By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
LAURINBURG, N.C. – Reinhardt volleyball improved to 23-2 on the season with another four-set victory on the road in conference play, 3-1 (25-21,21-25,25-19,25-16), against St. Andrews (N.C.) on Saturday.
With the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) triumph, the Eagles (16-0 AAC) have notched 51-consectuive regular-season conference wins – putting them 10th all-time in NAIA history – tied with Columbia (Mo.) of the American Midwest Conference from 1993-2002.
Today's match, however, didn't come without its challenges for the hometown team.
"I didn't prepare my team well for today's match and that's on me," head coach Brian Goodhind said. "I think it's important if I'm going to hold them accountable, that I do the same regarding coaching. To their credit they scrapped together a pretty good defensive effort today with 108 digs in only four sets. SAU had great energy today and for most of the match they were winning that battle. My players deserve all the credit for grinding out a win and going 1-0 today. To God goes all the Glory! #WePlayFor11."
Reinhardt won the defensive reception battle by 20 with those 108 digs, led by 23 from Tessa Colden, one of five players with 10-or-more in the category. Both Carlee Baxter (23 assists and 10 digs) and Erinn Marroquin (18 assists and 15 digs) had double-doubles.
The Knights weren't intimidated by the league's top team by any means, standing tall in their own gym from start to finish. St. Andrews had multiple small advantages in the opening set, but Reinhardt would continuously erase those deficits. The Eagles would be in for a battle – up by only two late in the stanza – before Reinhardt tallied three out of the next four points to win by four, 25-21, after back-to-back Knight errors.
The hosts were able to come from behind down by three (21-18) in game two thanks to a set-clinching 7-0 run to tie the match, 1-1. The scoring spree was a combination of kills, Reinhardt errors and an ace. The Eagles got back on top in stanza three after both teams when back and forth until the visitors were able to separate themselves after a 5-1 stretch when they were ahead, 18-17. Back-to-back kills for Reinhardt would then push the club to a 2-1 lead.
A 4-0 hole for the Eagles in set four turned into a 13-8 lead in the game after they reeled off seven-consecutive points before the run was stopped by the Knights. Reinhardt would respond with more scores to move ahead by seven before another stretch of four-straight points to go up by nine and be two tallies away from victory at 23-14.
Both teams would alternate scores the rest of the way as Savanna Davis ended the afternoon with a kill from Mar Vives.
Reinhardt Scoring Leaders at St. Andrews
Kills Shelby Glawson (10), Brittany Taksas (10), Savanna Davis (8)
Aces Kelley Adkins (2), Tessa Colden (1), Holly Heath (1)
Blocks Shelby Glawson (5), Brittany Taksas (4), Savanna Davis (3)
Assists Carlee Baxter (23), Erinn Marroquin (18), Mar Vives (2)
Digs Tessa Colden (23), Mar Vives (17), Kelley Adkins (16)
The final match of the regular season inside the Brown Athletic Center is Oct. 22, where Reinhardt will celebrate Senior Day against Brenau (Ga.) at 6:30 p.m.
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