The Dominican University women's volleyball team rebounded from an 0-2 start to the 2019 Loras Invite, topping the Wartburg College Knights (27-25, 22-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-8) and Loras College Duhawks (25-21, 25-19, 25-23) to improve to 5-2 on the season.  For the day, the Stars averaged better than 14 kills per set while hitting .228.
 
"I'm so proud of what this team accomplished today," said Cameron Andrew, the Stars' head women's volleyball coach. "After the struggles of yesterday, they could have let that weight them down but they did the opposite. We played with great intensity and grit and beat two very good teams today. Loras was really on a roll, beating two nationally ranked teams in a row. We did an awesome job of controlling the game. The defensive effort and discipline is what allowed us to be successful today."
 
In the five-set win over Wartburg, the Stars balanced offensive attack saw Gabija Sinickaite, Summer Smith and Gillian Jones all tally double-digit kills.  Sinickaite led the way with 17 kills on 39 swings, hitting .333, while Smith and Jones added 14 and 12 kills respectively.  Freshman Keely McCallum knocked down nine kills of her own on just 18 swings.
 
Anastasia Labadessa and Natalie Jones ran the offense, doling out 49 assists combined while leading the Stars to a .186 attack percentage.  Labadessa (33 assists) added nine digs and a team-high four aces at the serving line in the all-around effort while one of the Stars' three double-doubles with 14 digs.
 
In the back row, Sarah Lychock helped Dominican limit the Knights to just 51 kills over the five sets by collecting a team-high 26 digs.  Smith and Gillian Jones logged the Stars' other two double-doubles with 19 and 14 digs respectively.
 
At the net, the Dominican block posted four total blocks with Haley Notzen getting in on all of them with four block assists.  Olivia Magnussen paired with Notzen for three block assists while McCallum added the final block assist.
 
In the win over the host Duhawks, the Stars offense hit at a blistering .302 clip, paced by Gillian Jones and McCallum who combined for 24 kills on just 49 swings.  Jones and McCallum tallied 12 kills apiece while Smith and Sinickaite knocked down eight apiece.  Labadessa and Natalie Jones again shared setting responsibilities, collecting 26 and 15 assists respectively.
 
Defensively, Lychock collected a match-high 25 digs as the Stars slowed Loras to a .204 attack percentage.  Gillian Jones rounded out her second double-double of the day with 12 digs.
 
The Stars return to action on Friday, September 13, taking on Lake Forest College at the Marilyn Scribner Invitational at Wheaton College.  Dominican then returns to Wheaton on Saturday, taking on Buena Vista College and the host Thunder.
 
"Now we get back into the gym and weight room," continued Andrew, "and start getting better on Monday."