BELLEVUE, Neb. - CIU volleyball wrapped play at the GoSarpy.com Labor Day Classic as they picked up two losses on their final day of the weekend tournament. CIU fell to host school No. 12 Bellevue (Neb.) 3-1, and then later in the evening, a feisty Indiana Tech team came back on the Rams to steal a 3-2 match win. CIU ended Saturday afternoon with a 2-2 record at the Classic and a 7-6 record overall after winning six of their last eight matches. 

MATCH ONE: Bellevue 3 CIU 1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-23, 25-22): In their match against their second NAIA top 25 team in as many days, the Rams nearly pulled off the upset. CIU kept it close in all four sets and snagged a set two win but ultimately recorded their first loss of the weekend. Jadaeya Morrell exploded for 18 kills in the loss, Mardi Scutchings was the other Ram with double-digit kills recording 12. A large portion of those kills were assisted on by Kamelia De Jesus, who had a season-high 36 assists to go along with ten digs as the Rams' primary setter. Kelcey Mangum led the Rams in digs with 24, while junior Alana Sanjurjo had a team-high two aces.

MATCH TWO: Indiana Tech 3 CIU 2 (22-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-9): After winning the first two sets, the Rams appeared to be ending the weekend on a high note. However, an undefeated Indiana Tech team was determined to stay unbeaten as the Warriors won three straight sets to dispatch CIU. On-target serving was a key to the Rams' early success as CIU recorded eight aces as a team. Mardi Scutchings got going with 18 kills, while Alana Sanjurjo had ten kills and 11 digs for a double-double. Setters Kamelia De Jesus and Melissa Campos Soto each had a double-double of their own as De Jesus totaled 26 assists and 13 digs, while Campos Soto had 19 assists and ten digs. Kelcey Mangum championed the Rams' defensive effort with 25 digs for the match. CIU was plagued by poor hitting, with just a .161 attack percentage against the Warriors. 

What Coach Amber Haver is saying: "Great weekend of really intense competition. We dealt with some major adversity today. Proud of the effort. These hard fought matches against top 15 teams… it's what is going to make us better."

Up Next: CIU will begin Appalachian Athletic Conference play (AAC) on Wednesday, Sept. 7, as they travel to Laurinburg, N.C., for a tri-match with St. Andrews (N.C.) and Elizabeth City State (N.C.).