Benedictine Mesa picked up an important GSAC victory on Saturday afternoon inside the PEC, defeating Embry-Riddle 3-1 (25-20, 13-25, 28-26, 25-16).
Benedictine came out strong in the opening set, using a late surge to pull away for a 25-20 win. The Eagles responded in the second set, capitalizing on a fast start and efficient attack to even the match with a 25-13 victory.
The turning point came in the third set, as the two teams battled through 15 ties and lead changes before the Redhawks prevailed 28-26. Benedictine erased a late deficit and received key kills from Sophie Drollinger and Lili Casbarian during the closing stretch to claim the crucial set and seize momentum.
With the match on the line in the fourth, Benedictine controlled play from the middle stages on. The Redhawks used a balanced offensive attack and strong play at the net to pull away, scoring seven of the final eight points to secure the 25-16 set win and the match.
Sophie Drollinger led the Redhawk offense with 14 kills while adding four service aces and 14 digs for a double-double. Camille Collins contributed five kills and a match-high six block assists, while Addy Green finished with seven kills and five total blocks. Lili Casbarian provided an important spark off the bench with five kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
Taylee Wilson and Kiara Milar directed the offense with 19 and 14 assists, respectively, helping Benedictine total 42 assists on 44 kills. Defensively, Adina Ortiz anchored the back row with a match-high 25 digs, while Drollinger added 14 and Sophie Schonauer chipped in six digs.
