CHICAGO, Ill. – Women's Volleyball kicked off their 2026 slate Saturday at the Chicago Rosalie Resch Invitational. They faced off with the Earlham Quakers and the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers. The Eagles (2-0) won a 3-2 (16-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 16-14) thriller against the Quakers (0-4), before shutting down the Fightin' Engineers (1-3) with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-23) sweep).
MATCH ONE: EDGEWOOD UNIVERSITY 3, EARLHAM 2 (16-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 16-14)
- The Quakers struck first in an offensive showcase, outhitting the Eagles .323-to-.250 on route to a 1-0 lead in the match. An early 6-2 rally pushed Earlham ahead 12-6 and the Quakers finished the set strong on a 9-4 stretch.
- Five unanswered propelled Edgewood University to a 6-3 advantage as they battled to even the match. Earlham replied with a 6-2 blow to retake the lead 11-9. They would maintain their slim edge until the Eagles struck with five in a row off the back of stout defense to retake a 16-13 advantage. While four unanswered from the Quakers closed them within 24-23 late, a kill from
Nida Zukauskaite evened the match for Edgewood University.
- Earlham started with the hot hand, up 6-1 in the third set. The Eagles offense had an answer, a 6-0 rally with five kills pulling them up 11-9. Edgewood University kept rolling on offense, a 6-2 burst followed by a 5-1 blow pushing them ahead 22-17 as they rolled to a 2-1 match lead.
- Earlham once again rolled out of the gate in the fourth to a 5-0 advantage, but the Eagles would claw back with a 6-2 stretch. The squads exchanged 4-1 and 5-0 rallies in the middle of the frame as Edgewood University held an 18-15 lead. A 10-2 explosion from the Quakers would keep them alive as they forced a fifth set.
- The Eagles found themselves with their backs up against the wall, down 8-3 in the fifth set. They gutted it out, putting together a 7-2 run to bring the match to a dead heat once more. Edgewood University were down 14-13 late, but three in a row with a pair of key kills sealed the set and match for the Eagles.
- Edgewood University outhit Earlham .157-to-.149 in a tight affair. The Eagles had key advantages in aces (11-to-6) and kills (56-to-47).
- Zukauskaite had a strong showing with 16 kills and a .237 attack percentage on 38 attempts.
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Natalie Murphy stepped up with 11 kills in the win.
Payton Millin,
Molly Amendt, and
Reagan Siebler each had seven kills.
- Millin posted a match-high five blocks.
Marina Hosticka added four of her own.
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Abbey Eivins paced the squad with 22 assists and three aces.
Laila Rasmussen impressed with 21 assists and nine digs.
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Madison Amstutz had a strong showing at libero with 18 digs.
- Emma Ledford and Sadie Mae Calma had double-doubles for the Quakers. Calma earned 10 kills and 12 assists, while Ledford posted 23 assists and 12 digs.
MATCH TWO: EDGEWOOD UNIVERSITY 3, ROSE-HULMAN 0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-23)
- The Eagles rolled through the first set. After trailing 5-4, they went on a 7-2 tear to take a commanding 12-6 lead. Ahead 15-11, they finished strong with an 8-2 burst to close out the set.
-Edgewood University outhit the Fightin' Engineers .300-to-.000. Rose-Hulman had three kills and three errors in the set.
- The squads wrestled back and forth over small leads earl. After the Fightin' Engineers held a 9-8 edge, a 10-2 surge sent the Eagles soaring ahead 18-11. Edgewood University cruised to the finish line and a 2-0 lead in the match.
- Rose-Hulman roared to life in the third set, an explosive 9-0 stretch featuring seven kills putting them up 14-7. A 6-2 reply cut the advantage down to 16-13 to help Edgewood University keep pace. Trailing 19-15, an 8-2 rally flipped the script for the Eagles as they polished off the sweep.
- Edgewood University outhit the Fightin' Engineers .303-to-.151. They held a 7-to-1 edge in aces and a 40-to-29 gap in kills.
- Siebler excelled. She had 13 kills on 23 attempts for a .435 hitting percentage. Murphy also had a strong outing with 11 kills on 20 swings for a .450 hitting percentage.
- Eivins tallied 20 assists while Amstutz earned 12 digs.
- Millin continued to excel at blocking with five blocks.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The meeting between Edgewood University and Earlham was the first in women's volleyball history.
- The Eagles have won both matchups against Rose-Hulman. The teams last met in 2023.
- Murphy's .450 hitting percentage was a career best (minimum 20 attempts).
UP NEXT
The Eagles will open up the Todd Wehr Edgedome Tuesday night. They'll square off with the Elmhurst Blue Jays in Madison, Wis. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
