GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport University women's volleyball team completed a perfect run through the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Classic with a pair of four-set victories Saturday inside the DU Student Center.
The Panthers defeated Slippery Rock 3-1 in the afternoon before rallying past Cedarville 3-1 in the tournament finale. The two wins completed a 4-0 weekend and extended Davenport's winning streak to six matches.
Karley Pretzer led DU with 16 kills against Slippery Rock, while
Savanah Weathers recorded 14 kills and 11 digs in the win over Cedarville.
Match One vs. Slippery Rock
Result: W, 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-23, 25-22)
How it Happened
Davenport broke open a tight first set by turning a 10-9 edge into a 17-11 lead. Pretzer and
Keira Dommer supplied kills during the run, while
Amelia Werner added a block. DU remained in control from there and took the set, 25-16.
The Panthers erased an early 4-0 deficit in the second and eventually moved ahead 18-15. Slippery Rock responded down the stretch, but kills from Pretzer and Werner helped Davenport fight off two set points and pull even at 24. The Rock claimed the next two rallies to even the match with a 26-24 win.
DU recovered from another slow start in the third and built a 10-7 advantage behind three kills from
Mariya Montgomery. Slippery Rock tied the score twice late, but Davenport remained in front before Weathers delivered the set-clinching kill for a 25-23 victory.
The Panthers appeared to have control of the fourth with a 21-15 lead, but The Rock rallied to tie the score at 21. Davenport responded by winning four of the final five points, including consecutive kills from Weathers and a match-ending block by Montgomery and
Livi Overbeek.
Davenport hit .314 with 68 kills while limiting Slippery Rock to a .143 hitting percentage. Pretzer led DU with 16 kills, while Dommer finished with 32 assists and seven digs.
Hayley Carr collected 19 digs and nine assists. Montgomery added nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage and five total blocks.
Match Two vs. Cedarville
Result: W, 3-1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-20, 26-24)
How it Happened
Davenport twice battled back from five-point deficits in the opening set. Weathers helped DU cut a 22-17 Cedarville lead to one with three kills during the late push, but the Lady Yellow Jackets held on for a 25-22 victory.
The Panthers trailed 19-16 in the second before
Rachel Youngblood and
Jaide Wirth helped DU move ahead 21-20. Cedarville later reached set point at 24-23, but Werner tied the score with a kill, Youngblood put Davenport in front and a Lady Yellow Jacket attack error completed the 26-24 comeback.
DU carried the momentum into the third, using a seven-point run to turn a 7-5 edge into a 14-5 advantage. Youngblood recorded three kills during the stretch and later finished the set with another, giving the Panthers a 25-20 win.
Cedarville regained control in the fourth and held an 18-14 lead before Davenport worked its way back. The teams were tied at 21 before the Lady Yellow Jackets eventually earned set point at 24-23.
Wirth kept the match alive with a kill, and Werner teamed up with
Abby Alan for a block on the following rally. Alan then put away the match-winning kill from
Madison Berry, securing the 26-24 victory and Davenport's unbeaten weekend.
Weathers led the Panthers with 14 kills, 11 digs, two block assists and an ace. Dommer handed out 36 assists and added nine digs, while Werner finished with eight kills on a .333 hitting percentage and five total blocks. Carr anchored the back row with 18 digs and added five assists.
Up Next
Davenport will open GLIAC play against Michigan Tech on Friday, Sept. 11, at 5 p.m. inside the DU Student Center.
