Southwestern University

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Southwestern University Volleyball delivered a dominant performance Thursday afternoon, sweeping No. 4 Rhodes College 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-12) in the quarterfinals of the Southern Athletic Association Tournament at Trinity University.

Southwestern opened the match with a 25-20 victory in the first set. After the teams traded points early, the Pirates used a four-point run midway through the set to create separation. Lauren McIntyre sparked the stretch with back-to-back service aces before Alta Wilson and Tatum Ahrens added kills to extend the advantage to 18-15. Southwestern maintained control down the stretch, closing out the set with five consecutive points to secure the 25-20 win.

The Pirates carried their momentum into the second set, overcoming an early deficit to take control. After Rhodes held a 9-7 advantage, Southwestern responded with a seven-point run to move ahead 14-9. Lucy Riggar and Ahrens fueled the surge with a pair of kills each, while the Pirates continued to build their lead. Southwestern closed the set with another strong run, scoring four of the final five points to claim a 25-18 victory and take a 2-0 match lead.

Southwestern saved its most dominant performance for the third set. After Rhodes jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the Pirates tied the set at 4-4. Down 8-6, Southwestern scored 11 straight to take a 17-8 lead before continuing to stretch the lead. The Pirates were able to fend off the Lynx, holding on for a 25-12 set win to secure the sweep. 

MATCH NOTES

• SU held the Lynx to a .023 hitting percentage in the final set.
• Southwestern finished with 62 digs, led by Izzy Rodriguez and Riggar with 16 digs apiece.
• Riggar (16 kills, 16 digs) and Ahrens (14 kills, 13 digs) both posted double-dobules. 
• Kendall Jurgens registered five total blocks.
• McIntyre led the offense with 19 assists and seven digs.

QUOTABLES
Head coach Don Flora on the win... 

"Rhodes played a really clean and quality offensive game in the first set, which challenged our team to step up and play our style of volleyball for a longer stretch. We were very impressed with Rhodes and their offensive balance in the first set. It was good to see our serving pressure continue to build throughout the match, especially late in the first set. Lucy Riggar and Tatum Ahrens handled a really important load for us today offensively. It was impressive to see them attacking from many swing patterns throughout the match today."

"Defensively, we also did a nice job, averaging more than 20 digs per set. We did a really good job of reading the play and positioning ourselves defensively behind the block."

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to compete in the SAA Tournament semifinals. This is an exciting time of year for our program."

UP NEXT
SU will face No. 1 Centre College in the semifinals tomorrow at 2 p.m.