REDDING, Calif. - Simpson U women's volleyball took the floor at the Grant Center for the first time in the 2022 campaign to face 19th-ranked OIT. The Owls are coming off a season where they finished 24-8 and qualified for the NAIA National Championships. Despite a five-set battle in match one, OIT went on to sweep the Red Hawks in five sets in match one and three sets in match two.

Match one for the Red Hawks showed their potential for the upcoming season with impressive first and fourth set victories over the Owls before dropping the decisive set, 15-9. Freshman, Madelyn Frick shined for Simpson tallying a game-high 17 kills in match one and six in match two. Kendall Welpott also notched 12 kills for Simpson in the first match.

Tiana Nihipali was all over the hardwood for Simpson with eight kills, team-leading 15 digs, and two blocks.

Even though the Red Hawks didn't record a victory in the doubleheader, they proved that they are a force in the NAIA and have the potential to make a run for a conference championship.

The Red Hawks' non-conference season continues when they head to Rocklin, CA to face Chico State, Southern Oregon University, and Bushnell University. Simpson's first match begins on Friday, August 26th at 11 AM.