Rhodes Volleyball Goes 2-2 at Hanover College Tournament 

This weekend, Rhodes Volleyball traveled to Hanover, Indiana, to participate as one of five teams in the Hanover College Tournament. Trine University, Hanover College, Blackburn College, and Kenyon College were featured in the tournament. Rhodes Volleyball entered the tournament with a 4-2 record. 

RECAP: Rhodes vs Trine University 

The set started off in favor of Trine University, with the team going on a five-point run. However, with a kill from sophomore Rachel Clarke, the Lynx began adding points to the scoreboard. The Lynx fought to catch up to the Tigers and successfully did at point thirteen. For the remainder of the set, the teams went back and forth until point twenty-two, when the Tigers took the remaining three points. The score of the set was 22-25.

The second set started with the teams going back and forth until the Lynx went on a four-point run. The Lynx kept the lead for the rest of the set with five kills from sophomore Yzzi Dsamou and two from senior Kym Young. The final score was 25-22, tying up the set score 1-1.

The third set started with two kills from Rachel Clarke and two aces from Olivia Wiseman. The Lynx and Tigers battled back and forth with notable kills from Meg Gebhart and Kym Young. At the end of the set, the Lynx fell behind but fought back to get a three-point run, tying up the game 24-24. Even though the Lynx gave it their all, they fell short by two points with a score of 26-28.

With the set score now 1-2, not in favor of the Lynx, the team had to fight to make it a five-set game. Once again, the teams traded points back and forth. However, with kills from senior Kym Young, junior Sophie Snodgrass, and sophomore Yzzi Dsamou, the Lynx pulled off the close set with a score of 28-26. 

With the momentum on their side, the Lynx started the match with an early five-point run with assists from junior Mackenzie Geer and two kills from Yzzi Dsamou. The Lynx held the lead until point eleven when the Tigers went on a run to win the match. The final set score was 11-15. 

Key Performers:

- Yzzi Dsamou and Kym Young led the Lynx offense with a collective 32 kills

- Olivia Wiseman led the Lynx defense with 27 digs

- Emma Clark led the team in aces (4) 

RECAP: Rhodes vs Hanover College

Immediately after their match against Trine University, the Lynx took the court to face off against Hanover College. The first set started slow for the Lynx, with the team trying to put points on the scoreboard while the Panthers went on a run. With kills from sophomore Meg Gebhart and senior Kym Young, the Lynx caught up and tied the score 15-15. The Lynx battled for the remainder of the set but fell short 21-25.

The Panthers held the lead in set two with the momentum on their side. The Lynx continued to fight with kills from Meg Gebhart and Kym Young, but the team could not catch up to the Panthers. The set score was 12-25 in favor of the Panthers.

After a rough first two sets, the Lynx were determined to win the third set. The Lynx started with a five-point run, turning the momentum onto their side. With kills from junior Maggie Lukemire, junior Belle Lukemire, and sophomore Meg Gebhart, the Lynx worked together to win set three with a score of 25-22. 

The fourth set was close, with the Lynx trying to make it a five-set game and the Panthers wanting to secure another win. The teams worked hard, getting points on the scoreboard until point twenty-two, when the Panthers went on a three-point run to win. The final set score was 22-25.

Key Performers:

- Meg Gebhart led the offense with 15 kills

- Emma Clarke led the assists with 17 

- Olivia Wisemen and Meg Gebahrt both contributed 16 digs each to lead the defense 

RECAP: Rhodes vs Blackburn College

The Lynx started their first game of the day against Blackburn College. The first set started with both teams adding points to the scoreboard. At one point, the Lynx fell behind, but at point nine, the Lynx went on a seven-point run to take the advantage over the Beavers. When the Beavers caught up, the Lynx went on a five-point run. With the momentum, the Lynx won the first set with an out-of-system assist from sophomore Rachel Clarke to junior Hope Wehrli for the kill. The final set score was 25-18. 

Determined to keep the points rolling, the Lynx started off the second set with a five-point run over the Beavers. However, the Beavers fought back, making the second set a game of runs between the two teams. Kills from junior Sophie Snodgrass, sophomore Yzzi Dsamou, and freshman Isabella Kventensky helped the Lynx stay in the battle, but unfortunately, the team fell to the Beavers 22-25.

Fired up after losing the second set, the Lynx fought as a team in the third set. Junior Sophie Snodgrass had four kills, and sophomore Yzzi Dsamou had four kills, all assisted by sophomore Emma Clarke. The Lynx controlled the game. The final score was an impressive 25-11, ending with a kill by freshman Isabella Kventensky. 

With their sights set on winning the game, the Lynx started the fourth set with a four-point run with two aces from junior Maggie Lukemire. The Beavers gained a few points, but the Lynx returned stronger with an eight-point run and four aces from sophomore Meg Gebhart. With three kills from freshman Isabella Kventensky and assists from Emma Clarke, the Lynx won the fourth set 25-21, securing them their first win.

Key Performers:

- Yzzi Dsamou led the offense with 16 kills

- Emma Clarke led the assists with 34 

- Maggie Lukemire led the defense with 15 digs 

RECAP: Rhodes vs Kenyon College

Shortly after their win against Blackburn, the Lynx began their match against the Owls. The first set started off with the teams going back and forth until the Owls had a seven-point lead. But the Lynx were not done yet. With a five-point run with help from sophomore Yzzi Dsamou, the Lynx battled to catch up to the Owls. At point 17, the Lynx went on another five-point run, giving them momentum to finish the set 25-21.

With energy from their first set win, the Lynx worked as a team to take on the second set. With four kills from sophomore Meg Gebhart, three from junior Hope Wehrli, and three from senior Kym Young, all assisted by sophomore setter Emma Clark, the Lynx won the second set 25-18. 

Determined to sweep the Owls, the Lynx battled against the Owls, who had an early lead in the third set. Falling behind by six points, the Lynx rallied together to get a four-point run to get closer to the Owls. The Lynx continued to fight, gaining a seven-point run to give them the advantage. However, the Owls caught up to the Lynx, making the third set a tight score of 26-24 in favor of the Lynx. With a win against Kenyon, the Lynx ended the tournament with a win. 

Key Performers:

- 30 assists from Emma Clark

- 33 collective digs from Olivia Wiseman, Meg Gebhart, and Belle Lukemire 

Team Statistics

- After this weekend, the Lynx have 95 aces

- The Lynx are averaging 15.2 digs per set

- The Lynx are averaging 10.7 kills per set 

Looking Forward: Hendrix College Tournament

Next Saturday, September 21st, the Lynx have their first conference match against Hendrix College at 10:00 am and a non-conference match against Concordia University at 3:00 pm. On Sunday, September 22nd, the Lynx take on another non-conference match against Mary Hardin-Baylor at 10:00 am.

Historical Matchup Overview: 

Last season, Rhodes fell short to Hendrix in both conference matches. The previous time Rhodes played Concordia was in 2012, when they lost in a four-set match. The Lynx previously played Mary Hardin-Baylor last season at the Rhodes College Classic Tournament and lost in three.