Ursuline College Athletics

Pepper Pike, OH--The Ursuline College volleyball team battled past Roberts Wesleyan in a five-set thriller Wednesday night, earning a 3-2 victory in nonconference action.  

The Arrows (2-13, 0-4 G-MAC) won by set scores of 25-11, 24-26, 25-21, 20-25, and 15-9. 

UC came out strong in the opening set, holding a 15-11 advantage before closing the frame on a 10-0 run. Sophia Serrano sparked the late surge from the service line as Ursuline claimed the first set, 25-11. 

Roberts Wesleyan responded in the second set, with the teams trading leads throughout. Ursuline used a three-point run to take a 13-12 advantage before extending its lead to 18-14 with a 5-0 run. The Redhawks continued to battle, eventually overcoming a 23-19 deficit with a 7-1 run to steal the set, 26-24. 

Ursuline regained control in the third set, jumping out to a 10-5 lead and later extending the advantage to 17-9. The Arrows pushed ahead 22-13 before Roberts Wesleyan answered with six consecutive points to cut the deficit to three. Ursuline held off the comeback attempt, closing out the set, 25-21. 

The fourth set featured another back-and-forth battle, with Roberts Wesleyan maintaining a narrow advantage throughout. Trailing 14-10, Ursuline answered with a 6-2 run to pull within one at 16-15. The Redhawks regained momentum late, using a 5-1 run to take the set, 25-20, and force a decisive fifth set. 

The teams traded points early in the fifth, but Ursuline capitalized on key stretches to build separation. The Arrows used several two-point runs to maintain control and ultimately secured the 15-9 victory. 

The match featured closely contested statistics, with Ursuline holding a slim 49-47 advantage in kills. Both teams recorded 30 errors, while the Arrows held a significant advantage in service aces, 12-4. Roberts Wesleyan finished with an 11-7 edge in blocks, while Ursuline narrowly led in assists, 43-42. Both teams recorded 62 digs. 

Ellie Zoeckler led the Arrows offensively with 15 kills, while Skye Peairson added 12 and Kimora Hansbrough contributed eight. Zoeckler also recorded a team-high five service aces, while Serrano added three. 

Madison Morris led Ursuline at the net with three block assists and one solo block. Frida Martinez added one solo block and two block assists, while Hansbrough recorded three block assists. 

Serrano directed the Ursuline offense with 18 assists, while Mya Jackson added eight. Jackson also paced the defensive effort with 13 digs, followed by Alivia Martin with 11. Zoeckler recorded 10 digs to complete her double-double. 

Up next: Ursuline travels to Canton, Ohio, Friday to take on Malone in G-MAC action. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.