The Eckerd College women’s volleyball team defeated Henderson State 26-24, 19-25, 25-12, 25-20 on Sept. 12 in Saint Leo, Florida, to win its third consecutive match. The victory closed the Triton/Lion Invite and completed Eckerd’s 3-0 weekend. Eckerd’s scoreboard record moved to 8-3 overall and 0-0 in Sunshine State Conference play.
Eckerd produced 63 kills and hit .227, while Henderson State posted a .139 hitting percentage. Hayden Nash led the Eckerd College women’s volleyball team with 15 kills while hitting .308. Seiler Hruska added 14 kills and 15 digs for a double-double.
Eckerd rallies to close out Henderson State
Eckerd overcame a late deficit in the opening set by scoring five consecutive points to take a 24-22 lead. Henderson State tied the set at 24-24, but Nash answered with a kill before a Henderson State attack error gave Eckerd a 26-24 win. Henderson State responded with a 25-19 victory in the second set to even the match.
Eckerd controlled the third set after breaking open an early 3-2 lead with a 9-3 stretch. The Eckerd College women’s volleyball team built a 12-5 advantage and extended it to 20-7 before winning 25-12. Eckerd recorded 19 kills in the set and limited Henderson State to five kills and a minus-.024 hitting percentage.
Henderson State opened the fourth set with an 11-2 lead, but Eckerd steadily cut into the deficit. A 5-0 run that included two Natalie Aniol kills, a Jaelynn Tunley ace and a Peyton Walker kill brought Eckerd within 14-11, and the teams later tied at 17-17. Eckerd then used an 8-1 closing run to secure the 25-20 victory, with Nash adding a kill, Walker recording a block and Tunley delivering the match-ending kill.
Aniol finished with 11 kills and hit .360, while Grace Dumont recorded 38 assists, nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage and 14 digs. Tunley led Eckerd with 22 digs, and Sydney Williams added 18 digs. Maggie Turner also recorded an ace.
Next match
Eckerd will host No. 3 Tampa on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. to begin Sunshine State Conference play.
Source: Original report