LATROBE, Pa. (Aug. 29)- The Saint Vincent women's volleyball team opened their 2025 season by splitting a doubleheader against Carlow and R.I.T. at the annual Bearcat Challenge Women's Volleyball Tournament hosted at Saint Vincent.
In the season opener, Saint Vincent (1-1) defeated Carlow 3-1, before falling to R.I.T. in a tough five set match by a score of 3-2.
Game One- Saint Vincent 3, Carlow 1
In the opener, the Bearcats took control quickly jumping out to a 2-0 lead with 25-21 and 25-12 set wins. Carlow bounced back with a 25-19 win in set two before the Bearcats won 25-20 in the fourth set to clinch the match win.
Reigning PAC Newcomer of the Year
Meegan Williams picked up right where she left off during her freshman season. The sophomore opened the season with a 16-kill, 14-dig double-double, while also picking up four service aces to help lead the Bearcats to victory.
Dakota Hershberger recorded a double-double as well with 14 kills and 11 digs, while
Sani Jones totaled 19 assists and 14 digs.
Madie Eagler added 18 assists and
Sabrina George totaled seven kills.
Vivian Wirth recorded a match-high four blocks for the Bearcats as well.
It was a back-and-forth opening set as the team traded points for most of the set. Carlow gained a slight 21-18 advantage, before Saint Vincent scored the final seven points to win the set (25-21), taking a 1-0 lead.
Lauren Fox, Eagler, Wirth, and Williams all recorded kills in for SVC in those final seven points.
In the second set, the Bearcats dominated from start to finish, cruising to the set win (25-12), taking a 2-0 advantage in the set. SVC scored four of the final five points two coming from Hershberger kills, one on a kill from Williams, and she added a service ace as well.
Carlow bounced back with the set three win (25-19) to avoid the sweep and force a fourth set. SVC handled business in the fourth set as as they held a 23-20 lead. They closed the set out as the Celtics recorded to attack errors to give Saint Vincent the set win (25-20) and the match win 3-1.
SVC hit .183 in the match and led every major statistical category as well.
Game Two- R.I.T. 3, Saint Vincent 2
In Saint Vincent second and final match of the day, the Bearcats fell 3-2 in a hard fought five set match to R.I.T..
The Bearcats fell in the opening set 25-22, before bouncing back to tie the match with a 26-24 win in set two. R.I.T. won the third set 25-22 and Saint Vincent once again answered with a 25-18 win in set four to force a fifth set. It was all R.I.T. in the fifth as they won the set 15-5.
Once again, Williams led the way with 16 kills and 15 digs for Saint Vincent. Wirth added ten kills of her own and three more blocks as well. Hershberger recorded nine kills and ten digs and
Mikena Marino totaled a match-high three service aces.
Jones and Eagler recorded 21 and 18 assists respectively.
The teams traded the first four sets back-and-forth with R.I.T. coming back to win the first set and take a 1-0 lead. SVC answered with a with a late comeback of their own in the second set.
After trailing 24-23 in the set, Saint Vincent scored the final three points to win the set (26-24), scoring two of those three points on a kill from Williams and
Anna Grandas.
R.I.T. won the third set, before SVC controlled the bulk of the fourth set to send the match to the fifth and decisive set. It was all R.I.T. in the final set as they won the match, handing SVC their first loss of the 2025 season.
Saint Vincent will return to action tomorrow, Saturday, August 30 as they take on Penn State-Behrend to conclude their games in the 2025 Bearcat Challenge. The match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center on Saturday afternoon.
