WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University women's volleyball squad fell twice on day two (Sept. 1) of the Hyatt Place Sunshine Classic, hosted by Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Cardinals dropped their first match against No. 7 Washburn in straight sets, while also falling to Northwest Missouri State in three games.
Game 1: No. 7 Washburn 3, Saginaw Valley 0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-22)
The Lady Cardinals faced a tough test against one of the top teams in No .7 Washburn University. The Lady Blues took control in the first set and SVSU was unable to fend off a powerful offensive attack as Washburn posted a .444 hitting percentage in the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead.
Saginaw Valley faced a large 23-15 deficit in the third set but responded with seven straight points to come within one (23-22). However, Washburn would capitalize on the next two points for the 3-0 match victory.
Sophomore Kate Czopek (Sterling Heights, Mich.) led SVSU with six kills, eight digs and two blocks to earn Chili's 'Player of the Match' honors. Fellow sophomores Kelsey Ferla (Lincoln Park, Mich. / Gabriel Richard HS) and Makenzie Ferla (Fraser, Mich.) posted a team-high seven and five kills, respectively.
Freshman Brooke Tiller (Maumee, Ohio) gathered ten digs in the contest while senior setter Sam Breault (Bad Axe, Mich.) totaled 25 assists.
Game 2: Northwest Missouri State, Saginaw Valley (25-14, 25-11, 25-18)
The Cardinals won the first four points of the match for the early advantage, but the Bearcats stormed back to take the first set 25-14. Saginaw Valley fell behind early in the second set and never was able to recover as NWMSU ran off to the 25-11 decision and a 2-0 lead in the match.
In a must-win set for SVSU, the Lady Cardinals battled in the early stages to a 10-10 stalemate. However, the Bearcats were too much for the Cardinals today as they completed the sweep with a 25-18 final set.
Kelsey Ferla earned Chili's 'Player of the Match' recognition with a team-high ten kills on 36 total attempts, including nine digs and two blocks. Makenzie Frodle added five kills of her own while Sam Breault posted 16 assists in the contest.
Saginaw Valley volleyball will return to action with five matches next weekend at the St. Joseph's Invitational in Rensselaer, Indiana. SVSU will play three matches on Friday (Sept. 7) and two on Saturday (Sept. 8).