Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DES MOINES, Iowa – The going was tough for Wayland Baptist's volleyball team during the first day of the prestigious Grand View Invitational. The Pioneers dropped a pair of three-set matches, first falling to fourth-ranked Viterbo, Wisc., 25-14, 25-16, 25-11, before bowing to No. 23 Indiana Wesleyan, 25-19, 25-13, 25-15.
"We are playing good teams and see that we need to adapt much quicker in making adjustments," Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said.
Saturday could prove almost as challenging as Wayland (17-10), ranked the equivalent of 37
th in the NAIA, goes up against No. 19 Jamestown, N.D., at 10 a.m. before taking on defending national champion Columbia, Mo., ranked the equivalent of 32
nd, at 2 p.m.
Against Viterbo (26-2), Wayland finished with 19 kills, less than half of Viterbo's total of 39.
Alex Wood led the Pioneers with eight followed by
Megan Sharratt with six. Sharratt hit .429 but was the only WBU attacker with a positive hitting percentage as WBU swung at just a -.040 clip. Viterbo hit .309.
Rossanna Ramos finished with nine digs while
Jordan Breding had six.
Elisabeth Piroli fashioned 10 assists and Sharratt came up with a pair of block-assists.
It was the 22
nd consecutive win for Viterbo and seventh straight sweep.
Against Indiana Wesleyan (24-1), winners of 19 in a row, the Pioneers hit a bit better, .046, with Wood getting eight kills,
Katie Inman six and Sharratt five. Piroli recorded 23 assists, Ramos a dozen digs and Sharratt and Wood two block-assists each. Indiana Wesleyan hit .353.
