Women’s Volleyball Drops Two at IC Lady Blue Challenge

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Eureka women's volleyball team opened the 2025 season with a pair of tough non-conference matchups at the IC Lady Blue Challenge, falling in straight sets to Rose-Hulman and North Central on Friday night.

Game 1: Rose-Hulman 3, Eureka 0

Rose-Hulman (2-0) took control early and never looked back, sweeping Eureka (0-2) in straight sets. The Fighting Engineers opened the match with a 2-0 lead behind kills from Amaya Harrell and Emma Blanton. Though Eureka briefly tied it at 2-2, Rose-Hulman capitalized on a series of Red Devil errors and strong serving to take the first set 25-10.

The Red Devils showed more fight in the second set. Brooklyn Shell (Evansville, Ind./Mount Vernon) delivered multiple kills, and Alyssa Company (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln Community) added two service aces. However, Rose-Hulman maintained control and secured the set 25-17.

In the third frame, the Engineers jumped out to a 5-0 start and never trailed. Despite a block by Company and late offensive contributions from Frannie Heckman (Benson, Ill./Roanoke-Benson), Rose-Hulman closed out the match 25-18.

Company led Eureka with 8.0 points, including five kills, two service aces, and eight digs. Kaitlyn Robinson (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) contributed two kills, four assists, and a team-high 10 digs, while Bre Dixon (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) added eight assists, four kills, and nine digs.

Game 2: North Central 3, Eureka 0

North Central (1-0) used 14 service aces and an impressive offensive effort to defeat Eureka in straight sets Friday night. The Cardinals opened the match with a 4-0 run, including two service aces from Sarah Harvey, and quickly extended the lead to 21-4. Eureka saw brief offensive sparks from Shell and Maleaha Nagel (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon), but North Central closed the set 25-10.

The Cardinals maintained their momentum in the second set, capitalizing on Red Devil attack errors to build a 9-2 lead. Despite contributions from Company and Colbie Grieff (South Wilmington, Ill./Gardner South-Wilmington), Eureka couldn't mount a comeback and fell 25-9.

In the third set, North Central extended its lead behind key kills and service aces. A late kill by Shell offered a brief highlight, but the Cardinals sealed the sweep with a 25-13 victory.

Shell led the Red Devils with seven kills and six digs. Robinson posted eight assists, five digs, and one service ace, while Company added four kills and four digs.

Up Next

The Red Devils wrap up their time at the IC Lady Blue Challenge on Saturday, when they face Augustana at 12:00 p.m. in their final match of the weekend.