SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods continued its undefeated start Friday afternoon, sweeping the University of Rio Grande in its River States Conference opener inside the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center.
The Pomeroys defeated the RedStorm 25-19, 25-10 and 25-14 to improve to 21-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Rio Grande fell to 5-13 overall and 0-1 in the RSC.
SMWC delivered an efficient offensive performance, recording 41 kills with only eight errors on 92 attempts for a .359 hitting percentage. The Pomeroys limited Rio Grande to a .072 attacking percentage.
Ryan Canter and Karla Melendez-Martinez led the attack with 10 kills apiece. Canter hit .444, while Melendez-Martinez added 11 digs for a double-double.
Sofia Soto finished with seven kills and no errors on 13 attempts for a .538 hitting percentage, while
Natalie Knigga contributed six kills and hit .500.
Gaby Fernandez anchored the back row with a match-high 17 digs and two service aces.
Lily Richards directed the offense with 21 assists, while
Ariana Cruz-Gonzalez added 12 assists.
After taking the opening set, SMWC seized control of the match with a dominant second frame. The Pomeroys hit .481 in the set and used an eight-point run to build a commanding 17-7 advantage. SMWC closed the match by breaking open a tight third set with seven consecutive points, turning a 10-9 lead into a 17-9 cushion.
The Pomeroys return to the court Saturday, Sept. 12, when they host West Virginia Tech in another RSC matchup. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET inside the Knoerle Center.
