Eagles Start Fast in Season-Opening Split
August 18, 2018
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The 2018-19 season officially got underway for Reinhardt Athletics on Friday, as the Eagle volleyball team came away with a split of two games on the opening day of the Mariner Invitational on the campus of Coastal Georgia.
(RV) Reinhardt (1-1) was able to push its way past West Virginia Tech in the opener, 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16) and gave No. 10 Hastings (Neb.) all it wanted before falling in five sets, 3-2 (25-17,19-25,21-25,25-17,8-15).
The triumph over the Golden Bears was head coach Brian Goodhind's 100th of his career.
"Great start to the season today here at Coastal Georgia," Goodhind said. "We are pretty young in a lot of key positions, so the beginning of this season will be about learning one another and putting the pieces together. With that said, I'm very impressed with what I see so far. Savannah Davis starts her first collegiate match against WV Tech with 14 kills on 26 attempts, hitting .500.
"Our second match made me so proud versus top 10-ranked Hastings. Hastings was a very good team and they are definitely someone that's going to be there in Iowa at the end. I gained a lot of respect for their program, players and coaches. They have a great program over there, and it should be a match that helps the growth in our program greatly."
The Eagles were able to bolt out to a 2-0 advantage on West Virginia Tech, but the Golden Bears avoided the sweep by taking the third set by four points. From there, however, Reinhardt was too strong in the fourth stanza – taking the match after a 25-16 decision.
In the season-opening win, Davis led the way with the aforementioned 14 kills. Carlee Baxter (30 assists) came up big in helping get the offense in the right position to score.
On the other side of the net, the Eagles dominated defensively with 13 blocks (Davis collected a half-dozen, while Isabelle Diaz and Cheetara Bing each tallied five rejections.
Kersten Joyner also notched a team-best 17 digs.
Reinhardt looked to carry the winning momentum into the clash with the Broncos, and it nearly worked, as the Eagles jumped on top of Hastings, 1-0, after the opening set began with a 6-0 run. Just like the top 10 team they are, the Broncos were able to rebound and take back-to-back stanzas and establish a lead for the first time in the match.
Reinhardt got right back on track in the fourth set to force a fifth-and-final battle between the two schools.
Hastings flexed its muscles in the deciding set after pulling out to a 5-0 advantage to begin the frame – something the Eagles wouldn't be able to recover from in a 15-8 defeat.
Baxter (29 assists) would again pave the way for the offense as Tessa Colden (10 kills) was on top of the scoring in the outing.
Joyner (23), Angel Cornista (11) and Davis (10) all tallied double-digit digs in the narrow defeat.
The Eagles are right back on the court tomorrow for two more matches, beginning with Warner (Fla.) at 3:30 p.m.
For up-to-the-minute Eagles sports news, follow Reinhardt Athletics on Facebook, @RU_Eagles on Twitter and @ru_eagles on Instagram.
For more information on Reinhardt Volleyball, please click here.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The 2018-19 season officially got underway for Reinhardt Athletics on Friday, as the Eagle volleyball team came away with a split of two games on the opening day of the Mariner Invitational on the campus of Coastal Georgia.
(RV) Reinhardt (1-1) was able to push its way past West Virginia Tech in the opener, 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16) and gave No. 10 Hastings (Neb.) all it wanted before falling in five sets, 3-2 (25-17,19-25,21-25,25-17,8-15).
The triumph over the Golden Bears was head coach Brian Goodhind's 100th of his career.
"Great start to the season today here at Coastal Georgia," Goodhind said. "We are pretty young in a lot of key positions, so the beginning of this season will be about learning one another and putting the pieces together. With that said, I'm very impressed with what I see so far. Savannah Davis starts her first collegiate match against WV Tech with 14 kills on 26 attempts, hitting .500.
"Our second match made me so proud versus top 10-ranked Hastings. Hastings was a very good team and they are definitely someone that's going to be there in Iowa at the end. I gained a lot of respect for their program, players and coaches. They have a great program over there, and it should be a match that helps the growth in our program greatly."
The Eagles were able to bolt out to a 2-0 advantage on West Virginia Tech, but the Golden Bears avoided the sweep by taking the third set by four points. From there, however, Reinhardt was too strong in the fourth stanza – taking the match after a 25-16 decision.
In the season-opening win, Davis led the way with the aforementioned 14 kills. Carlee Baxter (30 assists) came up big in helping get the offense in the right position to score.
On the other side of the net, the Eagles dominated defensively with 13 blocks (Davis collected a half-dozen, while Isabelle Diaz and Cheetara Bing each tallied five rejections.
Kersten Joyner also notched a team-best 17 digs.
Reinhardt looked to carry the winning momentum into the clash with the Broncos, and it nearly worked, as the Eagles jumped on top of Hastings, 1-0, after the opening set began with a 6-0 run. Just like the top 10 team they are, the Broncos were able to rebound and take back-to-back stanzas and establish a lead for the first time in the match.
Reinhardt got right back on track in the fourth set to force a fifth-and-final battle between the two schools.
Hastings flexed its muscles in the deciding set after pulling out to a 5-0 advantage to begin the frame – something the Eagles wouldn't be able to recover from in a 15-8 defeat.
Baxter (29 assists) would again pave the way for the offense as Tessa Colden (10 kills) was on top of the scoring in the outing.
Joyner (23), Angel Cornista (11) and Davis (10) all tallied double-digit digs in the narrow defeat.
The Eagles are right back on the court tomorrow for two more matches, beginning with Warner (Fla.) at 3:30 p.m.
For up-to-the-minute Eagles sports news, follow Reinhardt Athletics on Facebook, @RU_Eagles on Twitter and @ru_eagles on Instagram.
For more information on Reinhardt Volleyball, please click here.