Miami University Volleyball Head Coach Carolyn Condit reached a milestone in the coaching profession Friday night, earning her 600th win in a 3-2 victory over Indiana State University (ISU) to start off the Best Western/Sycamore Inn Invitational.
Condit became only the 14th active coach in Division I volleyball to reach 600 wins.
The RedHawks (4-6) went on to repeat as Invitational champions with wins against Chicago State University and Temple University Saturday.
"What I think about the most is the memories of the student-athletes, the fun that we had and the overall team effort that was put into those wins," Condit said. "I'd like an opportunity to thank all the assistant coaches that helped me along the way. I know I would not be where I am without them. We had challenges to face tonight, but we worked through it and earned it."
Miami achieved another milestone against ISU when senior setter Amy Kendall recorded her 2,000th career assist, making her the 10th setter to reach this mark in program history.
It was a back and forth affair with the Sycamores (1-8), as the first set started off with a 6-2 run by ISU. Miami quickly countered with a 12-4 run, and coasted to a 25-19 set win.
Indiana State made adjustments in the second frame of action, making it much more competitive throughout the rest of the match and giving the RedHawks a 25-22 advantage before it eventually won the third and fourth set 25-22 and 25-23, respectively. Miami kicked off the fifth set fast with a 9-4 run and never looked back as it clinched the match 15-8.
Junior middle hitter Kayleigh Cox had her breakout game of the season, with 17 kills and a hitting percentage of .714. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Sarah Chaney also played well with nine kills and five block assists.
"I'm so proud of the way Kayleigh and Sarah played tonight," Condit said. "They're making strides and are a part of our effort as a team."
Miami followed this with a systematic 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16) sweep of Chicago State University. Meg Riley put in a great performance for the 'Hawks with nine kills and team-high 18 assists against the Cougars (2-10).
The Red and White closed out the Invitational with a 3-1 win over Temple (6-4), clinching the Invitational title. The 'Hawks kicked things off with a 27-25 win in the first set, but the Owls responded with a 25-23 victory to even the score 1-1. Miami then asserted itself in the third and fourth sets with scores of 25-17 and 25-15, respectively. Riley had another superb performance with a triple-double of 20 kills, 22 assists and 10 digs. Senior outside hitter/middle hitter Christina Menche had a terrific match as well, with 13 kills and six block assists.
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"This was a much needed win," Condit said. "We had to fight through some lulls during the match. We needed to prove ourselves under pressure, and we did."
Riley and junior libero Madison Hardy were named to the All-Tournament Team, while redshirt freshman outside hitter Sarah Chaney earned Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in the Invitational with 17 kills, three digs and 14 blocks over the three match stretch.
"Sarah's playing the best volleyball of her young career," Condit said of the Invitational MVP. "Hardy put in a good night of work as well. They helped keep their top two hitters in check."
The RedHawks plan to use these wins as a springboard for the rest of the season.
"It's nice to get three wins," Chaney said. "All week we were focusing on our team chemistry and pushing through tough spots. It definitely helped this weekend."
The RedHawks take their show on the road next weekend as they face the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Valparaiso University and Indiana University.
They then return home to start Mid-American Conference play Sept. 21 against Kent State University Friday and take on Ohio University Saturday.
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