Decatur, Ill. - The Albion Volleyball team picked up a 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 24-26, 25-15) over Nebraska Wesleyan.
Carly Frank led the team with 12 kills, while
Bri Whitfield added an additional 11.
Margaret Jones led the team with five blocks and four aces, while
Paige Williamson added two aces and set the school record for total career aces. Williamson also led the team with 18 digs.
Molly Edmunds and
Joelle Boeskool split the assists almost perfectly even with 15 and 14 respectively.
Set 1 | Albion 25, Nebraska Wesleyan 22
The opening set would start with both teams trading points, with the Prairie Wolves taking an early 7-4 lead. The Brits would respond with kills by Bri Whitfield and Margaret Jones to cut into the deficit, however Nebraska Wesleyan would continue to find success offensively and build a 12-8 advantage. Albion would continue to battle, eventually tying the set at 16 following a block by Carson Howard and Jillian Gibbs. The Prairie Wolves would regain a two-point lead at 18-16, but the Brits would respond with a key run powered by back-to-back service aces from Paige Williamson and kills by Whitfield and Jones to take a 21-18 lead. The teams would trade points down the stretch before Carly Frank recorded the set-sealing kill to give Albion the 25-22 victory. The Brits would hit a .152 in the opening set.
Set 2 | Albion 25, Nebraska Wesleyan 21
Set two would begin with another close battle, as the teams would trade points before tying the set at 6-6. The Brits would then find their rhythm, putting together a strong run with kills from Jones and Frank, a service ace from Whitfield and Nebraska Wesleyan errors to build a 12-7 lead. Albion would continue to maintain its advantage, using kills from Cameron Smith and Frank, along with a block by Jones and Frank, to help extend the lead. The Prairie Wolves would look to make a comeback late in the set, cutting the deficit to four at 18-14 and continuing to battle down the stretch. The Brits would stay composed, with kills from Frank and Jillian Gibbs helping Albion close out the set 25-21 and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Albion would record 14 kills in the second set and hit a .200.
Set 3 | Nebraska Wesleyan 26, Albion 24
With the match on the line, the Prairie Wolves would look to extend the contest after Albion took the first two sets. The teams would trade points early, with the Brits building a 14-10 advantage following a kill by Smith and an attack error by Nebraska Wesleyan. Albion would continue to build its lead, using kills from Frank and Smith, along with a block by Frank and Gibbs, to take a commanding 20-13 advantage. The Prairie Wolves would respond with a late rally, cutting into the deficit and eventually tying the set at 20. Both teams would continue to battle, with Albion holding a 22-20 lead before Nebraska Wesleyan scored back-to-back points to tie the set at 22 and then take a 23-22 lead. A kill by Frank would tie the set at 23, and a kill by Ella Foote would give the Brits a 24-23 set point. Nebraska Wesleyan would respond to tie the set at 24 before scoring the final two points, taking the set 26-24 and forcing a fourth set. Both teams would finish the set hitting .079.
Set 4 | Albion 25, Nebraska Wesleyan 15
Looking to close out the match, the Brits would come out strong in the fourth set, quickly building a 4-1 lead following a service ace by Jones and a ball-handling error by Nebraska Wesleyan. Albion would continue its strong start, with a kill by Smith, an ace from Ava Wilcox and a kill by Whitfield helping the Brits build a 10-3 advantage. The Prairie Wolves would attempt to battle back, but Albion would maintain control behind its defense and serving, extending the lead to 14-7 following an ace by Molly Edmunds and a block by Jones. The Brits would continue to apply pressure, with Frank recording a service ace and Whitfield adding a kill to help Albion reach a 21-11 lead. Nebraska Wesleyan would attempt to close the gap, but the Brits would finish strong, with Whitfield recording a kill before a Nebraska Wesleyan attack error gave Albion the final point. The Brits would take the set 25-15 to secure the 3-1 victory. Albion would hit a .138 in the final set.
News and Notes:
With 11 aces, that marks a season high for the Brits
With nine total blocks, that ties the best mark for the Brits
Paige Williamson set a school record in career aces with her two in the game
Margaret Jones had a season high four aces
Bri Whitfield had her fourth straight 10+ kill game
Cameron Smith had her best hitting percentage of the season with a .417%
Jillian Gibbs had a season high four kills and three blocks
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