College Volleyball Final – Guilford 3, Johnson & Wales (N.C.) 0

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Christian Ritter had 11 kills on .550 hitting in Guilford College’s 3-0 volleyball win over visiting Johnson & Wales (N.C.) University Friday night. The Quakers’ sophomore did not have a single hitting error in 20 attacks.

The Quakers (10-6) notched their second-highest hitting percentage of the season (.267) and played 16 different students in the 25-21, 25-12, 25-22 victory.

Ritter set the tone early in with four kills in a tight first set in which both sides hit over .400. Johnson & Wales (7-9) scrapped back from an early 7-2 deficit and the match was tied at 17-17. A Jessica Sheek putaway triggered a 6-1 Guilford run that opened a 24-18 lead. Ritter’s kill put the match away on Guilford’s fourth set point.

The Quakers dominated the second set as Johnson & Wales struggled to get the ball down in play. Nine hitting errors resulted in a -.112 hitting percentage for the Wildcats. Tina Eucker had a kill, an assist and a service ace in the first four plays of the second set, which helped Guilford open a 5-1 lead. Brooke Bowman came on with Guilford holding a 19-12 advantage and served up six straight points, five of which came off of Wildcats’ miscues.

Guilford’s 7-2 lead in the third set dissipated as Johnson & Wales rallied to tie the match at 13. Kills by Jasmine Gaines and Ritter sandwiched around an error restored a three-point edge. The lead grew to as many as six before some Guilford hitting errors helped the visitors draw to within 23-22. Casey Davis delivered her eighth and final kill, followed by a block assist with Eucker to seal the win.

Davis hit .300 on 20 swings and Morgan Tompkins chipped in six putaways. Eucker’s 21 assists led the Quakers, followed by 15 by Kylee Crook. Ritter led Guilford with eight kills, followed by Eucker with seven. Twelve of the Quakers’ 16 contestants contributed at least one point to the victory.

Jomi Berrios led Johnson & Wales with eight kills on .333 hitting. Kendall Watson chipped in four kills and led all players with 16 digs. Tiy Gonzalez notched three kills and a match-best four blocks.

Coach Emily Gann’s Quakers host Greensboro College Thursday (10/12) in Guilford’s annual Dig Pink Game. Special t-shirts and bracelets will be sold at the contest to raise support and awareness for the fight against cancer.