MILWAUKEE – Tonight at the Bloechl Center, the Mount Mary University volleyball team swept visiting Silver Lake College 3-0 in the 2017 season finale. The Blue Angels (1-19) won the sets 25-15, 25-19 and 25-16, sending the Lakers home 7-21 on their regular season.
The Blue Angels received an exceptional performance across the board, but to begin things, Lauren Harris (Jr./Sheridan, Ill.) set the tone for her squad from the service line.
Following the Lakers taking a quick 1-0 lead, Harris took to the serve line. Succeeding a Laker attack error, Harris fired off three consecutive service aces, forced the opposition into a bad set, then capped off the 6-point run off with her fourth service ace of the stretch.
The Blue Angels took control and found another streak riddled with three Payton Hintz (Almond, Wis.) assists and two kills from fellow senior Sarah Amoroso (Wauwatosa, Wis.) which gave MMU a 17-9 lead that they took to the 25-15 set-win.
With 11 kills in the second set, the Blue Angels took control yet again. The Lakers helped out with six errors of their own, but never giving into the Blue Angel lead, SLC tied things at 19-19. That is when Amoroso step to the service line and guided MMU to another 6-point run, this time to end the second set and give the Blue Angels a 2-0 lead in the match.
Starting the third and final set of the game, and the final set of her collegiate career, Payton Hintz gave the Blue Angels three quick service aces and a 4-0 lead. While the Lakers tried to chip away at the lead, an MMU senior seemed to spark a rally for the Blue Angels whenever things seemed tight.
A quick set by Hintz and kill from Rachel Barker (Sr./Milwaukee, Wis.) snuffed an early reply from the Lakers. A timely block from the top of the net by Hintz stopped another Laker rally just points later.
Up 15-13, Amelia Flint (Sr./Whitefish Bay, Wis.) stopped a budding rally for the Lakers with a timely block of her own. From that point on, the Blue Angels would never let their opponent get any closer.
In a fitting end, senior Hintz set Amoroso up for the two final points of the match including a riffling shot from Amoroso to give her a season high seven kills on 23 attacks. That attack led the Blue Angels in kills and total attacks and tied for lead on defense with one block solo.
Hintz finished with a team high 17 assists and also chipped in with 13 digs and 3 service aces.
Lauren Harris led the Blue Angels with 14 digs, six service aces and helped the front court with five kills.
The Blue Angels will now prepare for their offseason and the 2018 campaign. For updates on awards, information and schedules stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com.
