ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Mount Mary University volleyball team salvaged a split at the Rockford Triangular Saturday evening, sweeping Alverno 25-16, 25-19, 26-24 before falling to the host Regents 25-19, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19.

MMU 3, ALVERNO 0

Mount Mary took care of business against the shorthanded Inferno in relatively quick fashion to open the evening's two-match slate, holding the high-powered trio of Inferno attackers to just 24 total kills for the match.

Junior Aislinn Strusz (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) led the Blue Angel attack with a match-high 13 kills, followed by nine from sophomore Brianna Ecker (Fond du Lac, Wis./Stockbridge). The pair of outsides hit just under .300 for the match, combining for three service aces and nine digs.

Freshman Emma White (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) doled out 28 assists and served up four aces.

Cruising through the first two frames, MMU was met with some resistance in the third as the Inferno came surging back from a 20-14 deficit to tie the set at 20 apiece. The two would alternate points until an AC service error, followed by a White ace ended the match in sweeping fashion.

ROCKFORD 3, MMU 1

The Blue Angels used a heavy dosage of middle attacks to push Rockford in the final match of the night, but the Regents proved just a few points better in the four-set victory.

Freshman Morgan Vander Kooy (Fond du Lac, Wis./St. Mary's Springs) hit a blistering .545 against Rockford, tallying a season-best 13 kills with just one error on 22 swings. Junior Emma Carufel (St. Francis, Wis./St. Francis) also showed off her efficient attack, registering 12 kills and three solo stuffs in the finale.

White added 33 assists in the second matchup, while junior Jacklyn Mozdzen (Wautoma, Wis./Wautoma) tallied a match-high 21 digs. Ecker and junior Lauren Nylund (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) added 18 and 16 saves, respectively.

Rockford used some late separation in each of the first two sets to take the match lead, but MMU battled back in the third. The Blue Angels outhit Rockford .333 to .194 in the third set alone, with Strusz tallying the final two kills to draw within one set, 2-1.

Facing a 21-9 deficit in the fourth, the Blue Angels made things interesting as it chipped away off the serve of Mozdzen and Ecker, eventually pulling to within 22-17. Rockford would put the match away however, with a pair of emphatic kills.

NEXT UP

Mount Mary (6-17) will host a full weekend slate at the Bloechl Center for the MMU Invitaional, welcoming Calumet College of St. Joseph, Maranatha Baptist University, Finlandia University, and Beloit College for the MMU Invitational. A total of 10 matches will span all day Friday and Saturday.