The Charger women's volleyball team opened the William Penn Tournament with a pair of dominant victories Friday, sweeping host William Penn 3-0 in the afternoon before taking down York (Neb.) 3-0 in the evening.
Match 1 vs. William Penn – W, 3-0
BCU opened the tournament with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 sweep of the William Penn Statesmen. The Chargers and Statesmen battled through the early stages of the opening set before Briar Cliff created separation with an 8-1 run that turned a 10-8 lead into an 18-10 advantage. William Penn fought back late, but the Chargers closed out the set 25-20.
The Chargers carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 5-2 lead before William Penn briefly pulled even at 5-5. BCU responded with four straight points and continued to build its advantage, taking a 14-8 lead. The Statesmen rallied to tie the set at 18-18, but Briar Cliff answered with a 7-0 run to finish the set 25-18.
The third set was neck and neck until William Penn took a 16-14 lead. The Chargers then rallied to tie the set at 18-18 before taking a 21-20 advantage. BCU continued to hold off the Statesmen down the stretch, with a kill from
Caton Firkins giving the Chargers match point before William Penn's final attack error sealed the 25-23 victory.
Aliyah Basham led the Chargers with eight kills, while
Emma Brenelli added seven and
Brooklyn Voss and Firkins each recorded six.
Aubrey Hoeft finished with five kills while hitting .714.
Reese Strouth led the team with 17 assists, while
Mia Torchia added 10.
Ireland Jackson paced the defense with 13 digs, while Torchia added seven.
Match 2 vs. York – W, 3-0
Briar Cliff closed out the day with another sweep, defeating York 25-16, 25-20 and 25-11. The Chargers dominated the opening set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead before extending the advantage to 13-5. York battled back to cut the deficit to 18-14, but BCU answered by scoring seven of the final nine points to take the set 25-16.
The second set featured a stronger push from York, who took an early 8-5 lead before the Chargers responded. The Panthers tied the set at 8-8, but BCU regained control and eventually took a 17-14 lead. York later pulled even at 18-18, but Briar Cliff finished the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-20.
The Chargers left no doubt in the third, racing out to a 4-0 lead and stretching the advantage to 13-3. York managed to cut the deficit to 16-7, but BCU continued to pull away, eventually reaching match point at 24-10 before closing out the sweep 25-11.
Basham turned in another strong offensive performance, leading all Chargers with 10 kills while hitting an impressive .643.
Alexis Even added six kills, Brenelli had five, and Firkins finished with four. Torchia led the offense with 16 assists, followed by Strouth with 13. Jackson recorded a team-high 14 digs, while
Korbin Olorndami added eight.
As a team, Briar Cliff hit .250 against York and held the Panthers to a -.055 hitting percentage.
The Chargers return to action Saturday to close out the William Penn Tournament. Their first game is slated to begin at 9 am against Culver-Stockton College.
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