The Benedictine Mesa Women's Volleyball team split their matches at the 2024 OUAZ Invitational. The Redhawks secured a dominant 3-0 victory against Montana State University-Northern before falling in a competitive 0-3 match to Carroll College.

Match 1:
Benedictine Mesa started strong against Montana State-Northern, taking control early in the first set with a series of powerful kills and blocks. Hailey White and Gracelynn Nez set the tone, while assists from Railey Druxman and Hattie Patton pushed the Redhawks to a quick 4-0 lead. Montana attempted a comeback, but Benedictine maintained their momentum, extending the lead to 18-10 after a series of errors by Montana and relentless offense from Kylie Bartel and Jewel Carling. Although Montana narrowed the gap to 24-20, a final kill by Druxman, assisted by Bartel, secured the set at 25-20.

In the second set, Benedictine continued their dominance, quickly capitalizing on Montana's attack errors. Despite a closer contest, the Redhawks pulled ahead with strong performances from Bartel and Druxman, closing the set at 25-18.

The third set was a tighter battle, with both teams trading points early on. Montana took a slight 5-3 lead, but the Redhawks quickly tied it up with a block from Druxman and White and kills from Druxman. Benedictine Mesa broke away with a series of kills from White and Bartel, winning the final set 25-18 and completing the sweep against Montana State-Northern.

Match 2:
Facing Carroll (MT), Benedictine Mesa fought hard but struggled to sustain their momentum. The first set saw Benedictine open with a kill by Hattie Patton, but Carroll capitalized on attack errors, pushing ahead. Despite strong efforts from players like Kylie Bartel, Benedictine found themselves trailing. The Redhawks closed the gap to 21-19 with a service ace by Annika Wallace, but Carroll took the set 25-21.

The second set was another close battle, with Benedictine fighting back from an early deficit. Key kills by Railey Druxman and Megan Hicks closed Carroll's lead to 19-14, but the Saints held on to secure the set 25-19.

In the third set, Benedictine Mesa attempted a rally, but early attack errors allowed Carroll to gain a solid lead. Despite strong kills by Bartel and Sophie Drollinger, the Redhawks couldn't bridge the gap, ultimately dropping the set 25-19 and the match 3-0. Despite the loss, the Redhawks demonstrated resilience and competitive spirit throughout.

Key Players:

• Kylie Bartel: 16 kills, 2 aces, and 6 digs in the first match, hitting .364. In the second match: 9 kills, 1 block, 8 digs.
• Jewel Carling: 6 kills with 0 errors, hitting .667 with two blocks in the first match. In the second match: 6 kills with no errors, 1 dig.
• Railey Druxman: 14 kills, 2 blocks, and 10 digs in the first match. In the second match: 8 kills, 2 blocks, and 8 digs.

Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks return to action on Friday, August 30th, at Mesa Community College at 7:00 PM.