Prescott, Ariz. – Playing at home for the first time this season, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) women's volleyball team got its home schedule off to a good start. The Eagles started with a hard fought 25-27, 25-22, 24-26, 25-13, 16-14 victory over Montana State-Northern before scoring a 25-15, 25-11, 25-21 decision over Wayland Baptist. Erin Clark (SR/Phoenix, Ariz.) had a good day for ERAU, totaling 44 kills and 27 digs for the Eagles.

Vs. Montana State-Northern
It was a close match all the way in the opener, as three of the five sets went to extra points to decide them. Montana State-Northern got off to a 6-2 lead before Embry-Riddle came back to tie it a 6-all on a block from Clark and Sharik Joseph (SR/San Diego, Calif.). It stayed close the rest of the way as the two teams battled back and forth until a pair of hitting errors by the Eagles gave the set to the Skylights. The second set was much the same, but this time ERAU had the upper hand at the end with Clark and Julia Kjenstad (SR/Tacoma, Wash.) getting kills before another Clark, Joseph block ended it.

Another nail-biter in the third saw Embry-Riddle up 24-23 after a Clark put away, but Montana State-Northern secured the final three points to take the set. The Eagles cranked up the offense in the fourth set, hitting .351. ERAU broke open a one-point set when Elisa Pauzer (SR/Campinas, Brazil) caught fire and put away four kills as part of an 8-0 run that put her team in control.

Embry-Riddle got off to a 6-3 lead in the deciding fifth set, but Montana State-Northern stayed in it and found itself a point away from the match win at 14-12. Pauzer put down another kill and teamed with Dalia Haase (FR/Tucson, Ariz.) on a block to tie it up at 14-14. After an attack error put the Eagles on top, Pauzer finished it with her 21st kill of the match to complete the comeback.

Clark finished with 33 kills to lead the team, with Terra Gordon (SR/San Antonio, Texas) and Katie Rolle (JR/Missoula, Mont.) each handing out 37 assists. Kat Yung (SR/Phoenix, Ariz.) had 29 digs on defense, with Joseph finishing with five blocks.

Vs. Wayland Baptist
In its second match of the day, Embry-Riddle (4-2) held Wayland Baptist (1-2) to just .067 hitting as it took the three-set sweep. Lily Figgins (FR/St. Charles, Mo.) had an ace as part of a 5-0 spurt that put the Eagles in control of the first set. Later Joseph put down three kills in a 7-1 run that put the Pioneers in a 14-5 hole that they could not recover from.

Embry-Riddle got off to a 15-10 lead in the second set, and then put it away with a 9-0 run, getting a pair of blocks from Joseph and Clark and two aces from Tori Anderson (SR/Phoenix, Ariz.). An 8-0 run in the third set, helped by a pair of blocks from Haase and Pauzer, but the Eagles on top 16-7. Wayland Baptist closed to 23-20, but it was as close as it would get as Haase and Caylee Robalin (SR/El Paso, Texas) scored the final two points on kills to put the match in the win column.

Clark led the team with 11 kills and 11 digs in the win, with Robalin finishing with nine kills. Haase added five kills and led the Eagles with four blocks, while Gordon kept the offense humming with 21 assists on the 38 kills the Eagles registered.