NAMPA, Idaho (August 25, 2022) – The Rollins volleyball team kicked off the 2022 season on Thursday at the Northwest Nazarene Tournament in Nampa, Idaho, dropping a pair of matches by 3-0 scores. The Tars were downed by Azusa Pacific in the tournament opener before falling to the host Nighthawks in the nightcap.
APU 3, RC 0
Lana Gerard led all players with 11 kills and hit .286 while
Natalie Horsley distributed a match-high 27 assists in her Rollins debut.
Adriana Lopez collected a match-leading seven digs and
Emma Begley contributed three blocks (one solo) and five kills, hitting .667.
Kyra Palmbush led the Cougars with 10 kills and four blocks, hitting .667, while Annaka Jorgenson tallied nine kills and a .467 attack percentage to go along with a team-leading six digs. Aubrea Banfield led the team with 13 assists and notched a match-best seven service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One
- Azusa Pacific scored the match's first four points en route an early 8-3 lead.
- A Gerard kill sparked a quick 4-0 run that brought the Tars back to within a point at 8-7.
- After exchanging sideouts for the next four points, APU scored three straight to pull ahead, 13-9.
- Rollins fought hard to keep it close, but the Cougars held on for a 25-20 win.
Set Two
- After a 3-3 start to the second set, Azusa Pacific went on a 7-1 run to build a 10-4 advantage.
- The Tars scored four of the next five points to trim it to 11-8, but APU responded with an 8-0 run that put the Cougars in front, 19-8.
- Rollins used a 4-0 spurt and a 5-0 run to make it interesting late, getting back to within five at 22-17, but the Cougars were able to hold on for a 25-19 win to go up 2-0 in the match.
Set Three
- A Horsley kill began a 4-0 run for the Tars early in set three that put Rollins in front, 9-6.
- Azusa Pacific answered back with a 6-0 spurt that became part of a 12-3 run, turning the tides and putting the Cougars ahead, 18-12.
- APU closed out the match with a 5-0 run to clinch the third set, 25-16, completing the 3-0 sweep.
NNU 3, RC 0
Emma Rome tallied a team-high six kills and
Makayla Moran racked up five kills on just 10 attacks, hitting .500. Lopez collected a match-leading 11 digs and Horsley led the Tars with 21 assists and three blocks.
Natalie Sullivan led Northwest Nazarene with a match-high 15 kills to go along with 11 dig and three blocks, while Olivia Wright chipped in 14 kills and five blocks (one solo) with a .650 attack percentage. Mckenzie Lee led all players with 33 assists and Miya Koch posted three service aces and eight digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One
- A service ace from Marta Tsaneva put the Tars in front early, 4-2.
- Begley and Horsely teamed up for a double-block that kept Rollins ahead, 6-4.
- The Tars held a 10-9 advantage until NNU rattled off an 8-1 run to pull out to a 17-11 lead.
- The Nighthawks kept the pressure on, closing out the set on a 7-2 run to win it, 25-15.
Set Two
- Northwest Nazarene started fast in set two, jumping out to an 11-3 lead.
- A 4-0 run saw NNU extend its led to double-digits at 16-5.
- Rollins used a 7-1 rally to trim the deficit to only five (19-14), but the Nighthawks recovered to take the set, 25-17.
Set Three
- The third set saw both teams keep things close early, with neither side taking a lead of more than two points until a 4-0 run pushed Northwest Nazarene to a 15-10 advantage.
- That 4-0 run proved to be a part of a 16-4 rally that put things out of reach at 23-12.
- The Tars scored four straight to cut it to 23-16, but NNU closed it out with a 25-16 win to finish off the 3-0 sweep.
UP NEXT:
The Tars will wrap up the Northwest Nazarene Tournament on Saturday, August 27 with a pair of matches. Rollins will begin the day with an 11 a.m. EDT contest against Texas A&M International, followed by a 4 p.m. EDT matchup with Emory & Henry to close out the tournament.
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