OSKALOOSA, Iowa — York University faced two matches at the William Penn Labor Day Tournament, defeating Hannibal-LaGrange (MO) 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-14, 25-13) before losing to Briar Cliff (IA) 3-0.
In the first match against Hannibal-LaGrange (MO), the Panthers finished with 50 kills and 11 service aces. The opening set was tightly contested, as York pushed to the final points after trailing 23-20.
Leyra Ruiz and
Ronan Merriex contributed kills, along with a Hannibal-LaGrange attack error, to tie the set at 23-23. However, Hannibal-LaGrange responded with a crucial kill to take the set, 25-23.
York gained momentum in the second set, pulling ahead with four consecutive points to lead 12-7.
Florencia Felmer recorded a kill and two service aces, supported by a kill from
Jassania Joseph. The set concluded with York scoring the final three points, thanks to kills from Merriex and Ruiz, ending the set 25-18.
In the third set, York took control early with six straight points, featuring two kills each from
Madilyn De La Garza and Joseph, all assisted by
Meadow Nusbaum. After a brief response from Hannibal-LaGrange, York extended its lead with
Tianna Clark serving a stretch of points, including two aces, and finished the set 25-14.
York closed out the fourth set decisively, scoring eight straight points to turn an 18-13 lead into a 25-13 victory.
Ambar Ortiz served the final seven points, with Joseph and
Maria Del Mar Rivera each contributing two kills, while Ortiz ended the set with back-to-back aces.
Ruiz led the team with 13 kills, adding three digs. Nusbaum recorded 36 assists and 10 digs, while Ortiz contributed 13 digs, four service aces, and four assists. Joseph added 11 kills with a .389 hitting percentage and three block assists.
In their second match against Briar Cliff, York struggled, losing 3-0. York found themselves trailing early in the first set as Briar Cliff moved ahead 17-8. Despite late kills from
Madilyn De La Garza,
Florencia Felmer, and
Maria Del Mar Rivera closing the gap to 18-14, Briar Cliff pulled away to take the set 25-16.
The second set saw York creating separation midway through as they won seven of eight rallies to go from a 10-10 tie to a 17-11 lead. However, Briar Cliff rallied to tie it at 18-18 and, after a kill from Felmer leveled the set at 20-20, the visitors scored the final five points to win 25-20.
York faced another uphill battle in the third set, falling behind 4-0 and later seeing Briar Cliff score six straight points to lead 13-3. Although York responded with multiple kills from De La Garza, Ruiz, Rivera, Merriex, and Joseph, they could not recover, with Briar Cliff closing out the set 25-11.
Merriex led York with seven kills and seven points, while
Meadow Nusbaum had a team-high 14 assists. Ortiz recorded 12 digs and four assists, and Joseph added four kills on five attacks, hitting .600 with one block assist.
