SAN MARCOS, Calif.-- The University of Michigan-Dearborn (3-6) volleyball wrapped up a four-game road trip in The Golden State on Saturday (Sept 3). The Wolverines played in the Saint Katherine Tournament hosted by Saint Katherine University.
Match One vs. Saint Katherine (18-25, 25-21, 18-25, 20-25)
The Wolverines took on the Firebirds (4-8) in their first match on the trip. Sydney Eggleton led the Maize & Blue in kills putting down 12 balls in 30 attacks. The Firebirds took set one, but the Wolverines put together a masterful performance in set two even the match after swinging .306 in 26 attacks. Errors haunted both teams in the third set, but the Firebirds capitalized on Wolverine mishaps and claimed the third set. The Firebirds won the fourth and final set, giving them the 3-1 win over UM-Dearborn.
Match Two vs. Hope International (25-27, 25-19, 21-25, 24-25)
The Wolverines ended their first day with a match against the Royals from Hope International (1-7). Match two was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish. The first set saw the Wolverines push the Royals to their limit, as they needed two tiebreak points to win the set. Wolverine errors cost them in the opening set as the Maize & Blue made 11 errors to the Royals three. The Wolverines bounced back in the second set as the Royals committed eight attack errors to the Wolverines two. The two teams would trade leads throughout the rest of the final two sets, but the Royal would claim both to win the match.
Brooke Wetherill was unstoppable as she came just shy of a double-double. Wetherill recorded 16 kills with an incredible .484 swing percentage. Wetherill assisted on eight blocks and recorded one solo in the astounding performance.
Match Three vs. Vanguard University (22-25, 25-17, 23-25, 14-25)
The third match pitted the Wolverines against their most formidable opponent yet. The Lion came into the contest having won seven games and only lost four. The Lions forced the Wolverines into an early timeout, opening the match on a 5-0 run. The Wolverines could not overcome the early deficit despite having a higher swing percentage in the set. The Maize & Blue bounced back in the second set, turning in a 25-17 win after closing the set on a 5-0 run. The Wolverines battled in the final two sets but could not piece together enough points to defeat the Lions.
The Maize & Blue had three players with 10 kills. Regan Sliwinski posted a .533 swing percentage, while Wetherill came up one block shy of a double-double.
Match Four vs. San Diego Christian (26-24, 25-19, 25-18)
The Wolverines ended the trip on a high note defeating the Hawks from San Diego Christian (1-3) in straight sets to close out the weekend. The Maize & Blue overcame a 12-3 deficit in the first set and would not look back. UM-Dearborn was able to take advantage of their length and record 14 blocks, while the Hawks had just two. Eggleton led the contest in kills with 13, while Regan Rose dished out 34 assists and had 10 digs. Sliwinski had 10 points of her own to close out her strong weekend.
Up Next
The Wolverines have a few days to rest and recover before they play Siena Heights on Wednesday (Sept 7) at 7 p.m.
