The Briar Cliff women's volleyball team battled against No.9 Wayne State on Tuesday evening, but fell in straight sets (13-25, 6-25, 21-25). 

The Chargers fought hard in each frame, with their strongest push coming in the third set. Briar Cliff kept pace with the Wildcats early and used a balanced attack from Aliyah Basham, Emma Brenelli, and Aubrey Hoeft to stay within striking distance. Wayne State, however, closed the frame with a late run to secure the sweep.

Basham led the Chargers with 5 kills, 3 block assists, and 4 digs. Brenelli and Isabelle Lenz also tallied 5 kills apiece, while Lenz also recorded 5 digs. 

Setter Reese Strouth paced the offense with 12 assists and added 12 digs. Kylie Hart recorded 5 assists on the night, and Ayla Richardson added 4.

Defensively, Avery Beller anchored the back row with 19 digs. At the net, Basham, Hoeft, and Brooklyn Voss combined for 9 block assists on the night.

The Chargers move to 8-9 on the season and 2-4 in GPAC play. They return to action this Friday and Saturday evening to take on No.17 Midland and No.2 Concordia. First serves are set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.