The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team defeated the Akron Zips 3-0 on Saturday in the Dig Pink Match at the Convocation Center.
The Eagles (19-6, 7-3 Mid-American Conference) won 25-18, 25-21 and 25-21 to send the Zips to 4-19 and 1-9.
During this game the players and fans wore pink for EMU’s Dig Pink Match, which is an effort to raise money for breast cancer research. T-shirts and auction items were available to raise money for the cause.
“The Dig Pink is always a fun atmosphere, and it’s great to support something that is bigger than all of us,” Haley Stein said.
The Eagles came out strong in the first set and continued on the quest for their sixth straight win. The Eagles topped the Zips by having a greater attack percentage (.197 to .155). The Eagles also outhit the Zips, 46-34.
Kristen Baker had a hitting percentage of .429 while Ashley Mason had 11 assists. Rachel Iaquaniello had three kills, and Stein came up big defensively with seven digs, and Baker had two blocks.
“We all feel good about the game tonight,” Iaquaniello said. “It’s nice to sweep a team in three-straight sets, quick and painless and a fun night for everyone.”
The second set was back and forth, but EMU was able to pull off the victory. Iaquaniello had
seven kills, and Baker chipped in three more. Mason added 14 assists, and Natalie Folk came up with seven digs.
The third set was another well-played set by both teams, but when it came down to it, the Eagles had what it took to win.
The Eagles had many key contributors for this set including Paige Roback, who had seven kills while Iaquaniello continued her dominance, adding six kills to give her a total of 16 on the night. Mason added 16 more assists to give her a total of 41 assists on the night.
“We played really well as a team, but we could do better,” Iaquaniello said. “We always will have areas to improve on, but the hard work is there so we are going to build from that.”
The Eagles’ next match is against the Northern Illinois Huskies (19-5, 8-2 MAC) at 7 p.m. Friday in the Convocation Center.
