Aurora University tops Saint Mary's College Indiana, 3-0
Aurora swept St. Mary's (IN) 25-15, 25-23, 25-17 on September 19 at King Arena in Wheaton, Illinois, improving to 11-2 on the season.
The difference came at the net and in efficiency. Aurora hit .202 as a team compared to just .046 for St. Mary's, a gap driven in part by St. Mary's struggling attack in sets one and three — posting a .029 and -.081 clip in those frames, respectively. Aurora also held a commanding edge in blocks, 10 to 4, turning St. Mary's offensive struggles into extended scoring runs throughout the match. Digs were comparably close at 47-45, reflecting a competitive back-row exchange that kept the second set tight.
Katelyn Ruse led all players with 13 kills on a .321 attack percentage, while Izzie Rysanek added 8 kills and Alissa Hulst contributed 7 kills, 7 digs, and 3 blocks for a well-rounded evening. Libero Katie Brisk anchored the defensive effort with 20 digs and 2 aces. Setter Trinity Nelson orchestrated the offense with 33 assists. For St. Mary's, Caroline Carens kept her team competitive with 12 kills, but the Belles couldn't sustain it.
In set three, Aurora opened on a 7-2 run and later extended that lead to 16-5 before closing out the frame, leaving little room for a St. Mary's response.
The win moves Aurora to 11-2 on the season.
