The volleyball team's combined Breast Cancer Awareness Month tri match fundraiser and senior recognition night were a great success, but on the court the Golden Eagles lost both of their matches and their hopes of making the post season tournament were dimmed.
The team raised $595.76 that will be donated to the Josette Beddell Memorial Foundation to assist women and their families with medical bills, prescription costs, utility bills and unexpected financial burdens that result from their battle with breast cancer. The monies came from free-will donations, a bake sale and paper volleyballs that were sold to hang in Founders Hall Gym with the donor's name on them in support of the fight against breast cancer.
As the lone senior on the team, Karlee Peach was honored after the first match against Bethany College. She was presented a bouquet of flowers and balloons before she walked across the court with her parents, Charles and Leslie Peach of Port Washington, OH. Peach, a business management major, is also a three-year letter winner and starter on the Kent Tusc softball team.
The Eagles battled very hard against the Bison but lost in three straight sets, 27-25, 25-18 and 25-8. The results this year were much different than last year's Bethany walkover as told by their head coach Tom Kurtz. Peach held up to her USCAA sixth ranking in assists (331 on the year) by dishing out 19 assists in the match. Mya Blochlinger had 14 kills in the match to go along with three solo blocks.
In the final match of the evening, Akron Wayne avenged an earlier season 3-1 defeat to KSU Tusc with a four-set victory of their own. The Warriors dashed out to an early two-set lead with 25-13 and 25-19 wins over the hosts. The Golden Eagles grabbed back some momentum by winning the third set 25-17, but it wasn't enough as UAW stormed back in the final set and won 25-15. The Navy and Gold committed 53 errors in the loss and also made a very uncharacteristic 12 service errors.
Blochlinger had nine kills and Morgain Little six to pace KSU Tusc, while Peach upped her assist total with 17 this time.