Ravens Volleyball picked up a big win at home Friday evening.
The Ravens defeated Mount Mercy University, 3-1, taking down a Mustangs team that entered the match with a 10-3 record and a 5-1 mark in the Heart of America Conference.
The two teams couldn't have been more even in the first part of the opening set, as the Ravens and Mustangs found themselves tied at 14-14. But that's when the Ravens took control with an 11-1 run, ultimately earning a 25-18 win to take a 1-0 lead in the first set.
The Ravens got 8 kills from Barbara Terra and the team had 4 block assists to set the pace in the first set.
The positive momentum from the first set carried into the set in a big way for the Ravens. The home team stormed out to an 18-6 lead before the Mustangs could find their footing. The Ravens took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-15 win in the second set.
JoJo VanderWoude registered 5 kills in the second set, and Isabella Franco served up a pair of aces.
The Mustangs had an answer in the third set, winning 25-23. Mount Mercy had a 19-16 lead but the Ravens battled back to tie the set, 22-22. However, the Mustangs powered through to force a fourth set.
The Ravens took care of business in the fourth set, but it did require a come-from-behind effort. The Mustangs went out to a 10-6 lead early in the set, forcing the Ravens to call timeout to regroup. They did just that, coming back to level the match at 16-16, then using an 8-0 run to take control, ultimately winning the set 25-19, and the match, 3-1.
The Ravens put together a balanced attack Friday evening as four players reached double-digit kills. Terra led the way with 16, VanderWoude and Lucy Drexel both had 14, and Bridget O'Sullivan had 11 kills. Not far behind, Rayleen Gladden added 8 kills for the Ravens. The Ravens finished with an attack percentage of .325, their best mark this season, besting the .292 they hit against Bethany on Sept. 16.
Spreading the opportunities was Wren VanCleave who finished with 52 assists to go with 22 digs.
VanderWoude had 5 block assists and Drexel had 4 block assists on the night.
The Ravens (7-7, 3-2 Heart) will get right back at it at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 against Clarke University.