CLAREMONT, Calif. -
Brooke McKee had 13 kills and 11 digs, and
Phoebe Shorney had 11 kills in 19 attempts in her college debut as the No. 15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps volleyball team opened up the 2025 season with a 3-0 win over No. 25 Case Western Reserve on Friday at Roberts Pavilion.
CMS took control early in the first set with an impressive 4-0 run, highlighted by kills from Shorney and a service ace from
Samantha Riter. At 13-10,
Stella Gajar served consecutive aces to extend the lead to five, prompting a timeout from the Spartans. McKee helped extend the lead with two more aces, as CMS closed the set with a 25-12 victory.
With the score tied at 15 in the second set, CMS pulled ahead with a service ace from
Mia Urosevic, prompting Case Western to call a timeout at 16-15. CMS maintained their lead, and
Shae Delany sealed the set with a decisive kill off an assist from Riter, ending it at 25-21.
The third set began with a balanced exchange of points, highlighted by Shorney's early kill at 2-1. The momentum shifted as McKee delivered consistent performance, scoring multiple kills, including one at 5-5 that initiated a brief scoring run. The Athenas widened their lead to 14-11 with contributions from Riter's service ace, prompting Case Western to use a timeout.
Following the break, CMS extended their lead, with kills from
Solvej Eversoll and
Anna Ryan, culminating in a 25-19 set victory, which was capped off by
Mia Urosevic's service ace.
McKee led the Athenas with 13 kills on 27 attempts for a .259 hitting percentage, adding 11 digs and three service aces to total 16.5 points. Shorney was highly effective with 11 kills on 19 swings, achieving a .526 hitting percentage. Eversoll also made a significant impact with eight kills and a .500 attack percentage, while recording three total blocks for 10 points. Defensively, Urosevic anchored the back row with a team-high 17 digs.
CMS will be back in action tomorrow when it plays two more matches at the Pacific Coast Classic, taking on St. Olaf at 10 a.m. and Lake Forest at 12:45 p.m.
