Matthew D. Stokes

BerryVikings.com Staff Writer

ATLANTA, Ga. – After suffering its first loss this season, Berry (5-1) recovered to secure a victory in its second match of the day at the Emory Classic on Friday afternoon.

In the first match, Berry lost in three straight sets to number seven-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.), 25-4, 25-18 and 25-16. Sophomore Meredith Hopper picked up eight kills while freshman Stephanie Steele had 14 digs.

"Our youth really showed up against St. Thomas," said Berry head coach Mika Robinson. "They are an excellent blocking team, and we let their blocking and tough serves rattle us early. I was proud of our team for rebounding a bit in games two and three, but we really struggled to find any rhythm in ball control."

Following that defeat, Berry faced Averett and emerged victorious in three straight sets, 25-15, 25-15 and 25-20. Transfer Anna Keappler notched nine kills while junior Stephanie Quinn recorded 17 assists. Senior Jenn Tinnell had 12 digs.

"Going into the match against Averett, we stressed taking care of our first contact and bettering every ball," Robinson said. "I thought we did a really good job of taking care of the first pass, and our blockers did a much better job of challenging their hitters."

Berry will wrap up its play in this event on Saturday against Transylvania at 2 p.m. before facing host Emory later in the day.

-BerryVikings.com-