TUCSON, Arizona – The Red Foxes opened the 2021 season Friday afternoon at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona, and promptly earned their first victory of the season after defeating UCSD in five sets in the night cap of a doubleheader.
Earlier in the day, Marist was defeated 3-0 by the University of Arizona. The Red Foxes are now 1-1 in 2021.
- Sophomore Vanessa Zolg had the first kill of the season for the Red Foxes, getting Marist on the board in set one.
- The Red Foxes got off to a slow start, however, dropping the first set against the Wildcats 25-11.
- Arizona kept rolling into set two. Despite a valiant effort from Madelyn Waumans, the tournament host went on to win the set 25-12.
- Marist came alive in the third set, thanks to the two Gabby's: Heimbauer and Murray taking control of the offense.
- Murray smacked a monster kill to give the Red Foes a 23-22 lead, but the Wildcats would rattle off three straight points to win the set and the match.
- For the second straight match, Zolg smacked Marist's first kill of the match, this time providing a major spark to the team's offense.
- The Tritons and Red Foxes went back-and-forth exchanging points early in set one, and it wasn't until Heimbauer smacked back-to-back kills (giving Marist a 21-17), did Marist take control.
- Morgan Owens had a beautiful service ace to clinch a 25-20 set one win, the Red Foxes first set victory of the season.
- The Tritons bounced back strong, controlling set two from start to finish and evening up the match at 1-1 with a 25-19 victory.
- UCSD tried to do the same exact thing in set three, but Marist would not allow it. After trailing quickly 8-3, the Red Foxes recovered and fought back to tie the set at 19-19.
- Heimbauer and Murray continued their solid play, as Heimbauer crushed a kill to put Marist in front 23-22, and after an error, Murray clinched the set with a kill.
- Yet again, the Tritons took a commanding lead early in set four, this time 13-5. Marist fought back once again climbing to within two, but UCSD forced a fifth set winning set four 25-18.
- The Red Foxes opened the final set on a 4-0 run, capped by back-to-back service aces from Morgan Owens, which would be enough in the end to help the red & white earn the victory.
- Marist held on to win the final set 15-13 after the Tritons had a chance to tie it but committed a service error.
- Sashsa van der Merwe lead Marist with 14 kills in the win over UCSD.
- Heimbauer led the Red Foxes with eight kills in the loss to Arizona, and added 13 kills in the win over the Tritons, good for 21 combined.
- Zolg and freshman Alyssa White tied for the team lead with five total blocks each against UCSD.
- Waumans combined for 15 kills across both matches.
- McKinley Fox combined for 61 assists and 22 digs on the day, including a double-double of 41 assists and 15 digs in the team's win.
- Morgan Owens had double-digit digs in both matches including 10 in game one and 31 in game two.
- Owens' 31 digs were not only a career-high, but the total also ranks tied-for-eighth on the program's single-match digs list.
- Heimbauer set a career-high of eight kills in game one, then did it again with her 13 kills in game two. Her four total blocks in game two were also a career-high.
- Van der Merwe's 14 kills and 15 digs against the Tritons were both career-highs, giving the outside hitter her first career double-double.
- Zolg totaled six kills, five digs, and five total blocks against UCSD, all good for career-highs.
- Fox's 15 digs matched a career-high.
- Jaden Reasor, Jillian Hanna, and White all appeared in their first career matches today, setting multiple career-highs across multiple stat categories.
The Red Foxes return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. to close out play at the Cactus Classic with a game against New Mexico State.
