Ottumwa, IA – No. 18 Indian Hills Volleyball avenged an early season loss to Jefferson College (MO) Wednesday night with a convincing 3-0 sweep of the Vikings at the Hellyer Center. The Warriors improve to 24-8 on the year with the team's third win in a row.
The Warriors dropped the 2023 season opener to the Vikings on August 18, but bounced back Wednesday night with a home sweep to remain unbeaten at the Hellyer Center this year. The Warriors took the match in straight sets – 25-19, 25-22, and 25-16. Indian Hills has now won 17 consecutive home matches dating back to September 2021, the longest streak dating back to the 2006 season.
Freshman Sara Van Gisteren (Leuth, Netherlands/Young Talent Academy ROC Nijmegen) was a force on offense for the Warriors, hitting .478 with 13 kills. The outside hitter added three service aces to the box score along with a team-high eight digs.
This week's Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) DI Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week, Sabrina Nogueira Da Silva (São Paulo, Brazil/Colégio Campos Salles) produced a team-high four service aces with just one serving error committed. Ana Carolina Westerich (Blumenau, Brazil/Colégio Energia) tacked on three service aces and a team-high 25 assists.
As a team, the Warriors totaled 12 service aces , tied for the third-most in a single match this season. Indian Hills' 269 service aces on the year rank fourth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Indian Hills opened the night with a sizable lead in the first set before holding off a late rally from the Vikings. Jefferson took an initial lead in set two, but a series of aces and kills from Van Gisteren down the stretch allowed the Warriors to rally for the 2-0 match advantage. Fernanda Izar (Bauru, Brazil/Prevê Objetivo Bauru) carried the Warriors through the early goings of set three, a stretch that powered the home team to the three-game sweep.
Defensively, the Warriors totaled a season-high 20 total blocks, including 18 block assists in the win. Led by sophomore Vitoria Dias Silva (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Sistema Elite de Ensino) with a team-high five block assists, four different Warriors totaled at least three blocks Wednesday night.
The Warriors make a quick turnaround with a road trip to Council Bluffs Thursday night to take on 16-8 Monroe College (NY) at the Dennis Smith Memorial Classic, hosted by Iowa Western Community College. The Warriors return home Friday night for a 7:00 PM home date with Southwestern Community College.
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