September 14, 2024 – Emporia State Volleyball wraps up Tiger Classic with Saturday sweeps over UC-Colorado Springs and Northwestern Oklahoma.
ESU 3, UCCS 0
In the first match of the day, both the Hornets and Mountain Lions traded points early in the set with UC-Colorado Springs leading 7-6. Emporia State responded with an 8-0 scoring run which featured a kill and two service aces from
Brailee Bogle. With the Hornets holding a 14-7 lead, they held the advantage throughout the set to take set one 25-16.
The Mountain Lions jumped in front of the Hornets in the second set, building a 10-3 lead and eventually held a 16-9 advantage over the Hornets. Emporia State responded with a 10-3 scoring run, including five straight points to tie the set 19-19. A service error by the Hornets gave the Mountain Lions a 24-23 lead, but the Hornets held off set point with a kill from
Zuzanna Buchnajzer. After a kill by UC-Colorado Springs to create a second set point, Emporia State recorded three straight kills, with two from
Weronika Wrzesinska before
Mia Frisbie clinched the set with a kill of her own.
In set three, after the Hornets took an early lead, the Mountain Lions eventually rallied to regain a 22-21 lead late in the set. Following a pair of UC-Colorado Springs errors to give Emporia State the lead, the Hornets forced match point following a block by
McKenya Sorrells and
Brailee Bogle. The Mountain Lions held off the Hornets for one point before a kill by Sorrells clinched the third set 25-23.
Emporia State hit .312 in the match and recorded 55 kills with Weronika Wrzesinka posting a match-high 13 kills and five blocks.
Brailee Bogle tallied 46 assists, as she cleared 40 assists for the first time in a three-set match in her career.
ESU 3, NWOSU 0
In the second match of the day and final match of the Tiger Classic, Emporia State controlled much of the match against Northwestern Oklahoma. The Hornets led by as much as eight points in the first set, as the hit. 257 while holding the Rangers to just .043 at the net on their way to a 25-17 win in the first.
The Hornets continued the trend into set two as their hitting percentage increased to .286 as they led by as much as 16-6 before taking the second set 25-16 as
Rayishon Jackman has six kills in the set.
Northwestern Oklahoma jumped in front of the Hornets 5-1 to begin the third set, before Emporia State rallied to tie the set 11-11. Later in the third, with the Rangers leading 18-16, Emporia State finished off the tournament with nine straight points which four kills by
Zuzanna Buchnajzer and a pair of
McKenya Sorrells as the Hornets took the set 25-18 to clinch the 3-0 win in the match.
The 6-1 start to the season for Emporia State is their first since the 2013 season.
Emporia State will be back in action next weekend at the PSU Regional Challenge in Pittsburg. The Hornets will open the tournament against Illinois-Springfield on Thursday, September 19. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
