UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College bounced back from its first loss of the season to defeat Governors State University in four sets and earn a split Saturday at the Governors State Tri-Match.
The Pomeroys (25-1) opened the day with a five-set loss to Kansas Wesleyan University before responding with a 25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 26-24 victory over Governors State.
Kansas Wesleyan 3, SMWC 2
Kansas Wesleyan handed SMWC its first loss of the season with a 22-25, 25-20, 14-25, 25-19, 15-13 victory.
Karla Melendez-Martinez powered the Pomeroys with a match-high 28 kills while hitting .333. She added six digs and four block assists to finish with 30 points.
SMWC used a late run to capture the opening set. The Pomeroys trailed 19-18 before scoring five consecutive points, including kills from
Natalie Knigga and
Luci Morris, to move ahead 23-19. Melendez-Martinez later delivered a kill to create set point before Morris and
Ryan Canter combined for the clinching block.
Kansas Wesleyan responded in the second despite SMWC building an early 13-6 lead. The Coyotes erased the deficit, tied the set at 16 and closed on a 9-4 run to even the match.
The Pomeroys delivered their strongest offensive performance in the third, recording 17 kills with only three errors for a .412 hitting percentage. SMWC raced to a 12-3 advantage behind four early kills from Melendez-Martinez and rolled to a 25-14 victory.
Kansas Wesleyan forced a fifth set by taking the fourth, 25-19. The Coyotes built a 9-5 advantage in the deciding frame before SMWC mounted a late rally.
Gaby Fernandez served an ace as the Pomeroys pulled within 10-9, and kills from Knigga and Melendez-Martinez kept SMWC within one late. Kansas Wesleyan held on for the final two-point margin.
Fernandez anchored the defense with a match-high 27 digs and added two service aces.
Lily Richards finished with 24 assists and 14 digs, while
Ariana Cruz-Gonzalez contributed 19 assists and nine digs.
Masa Pesic recorded nine kills and five block assists. Canter added eight kills and four total blocks, while Morris led the front-row defense with 10 block assists.
SMWC held advantages in kills (64-54), digs (81-77), blocks (14.5-8) and hitting percentage (.176-.158).
SMWC 3, Governors State 1
The Pomeroys recovered quickly in their second match, holding Governors State to a .124 hitting percentage and finishing with advantages in kills (57-43) and blocks (8-4).
Pesic led a balanced SMWC attack with 14 kills and a .407 hitting percentage. Melendez-Martinez added 10 kills, while Canter finished with nine kills and three block assists.
SMWC controlled the opening set with a 10-1 run that turned a 10-8 advantage into a commanding 20-9 lead. Pesic delivered two kills and combined with Morris on two blocks during the surge before closing the 25-16 victory with another kill.
The Pomeroys carried that momentum into the second, gradually building a 20-14 advantage. Canter supplied a late kill, Morris recorded a solo block and Melendez-Martinez finished the 25-18 set with a kill.
Governors State extended the match by taking the third set, 25-21, and led 24-22 in the fourth. Facing two set points, SMWC answered with four consecutive points. An attack error brought the Pomeroys within one before Melendez-Martinez tied the set with a kill. Canter followed with the go-ahead kill, and another Governors State attack error completed the 26-24 comeback.
Ayiana Nieves distributed a team-high 25 assists and collected 12 digs. Richards added 17 assists and 11 digs, while Fernandez again led the back row with 19 digs.
Morris totaled six kills and a match-high six blocks.
Leah Luevanos provided four kills on seven attempts for a .429 hitting percentage, and
Selena Sosa contributed six digs and a service ace.
SMWC returns to River States Conference play at 6 p.m. CT Friday, Sept. 25, against Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky.
