CARTERVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team earned a spot in this week's NJCAA Division I rankings for the first time in nearly six years this week, checking in this week at No. 19, VUVB's highest ranking since making the jump to Division I in 2016.
The Trailblazers got their first opportunity to defend this National ranking Tuesday night at John A. Logan College and defeated the previously unbeaten Volunteers in four sets 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-15.
Vincennes got off to a slow start in this road showdown, dropping set one to the host Vols 25-21.
The Volunteers looked to continue to ride the momentum from the home crowd in set two, building a 15-10 advantage midway through the set.
VU would answer back in a big way with a 6-0 scoring run aided by three straight aces by freshman Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) and built on this run with four unanswered points by freshman Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy).
Vincennes battled all the way back to take set two over John A. Logan 25-19 and even the match at 1-1 heading to the third set.
Set three began as another back-and-forth battle with John A. Logan being the first to break away again to take a 15-11 lead.
This four-point lead was immediately followed by five unanswered points by VU and with another 5-0 run later in the set the Blazers against rallied from behind to take set three 25-20.
Playing from behind for the first time this season, the Volunteers looked to force a winner-take-all fifth set on their home floor.
Vincennes had other plans however, jumping out to an early 10-7 lead and using a series of small scoring bursts to pull away late and take set four and the match over the Vols 25-15, handing John A. Logan their first loss of the season and winning their 29th straight match against Region 24 opponents.
"We were very tight at the beginning," VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. "Maybe it was the whole National rankings thing. It is a whole new world that we live in now. The whole world knows who you are now and there are greater expectations. You go from being the hunter to the hunted."
"(John A. Logan) is such a difficult place to play, so we are happy to get it done and get out with a win," Sien added. "We went with the 5-1 or one setter system with Maecy and had some more consistent play in that lineup. But it was more about each one of us settling down than the system. Just going out and matching and exceeding Logan's intensity."
The VU offense was again very spread out, led by sophomores Paige Parlanti (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Audrey Buis (Franklin, Ind.)
Parlanti recorded another double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs, while also adding two blocks, one set assist and one ace.
Buis ended her night with 12 kills, five digs, two solo blocks, one set assist and one ace.
Freshman Laura Tavares also reached double-digit kills Tuesday night, ending with 10 kills, three digs, a team-high three aces and one set assist.
Freshman Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) had a big night at the net, ending with eight kills and a team-high seven blocks, while also adding one dig.
Freshman Elisa Dalla Pozza rounded out the VU offense with five kills, one ace, one block and one dig.
Sophomore setter Maecy Johnson (Chrisman, Ill.) had a big all-around game tonight, playing a majority of the game in a one-setter system, Johnson ended with 30 set assists, five kills, four blocks and three digs.
Freshman setter Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) also helped run the Trailblazer offense Tuesday night, ending with six set assists.
Sophomore libero Morgan Netcott (Montague, Mich.) had a good match defensively in the back row, finishing with a team-high 22 digs and one set assist.
Sophomore middle Kennedy Sowell (Effingham, Ill.) recorded one block on the night and freshman Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) saw some time on the floor but did not record a stat.
"The offense was very balanced tonight," Sien said. "We had Audrey, Paige and Laura in double figures with Isadora not far behind. I thought Audrey had a nice hitting match, where she had several kills in key moments. I thought the blocking took over the match after making some adjustments. Laura and Isadora have done an excellent job with that part of the game. We uncharacteristically missed a lot of serves but it is still a big part of our game as we made several runs with Maecy, Paige and Elisa."
The Trailblazers will face another tough Region 24 test Thursday, Sept. 14 when VU hosts Lincoln Trail College at the Student Recreation Center at 7 p.m. eastern.
The Blazers defeated the Lady Statesmen in four sets in Robinson earlier this season.
"The main thing to carry out of this match is that we played it and it is done," Sien said. "We got this one under our belt so the pressure, if any, is now off a bit. We can move forward now to train to be the best team possible for the rest of the season."
"I am very proud of this team in how they played together in the last two weeks to get those big wins," Sien added. "For coming into JALC and facing another team for the first time as the 19th ranked team in the Nation, just imagine that. That's a tall order and it takes a special group to face it head on."
BOX SCORE
No. 19 VUVB (13-1, 5-0) – 21 25 25 25 x
John A. Logan – 25 19 20 15 x
VINCENNES STATS
Audrey Buis – 15 points, 1 ace, 12 kills, 2 solo blocks, 5 digs, 1 set assist
Morgan Netcott – 22 digs, 1 set assist
Paige Parlanti – 15.5 points, 1 ace, 13 kills, 1 solo block, 1 block assist, 11 digs, 1 set assist
Isadora Dias – 12.5 points, 8 kills, 2 solo blocks, 5 block assists, 1 dig
Maecy Johnson – 7 points, 5 kills, 4 block assists, 3 digs, 30 set assists
Kennedy Sowell – 0.5 points, 1 block assist
Elisa Dalla Pozza – 6.5 points, 1 ace, 5 kills, 1 block assist, 1 dig
Laura Tavares – 13 points, 3 aces, 10 kills, 3 digs, 1 set assist
Libby Mehringer – 6 set assists