The Benedictine Mesa women's volleyball team earned a 3-1 victory over La Sierra on Wednesday evening at home, defeating the Golden Eagles 27-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-20.
The Redhawks showed resilience throughout the match, overcoming late deficits in the opening two sets before using a strong fourth-set performance to secure the win.
Benedictine grabbed the early momentum in the first set behind kills from Janae Moore, Marley Cortez, and Addy Green. La Sierra responded with a mid-set surge to build a 20-16 advantage, but the Redhawks refused to go away. Consecutive kills from Kylie Malone and Kiara Milar tied the score at 22-22 before Sophie Drollinger delivered back-to-back kills to put BENU at set point. Logan McPhersonadded a clutch late kill and Addy Green finished off the set with a block as the Redhawks completed the comeback for a 27-25 win.
The second set was another tightly contested affair. After trailing 13-12, Benedictine put together a decisive run behind strong play from Drollinger, Cortez, and Malone to take a 23-16 lead. La Sierra answered with a late rally, cutting the deficit to one point at 24-23, but the Redhawks held on as a Golden Eagle attack error gave BENU a 25-23 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
La Sierra avoided the sweep in the third set, using an early run to build a comfortable advantage. Benedictine received kills from Drollinger, Addy Green, Cortez, and Malone, but the visitors maintained control throughout the set and claimed a 25-18 win.
The Redhawks bounced back in the fourth, opening with a 3-0 run and never relinquishing control. Addy Green and Drollinger continued to pace the offense while Benedictine's block slowed the La Sierra attack. The Redhawks built a 17-11 advantage and weathered a late push before closing out the match on a La Sierra attack error to secure the 25-20 set win and the four-set victory.
Drollinger led a balanced Benedictine attack and came through in several key moments, including critical late points in both the first and fourth sets. Addy Green and Cortez added consistent offensive production, while Milar provided a spark off the bench with her setting and serving. McPherson also delivered timely kills and blocks during key stretches of the match.
