ASTON, PA -- Rowan scored a pair of sweeps on Saturday at the Knights Invitational hosted by Neumann. The Profs took down Arcadia (28-26, 25-20, 25-22) in the day's first match before blanking Ursinus (25-17, 25-23, 25-18) as the team's win streak stretches to four games.
Arcadia (W, 28-26, 25-20, 25-22)
The Profs started the day with a 3-0 sweep of Arcadia. In the first set, Rowan jumped out to a 7-1 lead before the Knights later took an 11-10 edge. However the tide switched, as the Profs erased a 19-15 deficit to tie things at 20-20. An ace from
Raven Albrecht followed by a Arcadia attack error were the two point to snap a 26-26 score and give the Profs a 1-0 lead.
The second set started hot, as Rowan got out to an 11-5 advantage. The Knights finally got it to 19-19, but
Jessica Smart's kill capped a 6-1 run to capture the second.
An 11-3 spurt early in the third set put the Profs ahead for good. Arcadia climbed to within 20-19 before the Profs ran off four of the next six points capped by a game-ending block from
Abigail Bivona.
Smart put down a match-best 14 kills while adding four blocks (one solo). Bivona recorded six blocks (two solo) while
Abby Chadwick and
Hutton Cordrey each kicked in seven kills. Chadwick also kicked in four aces and three blocks.
Ursinus (W, 25-17, 25-23, 25-18)
Smart reached double figures in kills (12) again as the Profs threw a block party in the win. The team racked up 16 total blocks, with five each from Bivona and rookie
Meredith Brown. Rowan registered 10 aces led by three from
Aubrey Ward.
After opening the first set on a 13-3 run, Rowan held off a late Ursinus push to go up 1-0.
An ace from
Gabriella Cooper was the different in the second set, helping the Profs from a 23-23 tie to a two-sets-to-none lead.
Smart recorded six of her kills in the third set, aiding the Profs in keeping a sizable lead to help cement the final score.
Rowan returns home to tackle Haverford next Saturday from Esby Gymnasium in a noon start.
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