GROVE CITY, Pa. – The RIT Women's Volleyball team swept two matches at Grove City on Saturday, defeating La Roche, 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17) and the host Wolverines, 3-2 (11-25, 25-23, 25-18, 14-25, 15-11) on the second day of the Grove City/Westminster Invitational.

Graduate-student libero Hailey Blixt was named to the all-tournament team after anchoring the Tigers to a 4-0 record during the tournament including wins over Thiel, 3-1, and Wooster, 3-1, on Friday. 
 
RIT 3, LA ROCHE 1 (25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17)

• Sophomore outside hitter Mia Gerber led the way with 12 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Macie Jolliffe added 11 kills and seven digs. Senior outside hitter Samantha Cox logged 10 kills while graduate-student setter Sydney Neff was credited with 42 assists, 12 digs, five service aces and eight kills. Blixt totaled a match-high 17 digs.
• RIT won the first eight points before La Roche bounced back with a 6-1 run. The Tigers led 17-10 following an 8-4 run and then 20-14 before La Roche rattled off a 7-0 surge for a 21-20 lead. Trailing, 23-22, RIT clinched the set with three unanswered points, including the deciding kill by Neff.
• Tied, 10-10, in the second, RIT pulled ahead, 14-11, before La Roche came back to tie the score, 15-15. The Tigers built a three-point lead, 21-19, after a 6-4 run, but La Roche scored six of the final seven points, including four unanswered to even the match.
• La Roche started the third with an 8-7 lead, but RIT used a 7-2 run to pull ahead, 14-10. The Tigers later pulled out to a 20-14 lead, but La Roche came back with a 7-2 run to trail by one, 22-21. RIT had a swing at set point, 24-22, but La Roche tied the score with back-to-back points. The Tigers responded with consecutive kills by Cox and Jolliffe to earn the victory.
• La Roche scored the first six points of the fourth and later led, 14-9, before RIT put together a 6-1 run to knot the score, 15-15. La Roche retook a 16-15 lead, but RIT scored the next seven points to kick off a 10-1 run to clinch the match. 

RIT 3, GROVE CITY 2 (11-25, 25-23, 25-18, 14-25, 15-11)

• Blixt totaled a match-high 16 digs, including the 1,000th of her Tiger career, and logged five service aces. Gerber was credited with nine kills, followed by senior middle Catherine Vento and Jolliffe with eight apiece. Neff added 24 assists and 16 digs.
• RIT fell behind, 11-2, in the first, but pulled back within six, 14-8. Grove City bounced back with five-consecutive points and later finished the set with a 5-1 run to take the opener.
• The Tigers once again fell behind in the second, trailing, 12-5, and later trailed, 16-9. Grove City took its largest lead, 19-10, but RIT rode a 10-2 run to pull within one, 21-20. Grove City moved back to a two-point edge, 23-21, but the Tigers scored four-unanswered points, including a Vento kill and a Jolliffe service ace to complete the comeback.
• Trailing, 4-3, to start the third, RIT scored a 9-0 run led by a pair of service aces by sophomore outside hitter Madison Macko, to move ahead, 12-4. The Tigers led by as many as nine, 15-6, but Grove City got back into the set with a 10-4 run for a 19-16 score. RIT responded with a 6-2 to close the set, including two Vento kills.
• Grove City started with a 9-5 lead in the fourth, before leading by as many as 12, 23-11, down the stretch to even the match.
• RIT led by four twice to start the fifth, including 8-4, before Grove City used a 6-2 run to knot the score, 10-10. Following a Tiger timeout, RIT scored four-straight points for match point, clinching the match on Grove City's 14th service error of the afternoon. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT plays at cross-town rival Nazareth on Tuesday (Sept. 24) at 6:00 p.m.