Tornados wrap up the final day at Rhodes College Invitational

Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director

Memphis, Tn. – The Brevard College Women's Volleyball team wrapped up their time at the Rhodes College Invitational with a pair of matches against Dubuque and Birmingham Southern on Saturday. Anna Grant's squad fell in straight sets for the second straight day to open up the 2018 campaign behind strong performances from the opposition.

The first match pitted the Tornados against the Dubuque Spartans. The Spartans controlled the match, prevailing against Brevard in straight sets; 25-15, 25-11, 25-12. Jordan Lloyd once again led the Tornados in kills, driving home 4 on 14 total attempts on the attack. Mariana Rodriguez led the team in digs, tallying 14 for the match. Morgan Graham and Hannah Gordon combined for 11 of Brevard's 12 assists (6 & 5 respectively). This match also saw Sophomore Emily Massing make her first appearance of the 2018 campaign, tallying 10 total attempts and two kills.

After an hour-long break, the Tornados took the court for the final time in Memphis, facing off with Birmingham-Southern. Brevard progressively improved their scoring totals despite being swept for the 4th time in the tournament; 25-8, 25-12, 25-16. The Tornados lead 7-0 in the final set, their largest lead of the tournament. Jordan Lloyd tallied 8 kills on 22 attempts, the highest kill total for an individual Tornado on the weekend. Hannah Gordon notched 14 assists, her highest total thus far in her young career

"We faced four very tough opponents this weekend and made a lot of positive steps forward as a team," stated Coach Grant following the final match of the invitational. "This team is very much in the developmental stage both individually and as a team, but I saw a lot of promising moments of growth throughout the tournament. The team ended the weekend on a high note, opening up the 3rd set against Birmingham Southern with an 7-0 lead so I'm very proud of the team for staying determined to get better each set. I think playing in this tournament will help to prepare us to play tough teams in the remainder of our schedule."

The Tornados will return home to prepare for the Tornado Challenge hosted at both Boshamer Gym and the Xcel Sportsplex located nearby in Hendersonville, N.C. The event will field 6 teams and last two days.

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