game 1 vs. Bethel – L, 0-3

The Threshers started strong with a 4-10 lead, but the Chargers closed the gap with back-to-back kills by Sami Wasmund and Makynna Snow, now 9-13, forcing a Threshers timeout.  

Yenne Schepers brought the score 14-15 with a service ace, and after a pair of four-point runs the Chargers took an 18-16 lead. The Threshers used errors by BC to get back in the lead. A back and forth battle for the lead, ended with Bethel taking a 25-22 set win.

Set two started with the similar back and forth battle with the score at 5-5. The Chargers began to pull away with the lead with a kill from Filimaua Afatia and a service ace by Jaice Johnson putting the score at 8-5. The Threshers kept battling back tying the score again at 14-14. Toria Andre found open spots in the back court for two kills and an error by Bethel to give the Chargers a 17-14 lead. With a 22-19 lead, the Threshers scored three of the last four points to take set two.  

The Chargers quickly fell behind in set three 5-1, but fought back to pull within one, 6-5, with a kill from Reese Strouth. Bethel would hold the lead throughout the set as they completed the sweep.  

Snow lead BC with nine kills, Andre followed with seven kills and a .250 hitting percentage. Wasmund tallied five kills along with three digs. Avery Beller led the Chargers with 15 digs and two assists. Olivia Corey and Schepers both recorded 14 assists and four digs. 

 Game 2 vs. Evangel – W, 3-1

The Chargers took advantage of Evangel errors early, building a 4-1 lead with three Valor errors. Toria Andre recorded two straight points for BC, assisted by Yenne Schepers, but the Valor would tie the contest at 6-6.

Following a Wasmund kill, she would hold serve for five straight BC points as they built up a 16-12 lead. Evangel tied the contest at 19-all but after two BC points, the Chargers didn't relinguish the lead. Snow scored the last two points for BC as they won the set 25-23.

Evangel started quick and pulled away early in the second set. After building a 10-4 lead, causing a BC timeout, they win the set 25-12.

The Chargers and Valor were evenly matched in the third set, with the largest lead being four in favor of the Chargers. The two teams, however, stayed within two points of each other for the majority of the set.

With the score tied at 18, it was the Blue and Gold who began to build momentum. Following a Valor error, Toria Andre recorded two kills for the Cliff followed by a Taylin Boettcher ace. Andre recorded points 24 and 25 with kills from Schepers to close out the set win.

The Chargers hit .225 in the fourth and final set, while the Valor hit .070. The Chargers recorded 12 kills, and took advantage of 11 Valor errors, to close out the 3-1 match win.

Snow, Wasmund and Andre all recorded 11 kills each. Wasmund and Andre both hit over .300 for the match. Andre had six blocks, followed by Reese Strouth's five and Wasmund's four.

Beller hit a new career high with 30 digs, and Schepers had 22 assists.

The Chargers will return to GPAC play when they face their rival, Morningside, on Tuesday, September 5 at Allee Gym at 7:30 p.m.