#2 Jimmies open NAIA pool play with sweep of Rocky Mountain

SIOUX CITY, Iowa-- After 11 days between matches, the second-ranked University of Jamestown volleyball team showed no signs of rust as they swept Rocky Mountain (Mont.) College Wednesday morning in pool play at the NAIA National Championship. Set scores were 25-21, 25-19, 25-18.

Jamestown (33-2) will wrap up pool play on Friday with a match against College of Saint Mary (Neb.) at 10:00 a.m. CSM and Rocky Mountain will square off Thursday at 10 a.m.

The Battlin' Bears (21-15) set the tone early in the match, taking leads of 4-0 and 5-1 before UJ came back to tie the set at 10-10. RMC won the next three points to move in front, but a Kalli Hegerle (SR/West Fargo, N.D.) kill ended the Rocky Mountain run. Behind the serving of Megan Moser (JR/Medina, N.D.), Jamestown took six straight points, building a 17-13 advantage that turned the momentum in UJ's favor. The Battlin' Bears got as close as 19-17 before the Jimmies won three consecutive points and five of six to put the match away.

UJ only trailed once in the second set at 1-0, and allowed RMC to tie the set at 5, 10, and 14. Logan Sherman (JR/Marshall, Minn.)'s kill broke the 14-14 tie, the first of three straight Jimmie points. Rocky Mountain closed the gap to 20-18, then Aleah Zieske (SO/Spicer, Minn.) had two kills to help Jamestown build a five-point cushion. The Jimmies hit only .128 in the set, but held RMC to .075 hitting to take a 2-0 match lead.

Set three saw UJ take the first six points and had the match well in hand with a 20-5 lead at one point. Rocky Mountain responded with 11 of the next 14 points to make it respectable at 23-16, and the teams would trade points until the end. Anna Holen (SR/LaMoure, N.D.)'s kill clinched the match and set the Jimmies up for a return trip to the quarterfinals with a win over CSM Friday.

Hegerle led Jamestown with 15 kills, 22 assists, and a .289 hitting percentage. Holen had nine kills and 16 digs while Sherman and Lexi Olson (SO/Langdon, N.D.) added six kills each. Ellie Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) had a match-high 28 digs to go along with a pair of aces from the service line. Paige Oswald (JR/Frazee, Minn.) chipped in with 13 assists, and Olson was in on four total blocks.

RMC was led by Kyra Oakland's 11 kills and .259 hitting percentage. Blythe Sealey had a double-double of 25 assists and 11 digs, and Ayla Embry recorded a team-best 26 digs. Bella Bryan had four total blocks, including two solo.