WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Beloit College Buccaneers women's volleyball team displayed significant resilience and defensive tenacity this afternoon, facing off against a sharp UW-Stout squad at the Sherwood Center. While the Buccaneers (1-3, 0-0 MWC) ultimately fell in straight sets (17-25, 14-25, 7-25), the match was highlighted by standout individual performances and several rallies that showcased Beloit's competitive spirit.
Beloit's attack was paced by Madeline Holthaus (Saint Paul, MN), who led the team with 5 kills. Holthaus proved to be a reliable target throughout the afternoon, consistently finding gaps in the Blue Devils' defense. Supporting her on the front line was Kierra Rayne Hoover (Albuquerque, New Mexico), who tallied 4 kills and contributed a critical block assist.
The engine of the Buccaneers' offense was sophomore setter Aaliyah Gerard (Aiea, HI), who orchestrated the floor with a team-high 11 assists. Gerard's ability to distribute the ball under pressure kept the Wis.-Stout blockers off-balance during Beloit's strongest rallies.\\
Defensively, libero Sofia Ekmekjian Bagarazzi (Conshohocken, PA) was a force in the back row. Bagarazzi led the match for Beloit with 9 digs, flying across the court to keep high-velocity attacks in play. She also provided one of the match's highlights at the service line, firing an ace in the first set to pull the Buccaneers within five points at 12-17.
Kawailehua Kapuni-Lankford (Hilo, HI) also locked down the defense with 7 digs, while Daniela Perez (San Francisco, CA) stood tall at the net, recording a solo block and 3 kills of her own.
Set 1: The Buccaneers came out with high energy. Early in the frame, Hoover hammered home a kill off a perfectly placed set from Gerard to keep the score close at 1-2. Later in the set, trailing 6-10, Holthaus electrified the Beloit bench with a clinical kill that capped off a long rally, proving the Buccaneers could trade blows with Stout's heavy hitters.
Set 2: Beloit found their rhythm early in the second set, briefly taking a 6-4 lead. The go-ahead point came courtesy of a powerful kill by Selin Tufte (Clarkdale, Ariz.), assisted by Bagarazzi. This lead forced Stout into a timeout, highlighting Beloit's ability to dictate the tempo when their transition game was clicking. Later, Naomi Murphy (Dubuque, Iowa) added a late kill to bring the score to 11-20, refusing to let the set slip away without a fight.
Set 3: Despite a mounting deficit in the final frame, the Buccaneers continued to battle. Madalyn Huizel (Faribault, MN) provided a spark with a mid-set kill, and Tufte added her third kill of the match late in the set, demonstrating the "never quit" attitude that has come to define this Beloit roster.
The Buccaneers return to the midwest and head to Chicago for a clash with Moody Bible on Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m.
