The Pirates fought hard against Benedictine in the Heart of America Conference season opener, but ultimately fell in four sets to the Ravens (20-25, 16-25, 25-14, 23-25). Indi Zetic led the Pirates with 10 kills, while Ella Swalm had a great defensive performance with 20 digs, and Silvia Albani recorded 29 assists. Stefania Scomazzon was incredible for the Ravens, totaling 20 kills and a service ace that came on the last point of the match to seal the win for Benedictine, and setter Wren Vancleeve recorded a season-high 37 assists. Both teams struggled at the service line, with Benedictine recording 11 service errors and Park recording 16.
How it happened
Neither team looked much better than the other in the first half of set one, as Ravens had a one-point advantage at 8-7 before a three-point run on a pair of kills and an attack error from Park gave Benedictine a four-point cushion. The Pirates responded a few points later, turning a 15-12 Raven lead into a 16-16 tie with help from three kills by Visnja Canak. However, the Ravens closed out the set strong, capitalizing on Pirate mistakes and three kills in the last four points of the set by Stefania Scomazzon. An eight-kill first set by Scomazzon propelled the Ravens to a set one win (25-20).
Silvia Albani did everything she could at the beginning of set two for the Pirates, as three straight service aces gave the Pirates an early 3-0 lead, but a service error on the next point, three Park attack errors, and a kill from the Ravens turned a 3-0 advantage into a 5-3 deficit. Nothing really changed until late in the set, as Benedictine extended the lead farther and farther towards the end of set two. The Ravens had a 17-12 lead before winning eight of the last 10 points to go up two sets to none (25-16).
In volleyball, it's so easy to lose focus after dropping the first two sets of the match, but the Pirates did the opposite and looked fantastic in set three. Three early kills and a service ace helped the Pirates to a 5-2 lead, and the Pirates would never trail at any point in the third set. A momentum-changing six-point run, highlighted by kills from Trinity Iverson and Isadora Dias and an Ella Schwalm service ace, put the Pirates in the driver's seat with a 13-5 lead. The Ravens cut the Pirates' lead to six at 16-10, but that would be the closest the score would get, as another four-point run, which included three kills from Indi Zetic, gave the Pirates a commanding lead. Back-to-back kills by Isadora Dias and Elisa Dalla Pozza put an exclamation point on an impressive 25-14 set three win.
No one in Breckon Sports Center had any idea who was going to win set four until the very end, as both squads seemed to match point for point, and the Ravens had just a two-point lead 16 points through, at 9-7. A kill from Kennedy Altic started a five-point rally for the Pirates, giving Park a 12-9 lead and all the momentum. However, the Ravens responded well and tied the set at 14-14. Park still held a two-point lead at 21-19 when Stefania Scomazzon showed up for the Ravens again. Back-to-back kills by the junior hitter tied a crucial set four again and forced the Pirates to take a timeout. Indi Zetic stormed out of the break with a kill, but a couple of mistakes right after put the Ravens ahead 23-22. A Visnja Canak kill tied the set again, but that was the last point the Pirates would score. A Bridget O'Sullivan kill set up who else but Stefania Scomazzon to close out the win with a service ace, taking the fourth set 25-23.
