Preseason Invite Proves to Be No Match For Lady Saints

GOODWELL, Okla. - Seward County volleyball started their preseason exhibition matches by going a perfect 3-0 in Goodwell, Oklahoma Saturday (Aug. 12) refusing to give up a single set in the process. The Lady Saints defeated Trinidad State 25-9, 25-22 in the first match, Dodge City 25-15, 25-15 in the second match, and Oklahoma Panhandle State 25-17, 25-13 in the third match.

Seward County/Trinidad State Recap

In their opening match, the Lady Saints jumped out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to stellar defense by Luz Sierra and Giovanna Tapigliane. The two combined for three blocks each and a kill by Tapigliane. After trading points for the next seven points, Seward would put on the gas, winning 16 of the final 21 points.

Midway through the set, the Lady Saints scored five straight points to make it 19-7. During that span, Giovanna Kuntze had two aces, while Tapigliane and Sierra each added to their kill total. Briana Domino ended the set, giving the Lady Saints a 1-0 lead, with a service ace of her own.

The second set start similar to the first, with the Lady Saints jumping out to a 4-0 lead again, with two kills by Viviane Viana, an ace by Nathiellen Machado, and a block by Sierra. This set, however, would not end as quietly as the first. The Trojans would win ten of the next fifteen points before Seward would take back control.

After going down 10-9, the Lady Saints responded with five straight points of their own, being led by Domino aces and kills. Trinidad would battle back though, cutting Seward's lead to 20-19 following four straight service errors by the Lady Saints. Once again, Domino would end the set and seal the match for the Lady Saints, this time with two straight kills.

The Lady Saints struggled offensively, with a hitting percentage of on .176. However, their defense kept the Trojans from ever capturing a set. Seward had 16 team blocks, led by Sierra's 12. Machado stood her ground at the libero position, leading the team with 13 digs.

Seward County/Dodge City Recap

The second match of the day featured two Jayhawk Conference foes. Similar to the first match, the Lady Saints started off hot, gaining a 6-0 lead thanks to Tapigliane and Viana kills. The Conqs would score the next three points before the Lady Saints took control of the set for good. Midway through the set, Viana and Esmadar Tavares took it upon themselves to make it out of reach for Dodge City. Between the two, they had five straight kills to give the Lady Saints a 17-6 lead.

Toward the end of the set, the Conqs and Lady Saints traded points, but by that point, the set was owned by Seward. After being up 22-14, the Lady Saints scored the final three points, led by blocks by Sierra and Tavares, to give them a 1-0 lead

The Lady Saints started the second set in unfamiliar territory, falling behind 0-2 in part of two attack errors. From that point on, though, it was all Lady Saints. They would win 10 of the next 14 points, including four straight, with three of those being services aces by Tapigliane.

The Conqs battled back once again, to make cut the lead to one midway through the set. While the first match was won with defense, the Lady Saints ended the second match with a barrage of kills. Of their final 13 points, 7 of them were from kills, with Domino earning three of them, including the match clincher.

The second match saw the Lady Saints step up their offensive prowess, connecting on .333 of their attacks. For the second straight match, Seward County's defense played a vital role. As a team, they totaled eight blocks. Mariana Nascimento, Briana Bradford, Tavares, Tapigliane, and Sierra all contributed with two or more blocks.

Seward County/Oklahoma Panhandle State Recap

The final matchup of the day saw Seward County go up against hosting team, Oklahoma Panhandle State. The match started out tight, with the Lady Saints leading 5-4 before they stepped on the gas to score 15 of the next 20 points, getting two kills each from Nascimento and Tapigliane. The Aggies would go on a run, but errors on their part made it too much for a comeback as the Lady Saints won the set 25-17.

With just one set away from being a perfect 8-0 on the day, the Lady Saints jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the second set. Seward's offense created the advantage over the Aggies as the Lady Saints racked up four kills and two aces. Sierra led the charge with three kills of her own. The Aggies would try to battle back, cutting the lead to 18-9, but it proved to be too much as the Lady Saints would end it with a Domino kill.

Kuntze helped pace the Lady Saints with 14 assists. Defensively, the final match proved to be the Lady Saints worst, with only three blocks. Once again, Machado led the Saints in digs, reaching double digits for the second match on the day.

Like the first match, Seward would struggle connecting on their attacks, with a .237 hitting percentage. Three Seward players contributed two aces in the win, while the team only had two service errors the entire match.

Seward will be back in action for their final scrimmage of 2017 on Wednesday (Aug. 16) hosting Oklahoma Panhandle State in The Greenhouse. The Lady Saints will play the aggies at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on the Seward County volleyball team, visit SewardSaints.com.