COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus Volleyball team closed out its 2023 season with straight-set sweeps over King's (25-17, 25-12, 25-16) and Gwynedd Mercy (26-24, 25-20, 25-21) in their second home tri-match of the season on Saturday at Helfferich Hall.
 
 
With the wins the Bears will close their season out with a 12-15 overall record while the Monarchs finish at 14-14 and the Griffins with a split moved to 11-15.
 
 
Junior Caroline Sherman posted double-digit kill outings in both matches with 14 against the Monarchs and 10 against the Griffins. She finished the season with 389 total kills and posted double-digit kill totals in 24 of the 27 matches. Sophomore Mel Eglinton capped an impressive first year at Ursinus with double-digit kills in both matches as well with a match-high 15 against Gwynedd Mercy and 10 versus Kings's. Senior Haley Spotts recorded a combined 13 kills in both matches to close out her Ursinus career and junior Emma Illovsky tallied a combined 27 digs between the matches. Junior Rachel Bernard paced the Bears offense with 16 assists against King's and 19 versus Gwynedd Mercy.
 
 
Ursinus 3, King's 0
 
The Bears started fast in the first set by going up 6-1 behind five kills and forcing a Monarchs timeout. Ursinus won five-straight points after King's cut their lead down to 7-4 to go up 12-4 before extending it to 14-6. The Monarchs continued to battle as they won four-straight points to make it a 14-10 set but were unable to get under four points the rest of the way in the first. Ursinus put the set away by winning five of the last six points while leading 20-16 to finish at 25-17.
 
 
Ursinus opened strong again in the second set by gaining an early advantage before eventually going up 6-2. The Bears worked their lead out to 9-5 and decisively put the set away by winning 13 of the next 15 points to take a commanding 22-7 lead. King's won five of the next six points to battle back but Ursinus ended the set with a kill and Monarchs attack error.
 
 
The Bears continued the trend of jumping on the Monarchs early as they raced out to an 8-1 lead and forced a timeout. King's won three of the next four points to pull within five at 9-4 before Ursinus pulled away by winning 12 of the next 15 points to go up 21-8. Ursinus built a 24-10 lead and fended off six-straight points by the Monarchs to close out the match with a third set win of 25-16. The Bears never trailed once during the entire match and posted a .296 team hitting percentage to the Monarchs at .010 while recording 12 aces.
 
 
Ursinus 3, Gwynedd Mercy 0
 
The Bears responded to the Griffins winning the first two points of the opening set by taking five of the next seven to go up 5-3. Gwynedd Mercy took five of the next six points to go up 8-6 until the Bears responded with three-straight of their own to go back up 9-8. However, the scrappy Griffins put together a run of taking seven of the next nine points to go up 15-11 and force a Bears timeout. Gwynedd Mercy stretched their lead out to 17-12 before the Bears won five of the next seven points to cut the deficit down to 19-17. The Griffins worked their lead out to 21-18 but Ursinus won six of the next seven points to take a 24-22 lead into set point. Gwynedd Mercy refused to go away by getting a kill plus and ace to force extra points before two attack errors lifted the Bears to come-from-behind first set win.
 
 
Gwynedd Mercy continued to battle the Bears tough and gained a 9-4 advantage after a back and forth start to the second set. Ursinus won four-straight points to get within one point at 9-8 and then four of six after trailing 11-9 to tie the set at 13. Gwynedd Mercy won two straight points to go up 15-13 before the Bears surged ahead by taking seven of the next eight points to go up 20-16 and force a timeout. The Griffins got within two points at 21-19 until Ursinus closed the set out by winning four of the next five points.
 
 
Ursinus won the first five points of the third set and seemingly looked to pull away early as they stretched their lead out to 10-3. The Griffins got within five points at 12-7 before Ursinus responded to take their largest lead of the set at 16-8. However, Gwynedd Mercy valiantly stormed back by winning nine of the next 10 points to tie the set at 17. The Griffins pulled ahead at 20-19 for their first lead of the set, however, Ursinus fended off Gwynedd Mercy by winning six of the next seven points to close out the set and match.