DEARBORN, M.I. (August 27, 2011) – The Raiders Volleyball team had mixed results this weekend at the University of Michigan – Dearborn's Earlybird Tournament. The team finished 1-3 with their lone win at the expense of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The tournament saw the Raiders play well in many areas as the team was very competitive.
Coach Jon Meyers was pleased with the way the team played against MVNU. “Our team came out excited to play Mount Vernon today,” said Meyers. “We've played them so many times over the past three years that we knew their strengths and areas we could capitalize on.” The win marks the first time the Raiders have defeated MVNU in nearly a decade.
RWC 25 25 26
MVNU 21 11 24
Top stat getters: Lisa Bierdeman: 36 assists, 5 kills. Katie Maher, 12 digs. Alexa Antoni/Gisela Ocasio: 12 kills each, and 11 digs for Gisela. Jordan Wilson: 10 kills on 16 attempts (no errors) for a .625 hitting percentage.
Box Score
In their second match on Saturday, the Raiders lost to Spring Arbor University in five sets. Coach Kirsten Meyers credits Spring Arbor's speed as the difference. “Spring Arbor was a fast team with great ball control,” said Meyers. “We hung with them the first two sets but weren't able to outlast them.” The Raiders were able to steal the third and fourth sets, but couldn't find a way to pull out the final set.
RWC 21 23 25 25 9
SAU 25 25 22 16 15
On Friday, the Raiders played hard, but couldn't pull out a victory against the University of Northwestern Ohio and the University of St. Francis (Ill.).
In the first match of the season against St. Francis, the Raiders played well, but ended up losing in four close sets. “Our season opener was certainly tough,” said Jon Meyers. “St. Francis was a tough team. Although we kept it close, we didn't take advantage of the opportunities we were given.”
RWC 21 26 24 20
USF 25 24 26 25
Top stats: Alexa Antoni: 24 kills. Lisa Bierdeman: 61 assists, 29 digs. Katie Maher: 25 digs.
Box Score
In the second match on Friday, the Raiders fell to a talented UNOH team. The Raiders kept things close, but were unable to win a set, losing 3-0 to the former American Mideast Conference rivals.
RWC 22 21 21
UNOH 25 25 25
Box Score
The Raiders are back in action this Wednesday in Buffalo when they visit Medaille College. The match is set for 7:00PM.
