SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Savannah Gann posted a double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs, and
Nicole Radford recorded a career-high seven aces, but Sewanee was unable to capitalize on a two-set lead, falling to Rhodes in five sets on Sunday afternoon in Memphis, Tenn.
The Tigers jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, thanks to two aces from Radford and a kill from Gann. Sewanee maintained control throughout the set, taking it 25-18 while hitting .286 with 12 kills, three aces, and two blocks.
In the second set, Rhodes claimed its first lead of the day, but Sewanee quickly responded with a 12-10 advantage. The Tigers closed the set on a 14-10 run, powered by five kills from Gann, two from Anna Ellison, and one each from Radford and Mollie White, securing a 25-20 victory.
Rhodes turned the tide in the third set, opening with a five-point lead and never looking back, winning the set 25-13. Sewanee struggled offensively, hitting in the negative, while Rhodes hit .276.
The Tigers started the fourth set with a 5-2 lead, fueled by two more Radford aces, but Rhodes rallied. The set was tied at 19-19 before a marathon point, capped by a clever dump from setter Kiera Baldwin, brought Sewanee within two at 22-19. However, two errors by the Tigers allowed Rhodes to force a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, Emma Meyer served Sewanee to a 4-0 lead, but Rhodes clawed back to tie it at 8-8. The Lynx then went on a 5-2 run, driven by three kills from Meg Gebhart and two Tiger errors. White's kill brought Meyer back to the service line, where she delivered two aces to close the gap to one point. However, another error gave Rhodes match point, and the Lynx sealed the comeback with a final kill.
On defense, Sophia Caruso led Sewanee with 26 digs, while Gann and Maria Kennedy each added 10. Meyer contributed 17 assists and seven digs, and Sydney Bixby chipped in 12 assists and seven digs. Ellison tallied eight kills on a .313 hitting percentage, along with two block assists and a solo block, while White added seven kills, two block assists, and five digs.
Sewanee will travel to Conway, Ark., for a Monday night conference matchup against Hendrix at 6 p.m.
