MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Viking Volleyball squad earned a well-deserved win against the Rhodes Lynx on Sunday, closing out a successful trip on the road.
The Vikings entered the 1st set with a vengeance, unleashing an early 4-0 run with the talent of Madie Whitehead and Cali Armstead. The Lynx then fought back, setting the first tie of the match at 11 all. Later in the set, the Vikings pulled off some difficult assists from Ava Brovet, Shelby Harris, and Andrea Hurt. Offensive errors by the Lynx gave Berry an edge moving further into the 1st. Despite the Vikings' early momentum, the 1st set remained a close one until late in the set. After various slip-ups by the Lynx, Madie Whitehead put the nail in the coffin with a winning kill, securing a 1st set victory 25-22.
The Vikings carried their contagious energy over to the 2nd set, mounting early pressure onto the Lynx. Rhodes answered back, tying the Vikings twice early on. The Lynx took the lead out from under Berry, but the Vikings answered back with 2 aces from Kara Schmit, swapping the lead once again. With this added momentum, Cali Armstead struck a big-time kill, breaking another tie, 14-13. Ava Brovet added fuel to the fire, extending the Vikings to lead by 2. The pressure continued to grow from the high-powered Viking offense, leading to a 2nd set W from the Vikings 25-19.
Entering the 3rd set, the Vikings were set on closing this one out on the road. The Lynx, on the other hand, had other plans. It was a strong start for Berry to enter the 3rd, with a 6-2 run aided by the sheer talent of Keira Kruk. The Vikings kept their foot on the gas pedal until the middle of the set. By this point, the Lynx kept increasing pressure as their home-crowd energy started to increase. The Lynx amassed a 3rd set victory 20-25, avoiding a Viking sweep.
The energy was a bit different going into the 4th set, with the home crowd in Memphis finding a new sense of hope. The Vikings didn't back down in the slightest, with Madie Whitehead securing a 4pt lead. This momentum then changed when Rhodes tied the set once again, adding up to 3 lead changes already. Ava Brovet then scored an impressive ace, leading Berry 20-19. As the game continued to close in, Keira Kruk extended the lead even further. In all, the Vikings emerged triumphant against the Lynx 3-1.
With four aces in the game, senior Lura Underwood eclipsed 100 career service aces. She becomes the second Viking to accomplish the feat this season alongside Andrea Hurt.
Standout performances included lead kills by Keira Kruk, Madie Whitehead, and Lura Underwood, and Ava Brovet finishing with 44 assists. The Vikings plan to come home and face the Trinity Tigers at home on Saturday.
