NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team took a pair of matches on the final day of the 2017 Wildcat Invite on Saturday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex, first defeating Adelphi, 3-1, before finishing the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Franklin Pierce.
Set scores for the match against Adelphi were 25-22, 23-25, 26-24, and 25-21.
Set scores for the match against Franklin pierce were 25-19, 27-25, 23-25, 25-20.
Sophomore Jill Braunsberg paced the Wildcats against the Panthers, securing her first career triple-double with 10 kills, 20 assists, and 14 digs. She is the third student-athlete to collect a triple-double in the Wildcats' NCAA era (2004-05). She joins Wilmington Hall-of Famer Angie Estep (2005) and Alex Siolos (12 in her four-year career, 2012-2015).
Braunsberg hit .276 as well, committing only two errors on 29 swings. Freshman Mandy Behiels matched Braunsberg with 10 kills, adding 10 digs for the double-double. Brittany Ford and Rebecca Rawlinson tallied seven kills each in the match. The Wildcats hit .151 for the match as a team, including .238 in the second set and .209 in the fourth set.
Defensively, Jenna Brown picked up a team high 27 digs while Braunsberg (14), Ford (12), and Behiels (10) added double digit digs as well. At the net, the Wildcats added nine total blocks, led by Rawlinson's four block assists and one solo block. Braunsberg and Eile Harris also picked up four block assists in the match.
In the nightcap, Braunsberg once again kept the Wildcats on pace against the Ravens, posting her second consecutive triple double with 12 kills, adding 21 assists and 20 digs. Behiels also added to the offense with 13 kills and 22 digs.
Senior libero Jenna Brown once again led the way defensively with 32 digs in the match while Braunsberg added 20, and Behiels (22), Shaw (18), and Ford (11) also added double digit digs. The Cats out-blocked the Ravens, 14-2, including an outstanding performance by Rawlinson with five solo blocks and four block assists. The Wildcats bested the Ravens kill percentage, .140 to .073, in four sets as well.
The Wildcats will be back in action Wednesday, September 13 as they open Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on the road at Jefferson University. The opening serve is set for 6:00 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.
2017 Wildcat Invite All-Tournament Team
AIC (4-0) - Diva Rivas-Reyes (Jr., OH)
Jefferson (3-1) - Corinne Justus (Sr., MH)
Wilmington (3-1) - Rebecca Rawlinson (So., MH)
Adelphi (2-2) - Katie Berry (So., S)
Holy Family (2-2) - Gianna Pesognelli (So., MH)
Chestnut Hill (2-2) - Kennedy Sutton (Jr., S)
Merrimack (1-3) - Rosie Sperduto (So., S/OPP)
Franklin Pierce (0-4) - Hannah St. Jean (Sr., MH)
