Day two of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Invitational was a successful one for the Dragons as they picked up two victories in dominating fashion.
Tiffin first matched up against Ouachita Baptist in the morning and clinched a 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-18) victory before sweeping New Mexico Highlands later in the evening 3-0 (25-23, 25-3, 25-21).
Tiffin vs. Ouachita Baptist
The Dragons started off on the right foot offensively as they burst out to an early 6-0 lead in the first set. The Tigers battled back to within three points at 8-5, but Tiffin then went on a 8-0 run which included three kills by Wakaya Wilson and three service aces courtesy of Marissa Sharpe. With a 16-5 lead, the Dragons were able to see out the set one victory.
Set number two was the most competitive of the three as Tiffin fell behind 5-2 early on. A kill from Kenedi Goon followed by back-to-back aces from Diana Heitkamp sparked a 10-2 run which shifted the tide of the set. Tied at 22, a kill from Josie Reinhart followed by an Alivia Rew service ace earned the Dragons set-point advantage as they went on to go up 2-0 for the match.
Tiffin kept its momentum going into the third set, taking a 6-1 lead, eventually extending it to 11-3. A 12-2 run by Ouachita earned it the lead later in the set, however, the Dragons responded with a run of their own of 10-1 to close out the set and the match.
Goon was on fire for the Dragons as she racked up 15 kills on .500 percent hitting and two total blocks. She was followed by Wilson and Reinhart who each added eight kills for the match. Addison Conti recorded the first double-double of the season with 30 assists and 11 digs. Heitkamp also tied for the team-high in digs with 11 while adding six service aces, tied with Sharpe who tallied six as well.
Tiffin vs. N.M. Highlands
Tiffin trailed 15-11 roughly halfway through the first set before Goon and Wilson fueled an 8-0 run which saw the Dragons gain a four-point lead. N.M. Highlands fought back to within one, but Tiffin held on to take a 1-0 lead.
The Dragons took control of the second set, starting off on an 8-0 run which included three service aces by Conti. The domination continued as Tiffin went on to win the set by an astounding 25-3 scoreline.
The third set was a back-and-forth affair that saw short runs from either side. Trailing by one at 15-14, the Dragons went on a 5-0 run led by Kaylee Freund to take the lead. Tiffin held its lead until Conti delivered the final blow to complete the sweep and make it three wins from four at the TAMUK Invitational.
Wilson and Goon both posted eight kills with Goon adding six total blocks. Her block tally was second, however, to Freund who amassed 10 total blocks and contributed five kills as well on .556 percent hitting. The Dragons totaled a massive 27 blocks in total as a team. Conti played well as she tallied a team-high 22 assists, seven digs, and four aces. Defensively, Heitkamp recorded 18 digs for the match.
Next up, Tiffin will head to Allendale, Michigan to compete in the Grand Rapids Downtown Classic hosted by Grand Valley State University on Friday, September 8th and Saturday, September 9th. The Dragons will play a total of four matches against Grand Valley State, Colorado Christian, Clarion, and Davenport.