HESSTON, Kan. - The women's volleyball team continued to stay red hot, sweeping the final day of the CAC Season Tournament with wins over Florida College and Carolina University.
In the first match, Florida College took the early momentum, reeling off six straight points to pull away and take the opening set 25-15.
The Falcons held a late 19-17 lead in the second set before the Red Hawks scored three straight points to go ahead 20-19, sparked by a kill from Tiara Manns and an ace by Brooklyn Jimenez. The Red Hawks finished strong, outscoring the Falcons 5-1 to take the second set 21-25 [corrected text flow: take the second set 25-21]. Kimora McKechnie played a key role during the surge, posting two kills and a block.
Simpson seized control of the match in the third set, turning an early 17-9 advantage into a 25-20 victory. Mariah Napoleon came alive in the frame, tallying seven kills.
The Red Hawks closed out the match with a gritty 25-22 victory in the fourth set. Trailing 20-18, Simpson rattled off five unanswered points to jump ahead 23-20, capitalized by kills from Napoleon and McKechnie. Kills from Napoleon and Maggie Warden ultimately sealed the match victory.
Napoleon put together a stellar performance, notching a team-high 19 kills to go along with 12 digs. Brooke Sarahina anchored the offense, dishing out 27 assists.
At the net, McKechnie, Louise Oliveira, and Maggie Warden each posted three blocks. Defensively, Manns led the squad with 16 digs, while Jimenez followed closely behind with 15.
The Red Hawks finished the tournament strong, defeating Carolina in straight sets: 25-16, 25-7, and 25-20.
Simpson took the first set convincingly 25-16, with Maggie Warden posting a team-high five kills in the opening frame.
The second set belonged entirely to Simpson as they dominated the Bruins 25-7. Tiara Manns notched four kills, while Brooke Sarahina registered 10 assists and three aces.
The Bruins and Red Hawks battled tightly in the third set, remaining deadlocked at 13-13 before Simpson engineered a six-point run to pull ahead 19-13. That proved to be enough breathing room as the Red Hawks closed out a 25-20 victory to sweep the match.
Manns led the Simpson offense with 15 kills, while Sarahina and Ella Perry combined for 37 assists. At the net, McKechnie, Warden, and Manns each tallied three total blocks.
With the victory, Simpson extended its winning streak to 11 matches. The Red Hawks return home next weekend to host Westcliff, playing at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Be sure to stay up to date and follow us at @simpsonredhawks on Instagram, Facebook, and X.Â
