CONWAY, Ark - Hendrix Volleyball opened up Southern Athletic Association play Wednesday evening inside Grove Gymnasium in the first of 12 total SAA meetings for the 2018 regular season. As if a historic 7-1 start to the season was not enough, the Warriors managed to hold off the Lynx of Rhodes in a classic five-set thriller on Garrison Court Wednesday (21-25, 25-12, 25-13, 16-25, 15-8). The 8-1 Warriors continue to embark history as this is the best start to Hendrix Volleyball in program history.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Rhodes 2, Hendrix 3
Records: Lynx 6-2 | Warriors 8-1
Location: Garrison Court | Conway, Ark.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Hendrix outhit Rhodes .484 to .097 and .282 to .132 in the second and third sets to take the two sets to one lead.
- Junior
Lauren Dwyer recorded a game-best 17 kills; currently leads the entire SAA with 107 kills on the early season; also had 18 digs for the double-double.
- After recording 60 assists in two matches a week ago, freshman
Claire Smith added 29 more to her 2019 campaign; currently fifth in the SAA in assists per set (6.13). 2 of her assists Wednesday helped the Orange & Black sustain an 11-6 lead in the fifth after getting back-to-back assists for Hendrix.
- Two kills from Dwyer, two kills from junior
Kiersten Huitt and a kill by sophomore
Maddie Tovar capped off a 6-2 run to win the thriller.
- Freshman
Sadie Walker also recorded a double-double with a 13 kill, 10 dig performance in the victory.
- Sophomore
Allison Long's attack percentage of .278 on the night still keeps her atop the SAA in attack percentage at .383.
- Walker registered 13 kills on 29 total attacks for a team-best .448 attack percentage on the night.
- Dwyer finished with 19 of Hendrix's 78 total points in the match.
WHAT WAS SAID
"Rhodes definitely came to win tonight," Head Coach
Brittany Newberry stated proudly. "I am proud of the way the girls responded in the second and third sets. They showed how great we can be in those sets but we have to string it together to continue to be successful in this conference. I am looking forward to practice tomorrow and preparing for a weekend on the road at Millsaps and Birmingham Southern."
UP NEXT
After having played its last five matches inside Grove Gymnasium, Hendrix hits the road east for the weekend with a game against Millsaps in Jackson, Miss. scheduled to take place on Saturday and a showdown in Birmingham, Ala. against Birmingham-Southern on Sunday. The Warriors take on the Majors at 12 p.m. Saturday.
