LIMA, Ohio — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's volleyball team continued its remarkable season Saturday afternoon, sweeping a nonconference doubleheader against the University of Northwestern Ohio at The Garage. The Pomeroys opened the day with a 3-1 victory before completing the sweep with a 3-0 triumph, improving to 37-1 overall and extending their winning streak to 13 matches.
SMWC claimed the opening match by scores of 25-12, 25-14, 19-25 and 25-9 before closing the afternoon with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-11 sweep. The Pomeroys combined for 100 kills and 17 service aces across the two matches while holding the Racers to a combined hitting percentage below .100.
In the opening match, senior Karla Melendez-Martinez powered the SMWC offense with a match-high 18 kills on 33 attempts, committing just four errors for an impressive .424 hitting percentage. She added seven digs, two block assists and a service ace to finish with 20 points.
Raimey Owens delivered an efficient performance with nine kills and no attacking errors on 26 swings, hitting .346, while
Luci Morris contributed eight kills and four block assists.
Masa Pesic added eight kills, and
Gaby Fernandez anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 21 digs.
The Pomeroys received balanced production from their setters, with
Lily Richards distributing 23 assists and
Ayiana Nieves adding 21 assists, 10 digs and two service aces.
Harper Ash provided a spark from the service line with four aces.
SMWC established control early, using a balanced offensive attack to build an 18-10 advantage in the opening set before closing on a 7-2 run. Melendez-Martinez led the charge as the Pomeroys hit .364 in the frame.
The momentum continued as SMWC jumped ahead 8-3 in the second set. Northwestern Ohio briefly trimmed the deficit to 10-10, but the Pomeroys responded with a 9-3 stretch, fueled by kills from Melendez-Martinez and strong serving from Ash. SMWC eventually secured the 25-14 victory to take a commanding two-set advantage.
Northwestern Ohio answered in the third, erasing a 13-7 deficit with seven consecutive points and eventually claiming the set, 25-19. The Pomeroys quickly eliminated any hopes of a comeback, opening the fourth set on a 7-1 run behind four kills from
Ryan Canter.
SMWC never looked back, hitting a blistering .429 in the final frame while limiting the Racers to a negative .037 hitting percentage. The Pomeroys closed the match with a commanding 25-9 victory to secure their 36th win of the season.
In the second match, SMWC showcased its depth with a different lineup stepping forward to complete the afternoon sweep.
Canter led the offensive attack with 11 kills on 25 attempts, committing just one error to hit .400. Owens followed with 10 kills and a .286 hitting percentage, while
Kelstin Burnette added eight kills and four total blocks.
Sofia Soto delivered a strong all-around performance with five kills and a match-high five total blocks, including two solo stops.
Natalie Knigga contributed four kills, nine digs and a service ace.
Nieves handed out a team-high 15 assists and recorded three service aces, while
Ariana Cruz-Gonzalez distributed 13 assists and collected six digs. Defensively,
Daniella Zvonar led the Pomeroys with 11 digs, followed by
Selena Sosa with 10 digs and seven assists.
SMWC established an early advantage in the opening set, using kills from Canter, Owens and Soto to build a 19-14 lead. After the Racers trimmed the margin to 19-17, the Pomeroys maintained their composure and closed the set with a 6-2 advantage, finishing with a block from Soto and Burnette to secure the 25-19 victory.
The second set proved to be the most competitive of the match. SMWC built a 10-5 lead behind three service aces from Nieves, but Northwestern Ohio battled back and eventually tied the score at 15-15.
The Pomeroys regained control with kills from Burnette and Canter, taking an 18-15 advantage before extending their lead to 23-21. The Racers rallied to even the score at 23-23, but a Northwestern Ohio setting error gave SMWC set point, and Canter delivered the decisive kill off an assist from Nieves to secure the 25-23 victory.
SMWC left little doubt in the final set, racing to a 6-0 lead behind two service aces from Ash and a pair of blocks from Soto. The Pomeroys continued to overwhelm the Racers at the net, stretching their advantage to 14-2 and eventually cruising to a 25-11 victory.
Owens punctuated the sweep with the match-winning kill, while SMWC finished the contest with eight team blocks and eight service aces. The Pomeroys held Northwestern Ohio to a .087 hitting percentage, including a negative .094 mark in the final set.
The two victories extended SMWC's winning streak to 13 matches as the Pomeroys continued their preparation for postseason play. Already crowned River States Conference regular-season champions, SMWC remains unbeaten in conference competition at 12-0 and has secured the right to host the upcoming RSC Tournament.
Up Next
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods returns home Friday, Nov. 6, to host Brescia University (Ky.) in its River States Conference regular-season finale. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET inside the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center, where the Pomeroys will also celebrate Senior Night.
SMWC will look to complete an undefeated conference regular season before turning its attention to the RSC Tournament and its upcoming NAIA postseason appearance.
