Grinnell, IA - The Dominican University women's volleyball team competed in the 2023 Grinnell/Central Volleyball Tournament on Friday.

Match 1:
Dominican 3
Monmouth: 1

How it Happened:
-Dominican started off strong, winning the first set 25-18 with a 13 kills.
-The Stars would have their worst set in the second as they had just a .08 hitting percentage and lost 28-26.
-DU bounced back in the third as they were able to capture an enormous 25-8 set victory.
-Dominican had 13 kills and just 3 errors in the third set.
-The Stars carried that momentum into the fourth set and finished the job with a 25-15 final set.
-DU had a remarkable 12 blocks, while MC had just 3.

Shining Stars:
-Senior Cassidy Spies picked up where she left off last season and led the match with 20 kills.
-Junior Olivia Mendell contributed in a variety of ways including a match-high 3 service aces and 42 assists.
-Junior Miriam Guler was stellar defensively and led the match with 32 digs.

Leading the Way:
Kills: Spies (20) 
Aces: O. Mendell (3)
Blocks: E. Mendell (8)
Assists: O. Mendell (42)
Digs: Guler (32)

Match 2:
Dominican: 1
Grinnell: 3

How it Happened:
-Dominican's chances looked promising in the first set with a 25-17 victory including 11 kills.
-The Stars fought back after falling behind in the second set but lost narrowly 27-25.
-DU struggled in the third set to gain the momentum back. They had just 7 kills to Grinnell's 14.
-The fourth set and final set went the way of Grinnell in a 25-16 fashion and Dominican lost for the first time this season.

Shining Stars:
-Olivia Mendell continued to serve well with an additional 3 service aces and once again led the Stars with 31 assists.
-Spies was the offensive focal point again and had 16 kills.
-Senior Maya Green was a presence at the net with 5 blocks and 6 kills.

Leading the Way:
Kills: Spies (16) 
Aces: O. Mendell (3)
Blocks: Green (5)
Assists: O. Mendell (31)
Digs: Guler (25)

What's Next:
The Dominican University women's volleyball team will continue their weekend trip with two more matches tomorrow against Buena Vista University and Central College.

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