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Indiana University South Bend

Carson and Gerdes hug
3
Winner Indiana South Bend (IN) IUSB 10-13, 6-3
0
St. Francis (IL) USF 7-11, 5-5
Winner
Indiana South Bend (IN) IUSB
10-13, 6-3
3
Final
0
St. Francis (IL) USF
7-11, 5-5
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Indiana South Bend (IN) IUSB 25 25 25 (3)
St. Francis (IL) USF 16 15 15 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Still in the Groove: IUSB Cruises Past St. Francis

JOLIET, Ill. --- What required five sets the first time around took IU South Bend just three on Thursday night. The Titans continued their best stretch of the season with a commanding 25-16, 25-15, 25-15 sweep of St. Francis, completing the regular-season series sweep of the Fighting Saints. IU South Bend improved to 10-13 overall and 6-3 in conference play, extending its winning streak to three matches while recording back-to-back sweeps. 

When the two sides met in the Titans' conference opener on Sept. 1, IUSB needed all five sets to come away with the victory. Thursday's rematch looked much different. IU South Bend hit .265 for the match, committed just nine attacking errors and never allowed St. Francis to reach 17 points in a set. The Saints were held to a .050 hitting percentage, including a -.062 mark in the third. 
 
The opening set stayed relatively close through the middle stages, with IUSB holding an 18-15 edge before putting its foot down. Renee Shrewsbury helped ignite a six-point surge from the service line, delivering two aces while Kadence Brumitt added consecutive kills. The run stretched the advantage to 24-15 and effectively put the opener away. 

There was even less suspense in the second. A 5-5 tie quickly became a 10-5 Titan lead, highlighted by back-to-back Emalee Maesch aces. St. Francis briefly closed within one at 11-10, but IUSB responded with another five-point push and continued pulling away from there. Alyssa Carson supplied four kills during the latter stages as the Titans rolled to a 25-15 victory. 
 
The Titans scored the first four points of the third and, after St. Francis battled back to tie it at seven, immediately ripped off another five consecutive points. Carson and Maesch supplied kills during the surge, while Kendall Gerdes helped the Titans continue building separation. St. Francis never pulled closer than four the rest of the way, and an Olivia Ringer ace finished another 25-15 set and the sweep. 

The Titans once again received production from throughout the lineup, beginning with setters Brynn Lake and Mia Norris. Lake handed out 15 assists and Norris added 12, helping IUSB produce 35 kills with only nine errors. Brumitt also chipped in four assists as the offense remained balanced and efficient. 

Brumitt paced the attack with 11 kills on .321 hitting, adding 10 digs, two aces and a block assist for another all-around performance. Carson followed with 10 kills at a .292 clip, while Gerdes was extremely efficient in the middle with five kills on 10 swings without an error, good for a .500 hitting percentage. 

Maesch did a little bit of everything, collecting six kills, 10 digs and a match-high three service aces. In the back row, Emily Adams and Ari Short added eight and seven digs, respectively, as IUSB finished with 43 digs and surrendered just one ace all night. 

The service line proved to be another major advantage. IU South Bend finished with nine aces against only four service errors, with Maesch, Brumitt, Shrewsbury, Norris and Ringer all contributing. 

IUSB will wrap the three-match week on Saturday, heading up to Wisconsin to take on No. 18 Viterbo at 1:00 pm ET.
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