Volleyball

MILWAUKEE – The Blue Angels played some spirited volleyball Tuesday against crosstown rival Alverno College, handling the Inferno 25-11, 14-25, 26-24, 25-18 to improve to 8-9 overall on the year.

Mount Mary came out of the gates on a mission, keeping the Alverno defense guessing by mixing up its attack. The Blue Angels tallied 11 kills and just one hitting error at a blistering .345 clip in the first set compared to Alverno's .027.

Alverno responded in dramatic fashion in the second set, utilizing its pair of athletic outsides to hit over .500 in the second set alone. Mount Mary held tough in a back-and-forth third set, eventually piecing together a gritty 26-24 set win before cruising home in the fourth.

Despite tallying fewer kills (43 to 46) and digs (55 to 70), the Blue Angels took full advantage of long service runs in front of 50 people at Reiman Gymnasium on the Alverno campus. Mount Mary hit at a very strong .238 (43 kills, 13 errors on 126 total attempts) clip, as three Blue Angels—sophomore middle Stephanie Gratz (Sussex, Wis.), senior setter Chelsie Beeler (Jackson, Wis.) and sophomore middle Dani Christian (Pelican Lake, Wis.) who all tallied an errorless night in the front row.

Junior outside Stephanie Hardwick (West Allis, Wis.) compiled a match-high 18 kills on .293 hitting to accompany her 15 digs—also a match-high. Gratz added 13 digs to her eight kills, while sophomore Beth Baxter (Germantown, Wis.) notched seven kills and nine digs in her first role as an outside hitter.

Beeler led the Blue Angels with 25 assists and three service aces, while freshman right side Alexis Hafemeister (Milwaukee, Wis.) notched her first double-digit assist match with 10.

Mount Mary will next head into the deep woods of the North, for a two-day tournament at Northland International University in rural Dunbar, Wis. The Blue Angels will first take on Emmaus Bible College of Dubuque, Iowa Friday at 6 p.m., followed immediately by taking on the host Pioneers at 8 p.m. Saturday morning Mount Mary will finish off pool play against Finlandia University at 11 a.m. before ending the tournament in either the championship or consolation matches—both of which are slated for 1 p.m. starts.