The Briar Cliff women's volleyball team hosted the Buena Vista Beavers (BVU), Tuesday night at the Newman Flanagan Center, winning the second set and pushing the Beavers to extra points in the fourth before falling 3-1.
BVU took the opening set 25-19 in a back-and-forth frame. Briar Cliff was able to stay within striking distance, with kills from Emma Brenelli, Caton Firkins and Aliyah Rhynalds helping the Chargers keep pace. The Beavers created separation late, however, and closed out the set to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Chargers responded in the second set with their strongest offensive performance of the night. After trading points early, BCU used a strong stretch to take control, turning a 13-12 lead into a 16-13 advantage. The Chargers continued to build momentum, extending the lead to 22-14 before closing out the set 25-17 to even the match. Rhynalds led the charge during the run, delivering four kills in the stretch.
Buena Vista answered in the third set, building an early lead and maintaining control throughout the frame. Briar Cliff found points through Rhynalds, Brooklyn Voss and Alexis Even, but the Beavers' offense pulled away late to claim the set 25-16 and regain the match advantage.
The fourth set featured a competitive finish as the Chargers fought to extend the match. Briar Cliff battled back from a late deficit, with Rhynalds recording consecutive kills to help the Chargers move ahead 23-22. Voss followed with a kill to give Briar Cliff a set point at 24-22. Buena Vista fought off the opportunity and the team's traded points into extra play, but the Beavers scored the final two points to take the set 27-25 and secure the match.
Rhynalds led the Charger offense with 17 kills, hitting .353, while Brenelli added 11 kills. Firkins contributed eight kills and three block assists, and Voss finished with four kills while hitting .444. At the net, Aubrey Hoeft recorded three kills, one solo block and two block assists.
Mia Torchia paced the Chargers with 23 assists, while Kinslee Walrod added 18 assists and a service ace. Ireland Jackson led the defensive effort with 20 digs, and Torchia contributed 12 digs.
The Chargers return back to action on Saturday, October 31, heading to Crete, NE to take on the Doane Tigers. First serve is set for 12:30 p.m.
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