FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The sensational start to the season for Grace's volleyball team continued on Saturday.
The Lancers beat Grand View and St. Francis (Ill.) in four sets, stretching the remarkable winning streak to 11 straight victories. It's the fifth-longest winning streak in program history and the longest since 2011.
Grace is off to a torrid 14-2 start to the season. The Lancers will get to test their streak immediately with four straight matches against ranked opponents. Grace's next match is at home on Wednesday (7 p.m.) against No. 23 Spring Arbor.
In the early morning opener, Grace took care of Grand View 3-1. When the Lancers' offense was in sync, Grace was deadly.
The first set was the best example. Grace racked up 18 kills on six errors (.316 percentage), rolling away to an 11-point win. The Lancers started the set with a 7-3 lead and never looked back.
The Vikings countered with a fast start in the second set. Grand View led by five early, and Grace never caught up in a 25-21 defeat.
The Lancers fell behind early in the third set as well, facing a steep 12-5 deficit. But a timely 7-0 spurt tied the score. Callie Jo Celichowski had a hand in three blocks, and Hofmann helped twice in blocks and also added a kill.
Grand View managed to cling to a small lead and was ahead 20-17. But Grace took control, scoring the final eight points of the set to win 25-20. Hofmann ended the set with back-to-back kills.
The Lancers owned all the momentum at that point and cruised to another 11-point win in set four to ice the match.
Clawson led all players with 16 kills on a .419 percentage, adding four block assists. Hofmann tallied 11 kills on 20 swings (.550), adding seven digs. Reagan Owens had a match-high 19 digs, Anna Elkin produced 4 kills, 5 aces and 11 digs, and Celichowski added five blocks.
The tournament finale for Grace was another showcase of the team's balance. The Lancers hit 59 kills at a .252 percentage while holding the Fighting Saints to a .070 team hitting percentage.
To kick off the match, Grace won 12 of the first 15 points to stun USF. Olivia Martinez had two kills and an ace to spark the start. The Lancers cruised to a seven-point opening win.
USF struck back in the second set. They ended the set on an 11-3 run to sneak away with a 25-22 victory.
Grace returned the favor in the third set. Grace produced a 9-1 run to transform a 16-15 lead into a 25-17 win. Abby Leffring was a key figure, racking up four quick kills to jumpstart the surge.
The Saints had little left to offer in the fourth set. Grace waltzed to an 11-point victory to end the match.
Reese McCutchan amassed a double-double with 21 assists and 18 digs, and Martinez also powered her way to a 22-dig, 13-kill double-double.
Leffring led all players with 14 kills on a .440 percentage, Clawson had eight kills and 10 digs, and Emily Uhlmann added 23 assists.
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