Briar Cliff University

The Charger women's volleyball team battled the No. 2 ranked Concordia Bulldogs Friday night at Friedrich Arena but fell 3-0 to move to 10-8 overall and 1-6 in GPAC.

Concordia controlled the opening set early, jumping out to a 6-0 advantage. Briar Cliff responded with several runs throughout the set, cutting the deficit to 10-7 and later 14-9. The Chargers continued to battle, but the Bulldogs pulled away late to take the opening set 25-15. 

The second set featured a stronger start from Briar Cliff. The Chargers held early leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before Concordia answered with a 5-0 run. BCU stayed within striking distance, cutting the deficit to 10-9 before the Bulldogs extended their lead. The Chargers continued to fight late, trimming the margin to 20-15 and eventually 23-19, but Concordia closed the set 25-20. 

Briar Cliff saved its strongest push for the third set, battling through a back-and-forth frame that featured 10 ties. After Concordia took a 19-17 lead, the Chargers responded with a 6-0 run to move ahead 23-20. The Bulldogs fought back to force extra points, but Briar Cliff continued to battle, tying the set at 25-25 and again at 27-27. The Bulldogs finished the set scoring the final two points to take it 29-27 and complete the sweep. 

Emma Brenelli led the Charger offense with seven kills, while Aubrey Hoeft added six kills while hitting .462. Aliyah Rhynalds, Alexis Even, and Brianna Wittrock each contributed four kills. 

Mia Torchia recorded a team-high 13 assists and added 12 digs and a service ace. Reese Strouth finished with 10 assists, while Korbin Olorndami led the Chargers defensively with 11 digs. At the net, Rhynalds and Brooklyn Voss each recorded four block assists, while Hoeft added three. 

The Chargers return to action Saturday, October 3, to take on the No.15 Midland Warriors. First serve is set for 5 p.m.