CARTERVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team picked up their 20th win of the season Tuesday night as the Blazers headed to John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill. for a Region 24 showdown with the Volunteers.
Vincennes was able to come out on top in this match between the two teams currently at the top of the Region 24 standings, taking the match in four sets 25-22, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17.
The match was very close from the very beginning as the two teams traded early runs in the opening set before the Blazers were able to rally from behind with a 9-1 scoring run to take an 18-14 lead.
The two teams traded side outs until the Volunteers cut the deficit down to one at 23-22 before VU closed out set one with back-to-back points to take the set 25-22 and grab the early 1-0 match lead.
Set two again began as a back-and-forth battle before the Volunteers broke away with six straight points and would ride the home crowd momentum to a 25-17 set two victory and even the match at 1-1 going to a pivotal third set.
The teams again traded scoring runs early in set three with VU gaining the upper hand with four straight points to take an 18-15 advantage.
After another series of side outs, VU was able to close out the third set strong with a 3-0 scoring run to take set three 25-21 and regain the match lead at 2-1.
The Trailblazers rode this momentum into set four as VU jumped out to an early 10-3 lead in the fourth set.
John A. Logan would attempt to battle back and force a fifth set but were unable to overcome the Vincennes lead as the Blazers closed out set four 25-17 to take the match 3-1 over the host Volunteers.
"We saw this game not as any kind of revenge, but as getting redemption," VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. "We lost not only a game the last time we played them but a bit of our being. We think we got that back tonight."
"Sounds simple enough but we played together," Sien added. "Even after that tough loss to Wallace State, we stayed together. They are so tough minded, we are so proud of their play and effort."
"Strategically, we started right off the bat with serving as tough as we can and going at certain players," Sien said. "We were trying to disrupt their offense with that and then block. Our front row was exceptional tonight as we touched nearly every hit with our block."
The VU offense was led by sophomore Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) who controlled the game at the net with 19 kills, six blocks, three digs, two set assists and an ace.
Sophomores Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) and Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) also reached double-digit kills, each recording 10 kills in the match.
Tavares would add a pair of blocks and a dig, while Dias filled up the stats sheet with seven digs, two aces, one block and one set assist.
Sophomore Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) also had a good night at the net with three kills and two blocks.
Freshmen Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) and Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) rounded out the VU offensive numbers with three kills each.
Fister would also come away with 11 digs and five blocks, while Sadowska added one set assist.
The Vincennes offense was once again run by sophomore setter Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) who led the Blazers with 18 set assists, three digs and a pair of aces.
Freshman Rylee Edwards (Fairfield, Ill.) ended her night with 11 set assists and a pair of digs and sophomore Dylan DeCoursey closed out the match with 10 set assists and four digs.
The Trailblazers back row defense was led by sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) who finished with a team-high 15 digs, two set assists and a pair of aces, while freshman Julianna Rettig (Antioch, Ill.) rounded out the VU box score with 10 digs and one set assist.
"Julianna came on and had some important digs in the back row, including several of the big hits with us just putting up one blocker," Sien said. "I thought our setters, Dylan, Libby and Rylee, made some excellent choices. The passing at times was exceptional, which allows us to run the middle."
"What can you say about Elisa's night," Sien added. "That was a career night, where everything she touches was a kill. She was just focused on winning every point and I really thought she had more than 19 kills and hitting over .600 percent. She was unstoppable."
"It was a well balanced attack from pin to pin as both Laura and Isadora had very similar statistics," Sien said. "Grace had some key digs and several hustle plays to help initiate the offense."
The Trailblazers will be on the road again this weekend as the Blazers head to Mineral Area College Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12 to take part in the 2024 Mineral Area Cardinal Classic.
VU will open the weekend Friday against Hutchinson Community College from Kansas at 5 p.m. eastern before facing off against host Mineral Area College at 7 p.m. eastern.
Vincennes will then close out the weekend with what is likely one of the toughest game days in the country this season as VU will take on two Top 15 ranked teams, beginning with a showdown with No. 15 Indian Hills Community College at 2 p.m. eastern, followed by facing No. 13-ranked Missouri State University-West Plains at 4 p.m. eastern.
"What I hope the team takes away from tonight is to play and stay together," Sien said. "And to use these matches this weekend as a measuring stick of where we are at. We will have to be on task in all parts of our game this weekend against this level of competition."
BOX SCORE
John A. Logan – 22 25 21 17 x
VUVB (20-8, 9-2) – 25 17 25 25 x
VINCENNES STATS
Grace Flexter – 2 points, 2 aces, 15 digs, 2 set assists
Paulina Fister – 5.5 points, 3 kills, 5 block assists, 11 digs
Rylee Edwards – 2 digs, 11 set assists
Dylan DeCoursey – 4 digs, 10 set assists
Julianna Rettig – 10 digs, 1 set assist
Laura Tavares – 11 points, 10 kills, 2 block assists, 1 dig
Isadora Dias – 12.5 points, 2 aces, 10 kills, 1 block assist, 7 digs, 1 set assist
Allison Czyzewski – 4 points, 3 kills, 2 block assists
Martyna Sadowska – 3 points, 3 kills, 1 set assist
Elisa Dalla Pozza – 23 points, 1 ace, 19 kills, 6 block assists, 3 digs, 2 set assists
Libby Mehringer – 2 points, 2 aces, 3 digs, 18 set assists