ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst volleyball team opened the 2019 season by splitting a pair of matches against top-25 opponents. The Bluejays fell in four sets to 18th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College, but Elmhurst bounced back to defeat 10th-ranked Aurora University 3-1 in the night cap of the Elmhurst Invitational.
 
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS 3, ELMHURST 1 - Elmhurst (1-1) opened the two-day tournament with a 25-19, 17-25, 22-25, 17-25 loss to Gustavus Adolphus.
 
The Bluejays started quickly in the opening set, building a quick 3-0 never lead and never trailing for the rest of the set. Elmhurst led 15-10 but Gustavus surged back with an 8-3 run to pull even at 18-all. The Bluejays rattled off the next six points to open up a 24-18 lead. After an Elmhurst error, a kill from Emily Duis handed Elmhurst the opening set at 25-19.

Elmhurst built early leads in each of the next three sets but the Bluejays were unable to hold on. Elmhurst led 9-5 in the second set before a 15-6 from Gustavus helped the Golden Gusties pull away for the 25-17 win. The Bluejays jumped out to a 12-7 lead in the third set and led 19-17 before Gustavus responded. With the score tied at 20-20, Gustavus used a 5-2 run down the stretch to take a 2-1 lead. The Bluejays built a 12-7 lead early in the fourth, but Gustagus used an 11-3 run to open up an 18-15 lead before pulling away for the victory.
 
Elmhurst hit .130 for the match with 46 kills and 25 errors in 161 attacks. Bailey Brouwer powered Elmhurst's offense in the loss, finishing with 15 kills. Emily Duis added eight kills and six blocks while Payton Froats also pounded down eight kills. Kayla Mast added seven kills and nine digs while Emily Finkbeiner tallied 33 digs and 17 assists. Valerie Thomas led the team in digs with 18 while Sabrina Yamashita added 12 for Elmhurst.
 
Gustavus was powered by Kate Holtan's 13-kill, 23-dig performance. Annalee Olson-Sola added 12 kills while Rhyan Herrmann finished with 10.
 
ELMHURST 3, AURORA 1 – Elmhurst rebounded from its opening loss to stun 10th-ranked Aurora 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21.
 
The two teams slugged it out for much of the first set with neither team leading by more than three points early. The score was even at 21-21 but a kill from Taylor Zurliene followed by a kill from Froats and a pair of kills from Brouwer gave Elmhurst the opening set 25-21.
 
The second set was nearly identical to the first. Both teams held three point leads early but the score was tied at 16-16. The Bluejays opened up a three-point cushion at 21-18 before exchanging points with the Spartans to take the first 25-21 after a kill from Mast.
 
Aurora led for the majority of the third set before Elmhurst pulled even at 19-all, rallying from a five-point early deficit. Aurora ripped off three straight points to move in front at 22-19. Trailing 24-22, the Bluejays fought off two set points before a service error gave the fourth set to Aurora.
 
The fourth set featured six lead changes early before Aurora built a 10-7 lead. Elmhurst responded with a 7-1 run to open up a 14-11 lead. The Bluejays would not trail for the duration of the set. Aurora closed to within a point at 17-16, but three straight points from Elmhurst forced the Spartans to call a timeout down 20-16. Aurora closed to within a point at 21-20, but a block from Froats and Brouwer followed by a kill from Zurliene put the Bluejays back in front by three. After the two teams traded points, a kill from Mast put the match away for Elmhurst.
 
Elmhurst hit .184 for the match with 51 kills and 25 errors in 141 swings. Four Bluejays reached double figures in kills to spark the offense. Brouwer powered the attack with 13 kills while Mast finished with 12. Zurliene and Froats added 10 kills apiece while Duis totaled five kills and five blocks. Finkbeiner tallied 41 assists and nine digs while Thomas totaled a team-best 177 digs.
 
Sydnei Avery led the Spartans with 18 kills and 10 digs in the loss.
 
Elmhurst wraps up the two-day tournament by hosting Alma College and Heidelberg University tomorrow (August 31).