Eutectics Notch First Win over Comets

ST. LOUIS, MO. – The Eutectic women's volleyball team notched its first-ever victory over the Cottey College Comets (Mo.) to earn its fourth American Midwest Conference (AMC) victory of the season on Friday afternoon at the UHSP gymnasium. The Eutectics' straight-set victory avenged their previous loss to the Comets at neutral site Columbia College on Sept. 20^th. Friday's match was hard-fought , but decisive, snapping a five-match drought for the Eutectics and extending to the Comets' (12-13, 6-4 AMC) losing streak to four.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

UHSP def. Cottey 25-23, 25-19, 25-23

• The Eutectics took the lead early in the first set with a five-point scoring run to take an 8-3 lead following two MaKenzie Uribe service aces and three kills from Sophia Michaud (set up by Jenna Brinson), who just returned to the lineup after an injury. The Eutectics never relinquished the lead after that, despite three set-point breaks by Cottey at 24-20. A kill from Sierra Aplanalp (assisted by Brinson) secured the final point of the 25-23 set for the Purple and Gold.
• The Comets returned fire to take a 6-1 lead in Set 2, but a kill from Michaud and two more aces from Uribe stopped their momentum, allowing for the Euts to catch up at 9-9. It was a five-point scoring run with Ava Baggett at the service line, which turned the tide in favor of UHSP to pull ahead 19-15 and put them in position to win the set at 25-19.
• The Eutectics maintained the momentum into the third set, taking a 6-2 lead, then later knocked down another five points during Baggett's serve to go up 15-9. Still, the Comets were able to come back and tie it up at 19 and eventually take a dangerous 23-21 lead. But, the Eutectics denied any more points from the Comets, winning the next four points in a row, including kills from Aplanalp and Tera Schumacher and a double block from Aplanalp and Hannah Kynaston to finish the set and secure the match with a 25-23 third-set win.
• In her first match back, Michaud led all attackers with 10 kills and tallied three blocks. Brinson put up 26 assists and Uribe finished with four aces and 16 digs.

UP NEXT:

The Eutectics are now 4-19 overall and 4-6 in the AMC. They will take a break from Conference competition next week when they play host to two NCAA Division 3 teams from the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). On Tuesday, Greenville University (Ill.) will come to St. Louis for a 6 p.m. match. Then, on Wednesday, Blackburn College (Ill.) will step on the UHSP court at 6 p.m.