Dubuque, Iowa - The No. 21 Central Methodist Volleyball program began their two-game weekend road trip in Iowa with a three-set win over Clarke University in Dubuque Friday night.
Central defeated the Pride in straight sets by scores of 25-16, 28-26, and 25-16.
With the win, CMU improves to 18-5 and 7-2 in the Heart of America, while Clarke falls to 11-12 and 2-7 in conference action.
Central cruised in the first set, hitting .308 with 13 kills and only one attack error. However, in set two, the Eagles found themselves trailing 24-21, and the Pride with the opportunity to tie the match with set point.
CMU gathered themselves and scored three straight points, highlighted by consecutive kills from Joana Milho and Martina Gonzato. With the set now tied at 24-24, both teams exchanged points and the scored remained deadlocked at 26-26.
A Gonzato kill gave Central the opportunity for set point, before a quick dump from Giulia Gainelli ended the second in favor of the Eagles, 28-26.
CMU settled down in set three after Clarke scored the first two points. The Eagles rattled off five consecutive points and never looked back.
Central stretched their lead to as many as 10 in the final frame, ultimately coming away with a nine-point win in the third and completing the three-set sweep.
Super senior Annabelle Maassen finished the evening with 11 kills and 12 digs for another double double. She also recorded four blocks, two service aces and an assist for good measure. Altogether, Maassen hit .310 from the outside and committed just two errors.
Gonzato led the Eagle attackers with 13 kills for a .367 hitting percentage.
Gainelli joined Maassen in the double double club with a team-best 20 assists and 10 digs. Fellow setter Gabi Owczarek dished out nine assists while recording six digs.
Senior libero Rita Campos was right behind Maassen with 11 digs, seven assists and three service aces. Freshman Maggie Johnson recorded a career-high six blocks, while both Mia Trankler and Leticia Barea matched Maassen with four blocks each.
The Eagles conclude their weekend against Mount Mercy University, squaring off against the Mustangs Saturday, Oct. 12 at 1:00 p.m. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
MMU is currently second in the Heart standings with an 8-2 record, while the Eagles sit in third.
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