COLUMBUS, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College overcame an early setback and took control behind a strong defensive effort and a balanced offensive attack Friday, defeating Indiana University Columbus 3-1 (23-25, 25-9, 25-16, 25-17) in River States Conference women's volleyball action at Cera Sports Park.
The victory improved the Pomeroys to 33-1 overall and a perfect 10-0 in RSC play, while IU Columbus fell to 17-7 overall and 5-5 in conference action.
Karla Melendez-Martinez paced SMWC with a match-high 10 kills, 13 digs and three service aces, while
Gaby Fernandez anchored the back row with a match-high 21 digs.
Ariana Cruz-Gonzalez distributed 15 assists and collected 12 digs, while
Lily Richards added 12 assists and five digs.
The Pomeroys faced adversity early as IU Columbus used a six-point service run by Bailey Stevens to turn a 5-5 tie into an 11-5 advantage. SMWC battled back from a 20-15 deficit behind a kill from
Masa Pesic and a block by
Sofia Soto, eventually pulling even at 20-20. The Pomeroys continued to push, with Melendez-Martinez delivering a kill to tie the score at 22 and an IU Columbus attack error making it 23-23, but the Crimson Pride claimed the final two points to take the early advantage.
SMWC responded emphatically, using its serving pressure and front-row defense to completely change the momentum.
Ryan Canter helped spark a 7-1 opening run, and consecutive service aces from Melendez-Martinez extended the advantage to 14-3. The Pomeroys continued to capitalize on IU Columbus errors, stretching the margin to 22-6 before a block by
Luci Morris punctuated a dominant 25-9 response. SMWC committed no attack errors during that stretch, hitting .333 while holding the Crimson Pride to a minus-.200 hitting percentage.
The momentum carried into the remainder of the match, although IU Columbus briefly threatened to regain control by building a 12-10 lead. Consecutive kills from Melendez-Martinez erased the deficit before Richards delivered a service ace to give SMWC a 13-12 advantage. The Pomeroys gradually created separation, and an
Alexa Orozco kill pushed the lead to 19-16. With
Leishmarie Virella at the service line, SMWC scored the final six points, capped by back-to-back kills from Melendez-Martinez and Soto, to move ahead in the match.
IU Columbus again came out aggressively, opening a 7-5 advantage before Fernandez helped ignite another Pomeroy surge. Her service ace tied the score at 8-8, and kills from Richards and Pesic helped SMWC move in front 11-8. The Pomeroys steadily extended the margin to 16-9, then maintained control down the stretch. Pesic delivered consecutive kills to create match point at 24-17, and an IU Columbus attack error completed the comeback.
SMWC finished with a 32-22 advantage in kills and held the Crimson Pride to a minus-.027 hitting percentage, forcing 26 attack errors. The Pomeroys collected 77 digs, seven service aces and six solo blocks, limiting IU Columbus to just 12 kills over the final three sets.
Along with Melendez-Martinez's double-double, Soto contributed five kills without an attack error on 14 attempts, hitting .357, while Canter added five kills and two blocks. Pesic finished with four kills, including two during the closing stretch, and Virella recorded nine digs and two service aces. The balanced defensive effort also featured 13 digs from Melendez-Martinez and 12 from Cruz-Gonzalez.
Sadie Egan led IU Columbus with nine kills, while Stevens finished with 13 assists, 18 digs and two service aces.
Up Next: Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College continues its RSC road trip Saturday, Oct. 24, traveling to New Albany, Ind., to face Indiana University Southeast. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. The Pomeroys will look to extend their unbeaten conference record.
