MILWAUKEE — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's volleyball remained unbeaten Friday, picking up a pair of four-set victories over Goshen College and Judson University on the opening day of the Blue Angel Bash at Mount Mary University.
The Pomeroys defeated Goshen 22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-10 before closing the day with a 25-13, 22-25, 25-8, 25-17 victory over Judson. The two wins improved SMWC to 6-0 to begin the 2026 season.
SMWC overcame a slow start against Goshen, dropping the opening set before taking control over the final three frames.
After evening the match with a 25-19 win in the second, the Pomeroys steadily increased the pressure. SMWC hit .250 in the third set and .333 in the fourth while holding Goshen to a combined 17 kills over the final three sets.
The Pomeroys finished with a significant advantage from the service line and at the net, recording 16 aces and 13 blocks compared with six aces and three blocks for Goshen.
Karla Melendez-Martinez led the offense with 13 kills and added five service aces and 12 digs.
Selena Sosa also served five aces while collecting a match-high 22 digs.
Luci Morris controlled the net with nine blocks, while
Kelstin Burnette added four and
Kia Knox-Dawkins recorded three.
Ariana Cruz-Gonzalez handed out 18 assists,
Lily Richards added 12 and
Daniella Zvonar finished with 16 digs.
SMWC carried the momentum into its nightcap against Judson and turned in one of its strongest offensive performances of the young season.
The Pomeroys hit .349 as a team and totaled 59 kills while holding Judson to 38 kills and a .152 hitting percentage. SMWC was especially efficient down the stretch, hitting .412 in the third set and .500 in the fourth.
Melendez-Martinez again paced the Pomeroy attack, delivering 20 kills.
Ryan Canter added 13 kills and
Masa Pesic finished with 12 as SMWC had three players reach double figures.
The Pomeroys dominated the third set, 25-8, after Judson evened the match with a 25-22 victory in the second. SMWC then closed out the evening with 16 kills and just two errors in the fourth set.
Gaby Fernandez anchored the defense with 22 digs and added three service aces.
Leishmarie Virella contributed 17 digs and two aces, while Richards recorded a double-double with 20 assists and 12 digs.
Cruz-Gonzalez added 19 assists and
Ayiana Nieves handed out eight as the Pomeroys totaled 57 assists on their 59 kills.
Across Friday's two matches, Melendez-Martinez totaled 33 kills as SMWC extended its season-opening winning streak to six matches.
SMWC concludes play at the Blue Angel Bash on Saturday with two more matches in Milwaukee. The Pomeroys face host Mount Mary University at
10 a.m. CT before taking on
Missouri Valley College at 2 p.m. CT. Live stats for both matches will be available at
SMWCAthletics.com.
