From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago volleyball team kept its perfect start to the season rolling and clinched the 500th career win for Head Coach Sharon Dingman on Friday night. The Maroons (11-0 record) opened the Carthage College Tournament with wins over Saint Mary's University and Carthage.
Dingman is in her fifth season at UChicago and her 28th overall as collegiate head coach. Her career record now stands at 500-382 (.567 winning percentage).
UChicago 3, Saint Mary's 0 (25-17, 25-19, 27-25)
The UChicago offense came out swinging with high efficiency, only making a combined six hitting errors in the first two sets. The Maroons hit .389 in the opener and .382 in the second set, and the scores reflected that fact as UChicago sped ahead 25-17 and 25-19. Down 18-16 at one point in the second, UChicago turned up the pressure and captured nine of the final 10 points.
The third set saw the Maroons firmly in control, reaching match point at 24-21. However, two kills and an attack error tied the score up at 24-24. But a service error and attack error by SMU ended the proceedings at 27-25.
UChicago finished with a .342 hitting percentage thanks in part to sophomore setter Emma Griffith's 45 assists. She also added three block assists and three kills. Sophomore libero Katherine Wilson served up four aces while adding 18 digs defensively. Senior rightside hitter Sarah Muisenga hit .500 with a team-best 13 kills. First-year Julianna Kalil posted eight kills, junior Anabella Pinton tallied seven kills and junior Anne Marie Stifter added six kills.
UChicago 3, Carthage 1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-22, 26-24)
The nightcap saw UChicago put up its undefeated record against No. 19-ranked Carthage – the second nationally-ranked opponent from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) that the Maroons have faced this week. The results repeated themselves as the Maroons won in four sets yet again. They previously knocked off No. 11-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University on Tuesday night.
The first set was one to forget as UChicago had as many errors as kills for a .000 hitting percentage. But they swung the pendulum all the way back in the second set, committing only one attack error while hitting .400. A 7-1 run midway through the set featured three kills from junior middle hitter Madison Pearson.
After a 21-21 tie in the third set, UChicago racked up three kills to pull away and cap it at 25-22. The fourth set also came down to the wire, with senior outside hitter Audrey Scrafford bouncing two-straight kills to end the match, 26-24.
Muisenga paced the balanced offensive effort with 14 kills along with 10 digs. Pearson swung at a .444 rate en route to 13 kills. Scrafford and Pinton added 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Griffith handed out 45 assists once more, with 11 digs. Wilson racked up 24 digs and first-year outside hitter Temilade Adekoya had 13 digs.