BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Grace's volleyball team displayed a spectacular start to the season on Friday.
The Lancers won both of their opening matches at the season-opening tournament at Olivet Nazarene, sweeping Carroll and taking down Freed-Hardeman 3-1.
In the opener, Grace used an efficient offensive attack to outpace Carroll. The Lancers had 41 kills on a .243 percentage, outhitting Carroll who was held to 32 kills.
Grace raced off to a fast start, but Carroll managed to keep the score close.
The Lancers held a 15-14 lead, but a pair of kills from Callie Jo Celichowski helped Grace open up a four-point lead.
Grace sensed momentum in its favor and started to pull away. Late kills from Anna Elkin, Molly Hofmann and Abby Leffring continued Grace's run, and the Lancers grabbed a 25-17 win in the first set of the season.
In the second set, Grace rattled off seven consecutive points, blowing through both of the Fighting Saints' timeouts.
Carroll eventually responded with a 6-0 run of its own, but Grace refused to surrender the lead. Leffring tallied three kills in quick succession, and the Lancers rolled out to a 25-19 victory.
The third set saw the teams exchange early points. Midway into the set, Elkin, Hofmann and Leah Henderson each contributed two kills to create separation on the scoreboard.
Carroll never responded as Grace closed the door with a 25-18 victory.
Henderson, Elkin, Leffring and Celichowski provided a balanced attack; each player recorded at least seven kills.
Reagan Owens tallied a team-best 15 digs, and Olivia Martinez had 10 digs with an ace.
Friday's competition ended with a second win — this time at the expense of Freed-Hardeman.
This time, Grace used a suffocating defense to wipe out the Lions. FHU was held to a .024 hitting percentage as a team, while Grace enjoyed 42 kills on 20 errors (.190).
The first two sets were nailbiters. Grace scored the first four points of the opening set, only then to see FHU counter with a 6-1 run.
Grace drifted behind 19-17 but stayed the course. The Lancers quickly spurted off five unanswered points thanks to a pair of block points, forcing the Lions to call timeout.
The Lancers maintained their slight lead to the end, holding on for a 25-22 win on a kill by Levyn Snow.
Grace took an early advantage in the second set, but the teams traded small runs during the middle portions of the set. The score was tied at 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23 before the Lions scored two in a row to eke away with a two-point win.
The Lancers' response was ruthless in the third set. Grace blasted FHU with 13 kills on a .684 percentage, blitzing the Lions 25-8.
The momentum carried into the fourth set. Grace won 10 of the first 12 rallies as Elkin rolled off three kills.
The Lions had little left in response as Grace crossed the finish line with a 10-point win.
Owens (17 digs) again led the back row, Witt had 14 assists, 5 aces and 9 digs, and Elkin posted a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs.
The Lancers will conclude the tournament on Saturday with two more matches, including against Rochester Christian and the hosts Olivet Nazarene.
