GARY, Ind. – The Mount Mary University volleyball team fell 3-0 to Indiana University Northwest Tuesday evening at the Savannah Center.
It was a night of adjustments for the Blue Angels, multiple starters were out, including a key injury to setter Payton Hintz (Fr./Almond, Wis.), who leads the Navy Halos this year with 155 assists. Without Hintz to set from upfront, MMU had to shuffle around their lineup to put players in uncommon positions in order to spark some quick chemistry.
The game went quickly in favor of the Red Hawks, they jumped out in front of the Blue Angels 25-13 in the initial set. Then serving from the Red Hawks seemed to be unstoppable throughout the second set as Haleigh Scolley (Fr./Sheridan, Ind.) went on a tear, by the end of the contest, Scolley registered seven service aces.
As the second set ended convincingly in a 25-11 set, the third set showed some life from the out of position Blue Angels. Sarah Wishau (Sr./Oak Creek, Wis.) did her best as a utility player leading the team with four kills and 16 digs. Bethany Van Hammond (So./Appleton, Wis.) stepped in to add eight digs as libero for the first time in the defensive position this year.
Coach Kelsey Peterson was impressed with Van Hammond's effort, "Van Hammond stepped up as libero and her positivity and communication on the court definitely helped."
The following game for the Blue Angels will be an invite to Hancock, Mich. where Finlandia University will host the event, and will be the first of four teams the Blue Angels will face in the two day invitational. The first game for Mount Mary University will be Friday Sept. 26 starting at 1:00 pm against Finlandia University.
