BELOIT, Wis. - Beloit College couldn't find its offensive rhythm this evening, falling to Cornell College 25-16, 25-9, 25-17 at Flood Arena. The Rams improved to 11-8 overall and 6-0 in conference play, while Beloit dropped to 6-11 and 1-5.
Cornell's balance was the difference. The Rams hit .320 as a team, while Beloit finished at -.041 with 20 kills against 24 errors on 97 attempts. Cornell also outdug Beloit 48-37 and outblocked the Buccaneers 8.0 to 3.0.
Beloit came out competitive in the opener. The Buccaneers traded points with Cornell through the early going, and a Renee Stout (Nocona, TX) service ace gave Beloit a 8-7 lead. Beloit moved ahead again at 9-8, but Cornell answered with a 6-0 run to open a 14-9 lead.
Beloit made one more push. Down 16-10, Madeline Holthaus (Saint Paul, MN) went on a service run that included back-to-back aces, cutting the deficit to 16-14. Cornell regrouped, though, and closed the set on a 9-2 run to win 25-16. Holthaus finished the set with three points, and Lilianne Bethards (Rockford, IL) led Beloit's attack with two kills.
Cornell opened the second set with a 5-0 run, and Beloit never recovered. Maddisyn Adams (Stockett, MT) ended the opening run with a kill at 1-5, and Naomi Murphy (Dubuque, Iowa) and Holthaus added kills during a brief stretch that made it 3-9. Beloit hit -.129 in the set and managed just a 24% side-out rate. Cornell cruised, 25-9.
Beloit showed the most life in the finale, hitting .138, its best mark of the match. The Buccaneers took the first point, and Daniela Perez (San Francisco, CA) and Bethards each posted three kills in the set. Perez finished with 3.0 points, matching Bethards for the team high in the frame. Beloit also posted a 45% side-out rate.
Late in the set, Perez and Kierra Rayne Hoover (Albuquerque, New Mexico) each added a kill during a three-point Beloit stretch that made it 17-23. Cornell sealed the match at 25-17.
Beloit's passing was a bright spot. The Buccaneers received serve at a .955 clip, with just three reception errors on 64 attempts, and served four aces to Cornell's three. The Buccaneers also served only two errors, compared with six for Cornell.
But the offense couldn't capitalize. Beloit's side-out rate was 37% in the first set, 24% in the second and 45% in the third. The match featured 9 ties and 7 lead changes, nearly all of them in the opening set.
The Buccaneers have a quick turnaround. They welcome the Norse of Luther College to Flood Arena tomorrow at 1 pm.
