SATURDAY SCHEDULE
10 AM CT - vs. Simpson - LIVE STATS - LIVE VIDEO - GAME NOTES
12 PM CT - vs. Saint Mary's (MN) - LIVE STATS - LIVE VIDEO - GAME NOTES

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women;s volleyball team swept Buena Vista and Westminster in their opening two matches of the 2024 season at the Grinnell/Central Tournament in Iowa. With the win, the Fightin' Engineers open the season 2-0 for just the second time in the last nine year, joining the 2022 team.

In the opening match, the Fightin' Engineers rolled to a three-set sweep against the Beavers with a 25-19, 25-17, 25-22 victory. In the first set, Rose-Hulman took control with a 7-2 run to take a commanding 16-11 lead in the set. The next two sets were more of the same with the Fightin' Engineers pulling off three different 5-1 and 6-1 runs to dominate the match and come away with the sweep.

Amaya Harrell led the team with 9 kills and 3 blocks, and Jillian Gregg added 7 kills. The freshman setter duo of Julia Irmen and Hannah Bergfeld added 10 and 9 assists each. Lily Ebright also opened off her HCAC Defensive Player of the Year campaign strong with a 26 dig performance in the three-set victory.

In the second match of the night, the Fightin' Engineers rode strong hitting and top-notch serving to a four-set victory over the Blue Jays. In the opening set, Westminster took control with a 21-16 lead, but Rose-Hulman battled back with 5 consecutive points to knot the match up at 21. They would then win three straight points to close out the set with an ace from Ebright.

The second set was more of the same for the Fightin' Engineers as they rattled off an 11-1 run to end the set and take a commanding 2-0 lead.

After the Blue Jays won the third set and took an 11-7 lead in the fourth, it looked like a fifth set may be looming. However, the Fightin' Engineers won 10 consecutive points to turn the four-point deficit into a six-point lead. Westminster would not go away and retook the lead at 18-17 with seven straight points of their own, but Rose-Hulman would cap off the ultimate match of runs with a 7-1 run to win the set 25-20.

Desiree Beverley led the team with 12 kills, and Harrell added 11 kills to dominate the attack. Irmen led the team with 25 assists and added 11 digs to pick up her first career double-double. She joins Gregg as the only active Fightin' Engineers to record a collegiate double-double.

On the defensive side, Harrell added 3 more blocks, and Ebright and Gregg each added double digit digs to help control the match and lead the team to victory.

The Fightin' Engineers will return to action with a perfect weekend on the line on Saturday morning as they take on Simpson and St. Mary's (MN) at 10 AM CT and 12 PM CT at Grinnell College.