BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology narrowly fell in a five-set marathon to Simpson and dropped a three-set match to nationally ranked Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational.
Simpson fought through the tightly contested opener to win 18-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-13, 15-9. Sophomore Becca Poppel led the offensive effort with 12 kills and contributed 15 digs. Freshman Bailey MacInnis added nine kills.
Senior Sarah Jensen paced the squad with 23 assists, and freshman Marissa Gollnick added 15. Sophomore Gabi Razma recorded a match-high 35 digs, with Jensen adding 29 to the performance. Sophomoer Ellese Petty also crossed double figures with 16 digs.
Sophomore Mackenzie Gossard led a strong blocking attack with two solo blocks and four assists. Poppel had three solo blocks and two block assists, while junior Emily McLendon had five block assists.
In the nightcap, nationally ranked Illinois Wesleyan topped Rose-Hulman 25-14, 25-13, 25-20. MacInnis led the offense with six kills and two service aces, while Jensen had a team-high 17 assists. Razma recorded 14 digs. The blocking effort included Gossard with three block assists, MacInnis with two block assists, and Jensen with one.
Following the event, Jensen claimed a spot on the all-tournament team.
Rose-Hulman stands 10-12 on the season and returns to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action with a matchup at Franklin College on Wednesday.
