Women's Volleyball Tops Benedictine in Four Games

Marshall, Mo., (Oct. 17, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College women's volleyball team hosted Benedictine (Kan.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference contest Friday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings fell behind early, but bounced back to win in four games by scores of 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-12.

The opening game began with the two teams trading points through a long stretch of play.  Senior Middle Hitter Kinga Romanowicz (Krepiec, Poland) had two kills and Sophomore Outside Hitter Olivia Randolph (Columbia, Mo.) added one kill to help make it a 5-5 score.  Junior Right Side Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) and Senior Outside Hitter Juliana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) each had one kill to eventually send the Vikings in front, 9-8.  Benedictine answered to win four of the next five points and grab a 12-10 lead.  Missouri Valley won three-straight points, and five of the next six overall, as Freshman Outside Hitter Rylee Adams (Odessa, Mo.) finished off two kills, and both Randolph and Senior Middle Blocker Patrisiya Uzoma (Moscow, Russia) added one kill each to put the advantage at 15-13.  The Ravens briefly tied the score at 15-15, but MVC came back to win four of the next five points.  Uzoma and Tavares each landed one kill, and Adams put down two aces to make it a 19-16 score.  Benedictine came back with a late run, taking seven of the next eight points, and eventually holding game-point, 24-21.  Oliveira got the Vikings to a one-point deficit late, but BC won the first game, 25-23.

The two teams traded points to start game two, as the first four points for MVC came on three Benedictine errors and an ace from Freshman Libero Emily Elias (Fulton, Mo.).  Adams had one kill, while Uzoma finished off a solo block and the pair of Junior Setter Clarissa Dias (Praia Grande, Brazil) and Tavares teamed up on a block to give Missouri Valley a 9-7 lead.  The advantage grew, as Romanowicz had two kills, and Adams added one kill to eventually make it a 14-10 score.  The Vikings stayed on top over the next stretch, with BC pulling back to a 17-16 deficit.  Missouri Valley responded with a five-point run to take control.  Romanowicz and Adams had one kill each, and Dias put down an ace as the lead grew to 22-16.  The Ravens came back, and won six of the next seven points to sit in a 23-22 deficit.  An error from BC made it game-point, and the pair of Uzoma and Randolph came through with a block to end game one, 25-22, and tie the match at 1-1 in games.

Benedictine went in front at the start of the third game, at a 9-5 score.  Adams had one kill and an ace, followed by a kill from Elias to shrink the deficit down to 10-9.  Romanowicz and Tavares each put down one kill, then teamed up on a block to send MVC in front, 12-11.  The Vikings won five-straight points over the next stretch, as Romanowicz had one kill and one solo block.  Tavares added one kill, then teamed up with Romanowicz on two more blocks to eventually put the Viking advantage at 18-14.  The Ravens closed to within a 19-17 score late in the game, but MVC came back to win five of six points to hold game-point.  Oliveira had two kills and Randolph added one kill during the run.  Randolph then sealed a win with one final kill to make it a 25-20 score, and put Missouri Valley ahead in the match, 2-1.

Going for the win in the fourth game, the Vikings used one kill from Romanowicz and an ace by Elias to sit in front, 4-1.  Missouri Valley won four of five points over a stretch early in the game, as Tavares, Senior Outside Hitter Maria Bertholdo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Adams all had one kill to put the advantage at 9-4.  The Vikings began to pull away from there, first going on a six-point run.  Randolph landed two kills, while Dias put down one ace and the pair of Romanowicz and Tavares added a block to put the lead at double-digits, 16-6.  Romanowicz recorded another kill, with a block from Uzoma and Adams moving the score to 19-8.  Adams and Uzoma had one kill each, then teamed up on a block, while Senior Setter Avery Crain (Shell Knob, Mo.) landed an ace to put the lead at 23-9.  The final point of the contest came on a Bertholdo kill to close out a 25-12 win for Missouri Valley in the game, and a 3-1 win in the match.  Benedictine was limited to a -.053 hitting percentage in the game.

Romanowicz led with a season-high 12 kills on a .455 hitting percentage.  Adams had eight kills, three aces and 10 digs, while Randolph totaled eight kills.  Dias led with 25 assists, to go with five digs, and Crain had a double-double for the second time this season totaling 16 assists and 10 digs.  Elias tied a season-high with 20 digs, and Oliveira added 10 digs.   The Vikings totaled 12 blocks and eight aces as a team.

Missouri Valley improves to 12-12 overall and 5-8 in the Heart.  Benedictine drops to 11-11 on the season and 7-6 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking women's volleyball team hosts Baker (Kan.) in a Heart match, Saturday at 2 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.