LEXINGTON, Ky. — The No. 5 Berry College volleyball team earned a dominant 3-0 sweep over Asbury and Transylvania on Friday afternoon at the Clive M. Beck Center to open the Transylvania Tournament.
Berry and Asbury traded points early in the opening set, with the teams tied at 3-3 before Berry began to create separation.
Keira Kruk gave the Vikings a 4-3 lead with a kill from
Ava Brovet, and
Cali Armstead followed with another kill to put Berry ahead 5-4. After Asbury tied the set at 5-5, Berry responded with a kill from
Madie Whitehead and an Armstead block to take a 7-5 lead. The Vikings continued to build their advantage, taking a 12-7 lead after an
Andrea Hurt service ace. Whitehead and
Shelby Harris added kills as Berry extended its lead to 15-9. Kruk then recorded another kill to make it 18-10 before
Maddie Dahl added a service ace to push the lead to 19-10. Berry reached set point at 24-13 before Asbury made a late push, but Dahl finished the set with a kill from Brovet to give Berry the 25-18 victory.
Berry carried its momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early 5-3 advantage. Harris helped the Vikings maintain their lead with an attack that was stopped by an Armstead block, while Kruk added a kill to make it 6-5. Berry continued to find success at the net, with Kruk recording another kill to give the Vikings an 8-6 lead. Brovet then helped Berry extend its advantage, contributing to a 13-8 lead after a Whitehead kill. The Vikings continued to apply pressure as the set progressed. Brovet recorded back-to-back service aces to give Berry a 15-8 advantage, followed by a Whitehead kill that pushed the score to 16-9. Berry maintained its seven-point lead at 17-10 before Asbury began to battle back. The Eagles eventually tied the set at 17-17, but Berry responded with a Dahl kill to regain the lead. Berry then scored four straight points, including kills from
Elise Trimble and Dahl and two service aces from Trimble, to take a 22-17 lead. Trimble's strong stretch at the service line helped Berry regain control, and Kruk closed the set with a kill to give the Vikings a 25-20 victory.
With a 2-0 match lead, Berry looked to complete the sweep in the third set. Asbury scored the first two points, but Berry quickly answered with kills from Kruk and Armstead before Brovet gave the Vikings a 4-2 lead with a service ace. Berry continued to build its advantage, taking a 7-4 lead before Asbury cut the deficit to 7-5. Dahl responded with a kill to put Berry ahead 8-5, and Harris added another kill to make it 9-6. Berry continued to control the set through the middle portion, with Dahl recording a service ace at 12-7 and Kruk adding a kill to extend the lead to 13-8. Brovet then delivered another service ace before Berry moved ahead 15-8. Whitehead added a kill at 16-9, and the Vikings continued to hold their advantage. Asbury attempted another comeback, cutting Berry's lead to 17-16. The Vikings responded with a key stretch late in the set. Dahl recorded a kill to make it 18-17, followed by kills from Harris and Trimble to extend the lead. Trimble then added a service ace and another kill, helping Berry move ahead 22-17. Dahl added another kill to make it 23-18, and Kruk followed with a kill to put Berry at match point, 24-19. Kruk finished the match with another kill as Berry took the third set 25-20 and completed the sweep.
Kruk led the Vikings offensively with 10 kills, followed by Dahl with nine and Whitehead with eight. The trio combined for 27 of Berry's 37 kills. Brovet directed the Berry offense with 33 assists and added three service aces.
Berry's serving was another major part of the victory. Brovet finished with three aces, while Dahl and Harris each recorded two. Berry finished with 11 service aces as a team.
Armstead provided a strong presence at the net, leading all players with five blocks. Whitehead and Dahl each added two blocks as Berry finished with seven total blocks. Hurt led the defensive effort with a match-high 18 digs, while Kruk recorded eight and Harris added seven.
Berry finished the match with 37 kills on 100 attacks and hit .260 as a team. The Vikings also recorded 11 service aces, seven blocks and 37 assists while holding Asbury to 28 kills, two aces and one block. Berry's strongest offensive set came in the third, when the Vikings hit .333 with 13 kills.
The victory moves Berry to 3-1 on the season, while Asbury falls to 2-2. The Vikings will return to action later Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. against Transylvania.
Madie Whitehead led Berry's offense with 13 kills on 34 attacks while hitting .235. Shelby Harris added 8 kills on 26 attacks and hit .269, while Keira Kruk finished with 7 kills. Harris also recorded two service aces and two block assists.
Berry vs Transylvania
Berry took control early in the first set behind strong offensive play from Whitehead, Harris and Kruk. Ava Brovet consistently set up Berry's attackers and finished the match with a team-high 29 assists. Kruk recorded several kills during the set, while Harris and Whitehead also provided key points as Berry built its lead. Berry pulled away late and closed the opening set 25-18.
The Vikings continued their strong offensive play in the second set. Harris opened the scoring with a kill from Brovet before Berry built an early advantage. Kruk recorded back-to-back kills to help Berry regain control after Transylvania closed the gap. Whitehead continued to attack effectively, and Berry moved ahead 15-10. Whitehead added another kill before Harris and Cali Armstead helped Berry at the net. Berry extended its lead to 20-10 and held on to win 25-18.
Berry's offense remained consistent throughout the third set. Harris recorded the first point with a kill from Brovet, and Berry took an early 2-0 lead. After Transylvania tied the score at 2-2, Whitehead answered with a kill from Brovet. Kruk became a major part of the attack in the middle of the set, recording kills at 7-4 and 9-6. Maddie Dahl also contributed two kills during the set, including one that helped Berry take a 14-7 lead. Whitehead added another kill to make it 15-8, and she continued to find success at the net. Harris added a service ace to give Berry an 18-10 advantage. Berry also received strong defensive play at the net, including a block from Brovet. Transylvania attempted to make a comeback and cut the deficit to 21-16, but Brovet responded with a kill to make it 22-16. Berry then closed out the match with its biggest offensive contributors. Whitehead recorded another kill to put Berry ahead 23-16, Harris followed with a kill to make it 24-18, and Whitehead finished the match with a kill from Kruk for the 25-18 victory.
Whitehead finished with a match-high 13 kills, while Harris had 8 kills and Kruk added 7. Dahl contributed 3 kills, Armstead had 2, Brovet recorded 3, and Andrea Hurt added 3 kills. Brovet's 29 assists helped Berry finish with 37 assists as a team. Berry also received important contributions on defense. Brovet recorded 8 digs, while Whitehead finished with 12 digs and Kruk had 11. Harris added 5 digs, while Armstead had 6. Berry finished with 53 digs and 10 total blocks. At the net, Berry was led by its front-row defense. Whitehead had 3 block assists, Harris had 2, Brovet had 1 solo block and 2 block assists, and Dahl had 1 solo block, 1 block assist and 1 block error.
As a team, Berry hit .214 with 37 kills on 117 attacks. Transylvania finished with 25 kills on 110 attacks and hit just .018. Berry also held a significant advantage in total blocks, 10-3, and finished with four service aces. Berry will return to action tomorrow at 3 p.m. against the College of Saint Benedict
