ATLANTA, Ga. — The Berry College volleyball team earned a four-set victory over Rhodes College on Friday, winning 3-1 with set scores of 24-26, 25-18, 25-19 and 25-10. The Vikings improved to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in Southern Athletic Association play with the conference win.
Berry opened the match with a strong start, taking an early lead behind
Andrea Hurt's service ace and
Madie Whitehead's kill off an assist from
Ava Brovet. Rhodes answered with points of their own to keep the opening set close. The Vikings continued to find success offensively, with
Keira Kruk recording kills off Brovet's assists and Whitehead adding another scoring attack.
Elise Trimble also contributed with a kill and a service ace as Berry worked to build momentum. The two teams traded points throughout the middle portion of the first set, with neither side able to create much separation. Berry received kills from
Shelby Harris and Whitehead, while Hurt added another service ace to help keep the Vikings within reach. Trimble later delivered back-to-back service aces to give Berry a 23-21 advantage late in the set. Rhodes responded to even the score at 23, and the teams continued to battle through the closing points. Berry tied the set at 24, but Rhodes recorded the final two points to take the opening set 26-24.
Berry responded in the second set, using a more consistent offensive attack to even the match. The Vikings worked to establish an early advantage, with Whitehead, Kruk and Harris providing kills. Brovet helped lead the offense with accurate setting, allowing Berry's attackers to find opportunities at the net. The Vikings continued to apply pressure as the set progressed, combining offensive production with timely points to pull away from Rhodes. Berry maintained control late in the set and closed out a 25-18 win to tie the match at one set apiece.
The Vikings carried that momentum into the third set, continuing to attack effectively and put pressure on the Rhodes defense. Kruk and Whitehead remained key options offensively, while Harris added important kills to help Berry maintain its lead. Brovet continued to distribute the ball across the front line, keeping the Rhodes defense from focusing on one attacker. Berry also took advantage of errors and strong serving to create separation as the set moved into its final points. The Vikings stayed in control down the stretch, earning a 25-19 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Berry delivered its strongest performance of the night in the fourth set, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Brovet opened the set with a kill before setting up Kruk for another point. She then added a service ace as Berry moved ahead 4-0. Whitehead and Harris continued the scoring with kills, helping the Vikings extend their advantage. Berry's defense also made an impact, with the Vikings taking advantage of Rhodes' attack errors and recording a block from
Rosemary Boylston and Whitehead. The lead continued to grow as Berry received additional kills from Kruk, Whitehead and Harris. With the Vikings firmly in control, they closed out the set 25-10 to secure the 3-1 victory.
Kruk led Berry with 18 kills and 19 digs, recording a strong all-around performance on both sides of the ball. Whitehead finished with 16 kills while hitting .378 and adding three blocks. Harris contributed 13 kills to give the Vikings three players with double-digit kills. Brovet directed the offense with 43 assists and two service aces, while Hurt led the defensive effort with 17 digs and added three aces. Trimble also recorded three service aces, and Boylston finished with three blocks. As a team, Berry recorded 57 kills while hitting .304, compared with 37 kills and a .110 hitting percentage for Rhodes. The Vikings also finished with 53 assists, 12 service aces, five blocks and 60 digs.
The balanced offensive production and improved performance after the opening set helped Berry close out the conference win and improve its record to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in SAA play. Berry continues their SAA play tomorrow in Atlanta vs. Millsaps at 4:30.
