MILWAUKEE – During today's opening of the MMU Invite, the host Mount Mary University volleyball team split their two matches. The Blue Angels (5-21) defeated the Holy Family College Lakers in a 3-1 rematch, then MMU lost to Robert Morris University-Chicago 3-0.
In the invite's opener, the Blue Angels took on Holy Family College (2-21) for the fourth time this season. Before play, MMU enjoyed a 2-1 lead against their familiar foe. Fittingly, the Senior Day honors coincided with MMU's two seniors finishing the game with team highs.
As she has done many time throughout her collegiate career, Alessa Nelson (Sr./Rockford, Ill.) led the Blue Angels in assists against the Lakers. The senior kept the offense going with a team high 20 assists while she also stymied the opposition's offense with a pair of block assists.
Fellow senior Adrianna Nester (Anaheim, Calif.) led her offense against the Lakers with a team high 14 kills. Along with a block assist, Nester added 25 digs to her totals. After tonight's match, Nester leads the American Collegiate Athletic Association in digs with 356 this season. Nester's kills total of 197, has her third in the ACAA in that category.
Brianna Ecker (Fr./Fond du Lac, Wis.) mixed it up with 13 kills, 14 assists and 17 digs.
After the Lakers opened up the match with their most efficient set of the night, the Blue Angels saw an early one point lead turn into a 25-14 loss. The Lakers landed 10 team kills while committing only one team error.
MMU quickly flipped the script in the next set. After falling behind early in the set, the Blue Angels went on an extended 9-0 run guided by senior Adrianna Nester. Holy Family College was forced into a match high 10 team errors in the set. On the other side of the court, the Blue Angels landed nine team kills on their 46 total attacks. After the Nester sparked run, the Blue Angels went on to take the set 25-17 while also tying the match at 1-1.
In the third set, the Blue Angels fell behind by three early, but then began trading points with the Lakers and cutting into the lead. The two teams tied more than 14 seperate times in the set, but the Blue Angels were able to fire off a 3-0 run after a 22-22 tie. Although the Blue Angels missed with seven attack errors in the set, they forced their opponents into nine in the 25-22 set win for MMU.
The Blue Angels rarely missed in the fourth set as they landed 13 team kills on 27 total attacks and only one attack error. After multiple runs, MMU grabbed the final set 25-9 for their third win of the season against Holy Family College.
In MMU's second match of the day, the Blue Angels lost to Robert Morris University 3-0.
Brianna Ecker led the Blue Angels in multiple categories tonight against the Eagles (4-20). Ecker finished with a team high 11 kills, 13 digs, nine assists and two service aces.
Teammate Megan Johnson (Jr./Waukesha, Wis.) led her team with 20 digs.
MMU opened up the match with their most efficient set of match number two. The Blue Angels connected with nine team kills and only two team errors in the set. The Eagles took multiple extended runs to grab the first set 25-16. RMU landed a match high 16 team kills in that opening frame.
In the second set, the Eagles continued to attack aggressively. The Blue Angels forced the Eagles into eight attack errors in the set, and landed eight kills of their own. Although RMU led throughout the second set, MMU kept the score within three points the entire set. But the Eagles finished the set ahead 25-22 to grab a 2-0 match lead.
In the final set of the night, the Eagles grabbed an early lead which they would not surrender. RMU landed 14 kills on their 32 total attacks. MMU continued to chip away with their seven team kills in the set, but the Eagles held on to the lead on their way to a 25-13 set-win.
After today's opening of the two-day six-team invite at the Bloechl Center, the Blue Angels will return to the court tomorrow morning at 10:00 am to take on Finlandia University. Live video for the contest, along with every stream of the 2019 MMU Invite can be found at MtMaryAthletics.com.
