11.06 / Roberts Named First Team All-MIAA in Volleyball

Tri-State University junior outside hitter Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) becomes the first TSU volleyball player to be named first team All-MIAA. Roberts led the Thunder to a turnaround season and a fourth place finish in the MIAA at 10-6. TSU ended the season with an overall record of 13-15.

Roberts produced 392 kills on the season and had an attack percentage of .232. Roberts was steady for the Thunder with 21 service aces, 396 digs, and 63 total blocks on the season.

TSU junior outside hitter Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) was selected as a second team performer for her contributions on the court. Richardson led TSU with 428 kills, and 47 service aces. Richardson was first in MIAA matches with an average of 0.54 service aces per game.

MIAA champion Calvin College led the All-MIAA first team honorees with three, including Molly Krikke being named the most valuable player. The defensive player of the year was Laura Winkler from Kalamazoo College and the freshman of the year was Kara VandeGuchte of Hope College.

Senior Erica Bednarksi (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) concluded her collegiate volleyball career as the TSU career leader in digs with 1,947. She finished the season with a team-high 282 digs. Bednarski also produced 28 service aces on the season.

Junior middle hitter Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) controlled the TSU defense at the net with 19 solo blocks and 50 assist blocks.

Freshman setter Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) made a smooth transition from outside hitter to setter for the Thunder this season. Bluhm was fourth in the MIAA with 9.81 assists per game. She finished the season with 981 assists and added 42 service aces.  

10.30 / TSU Volleyball Season Ends in MIAA Tournament

The #4 seeded TSU Thunder was defeated by #5 seeded Saint Mary’s College in the opening round of the MIAA Volleyball Tournament. The Belles swept the Thunder by scores of 30-19, 30-20, 31-29 at Hershey Hall.

The Thunder could not find an offensive flow in the match as they only put together 32 kills, while Saint Mary’s finished the match with 52.  The Belles spread their offense with four players getting double digit kills.

Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) and Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) produced nine and eight kills respectively. Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) chipped in with six kills, and four block assists.

The Thunder concluded their season with an overall record of 13-15. Saint Mary’s will return to action on Friday at Calvin College against the host Knights in the second game of the semi-finals. Hope will take on Adrian in the opening match.

10.27 / Bednarski Celebrates Senior Day with Victory

The Tri-State University volleyball team was victorious in their final regular-season match of the year in a 3-1 win over Saint Mary’s at Hershey Hall. TSU took games one and two by scores of 30-26 and 30-23. Saint Mary’s forced a fourth game with a 30-27 victory in game three. TSU sealed the victory with a 30-22 win in game four.

Senior Erica Bednarksi (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) had a game-high 27 digs for the Thunder on Senior Day. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) and Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the TSU offense with 21 kills apiece. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) controlled TSU with 48 assists and added three service aces. Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) had one solo block and five assist blocks for the Thunder defense.

With the victory, TSU improves their record to 13-14 overall and 10-6 in the MIAA. Saint Mary’s falls to 13-17 and 6-10 in conference action. TSU secures a fourth place finish in the MIAA and will host their first-ever MIAA tournament game on Tuesday. Saint Mary’s will return to Hershey Hall on Tuesday for a rematch in the MIAA tournament as they finished the season with a fifth place conference finish.  

10.25 / TSU Volleyball Unable to Hold On to Early Leads

The Tri-State University volleyball team was defeated by the Bluffton University Beavers, 3-0. The Thunder held a seven point lead in the first two games but failed to close out the Beavers. Tri-State fell 27-30, 27-30, and 25-30.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the Thunder with 17 digs and six kills. Noelle Cook (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central) and Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) both contributed to the Thunder defense with 15 and 11 digs, respectively.

The Thunder are now 12-14 overall. The TSU volleyball team will return to MIAA action on Saturday at 1 p.m. Tri-State looks to improve upon their 9-6 conference record against Saint Mary’s College.

10.20 / TSU Volleyball Swept by Hope College

The Tri-State University volleyball team dropped three straight games to Hope College in MIAA action 30-28, 30-17, 30-23. TSU falls to 12-13 overall on the season and 9-6 in conference play. Hope improves to 17-8 and 11-2 in the MIAA.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) had a team-high 16 kills for the Thunder. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) was also in double digits with 12. Roberts added 15 digs to the TSU defense.

10.17 / TSU Volleyball Improves Record to .500

The Tri-State University volleyball team defeated Alma College three games to one in MIAA action. TSU took games one and two by a 30-21 score. Alma bounced back for a 26-30 win in game three. TSU took the match with a 30-28 victory in game four.

TSU stands at 12-12 overall on the season. The Thunder currently stands in fourth place in the MIAA with a 9-5 record. Alma drops their season record to 6-19 overall and 2-11 in conference action.

The TSU offense was led by Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) and Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City). Richardson put down 21 kills and Roberts added 20. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) dished out 43 assists on the night. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) had a team-high 18 digs for the Thunder.

10.13 / TSU Volleyball Defeats Adrian and Manchester

The Tri-State University volleyball team went 2-0 on the day. In the morning match, the Thunder swept the Adrian Bulldogs 30-25, 30-23, and 30-25. With the victory the Thunder move within a half game of Adrian for third place.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the Thunder boom over the Bulldogs with 17 kills and 18 digs. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) turned in a solid performance with 16 kills and 14 digs.

In the second match of the day, TSU picked up a win over Manchester in four games. The Thunder won the first two games 30-27 and 30-21. Manchester took game three 30-28. Tri-State bounced back to win game four 30-22. 

With the help of Tori Bluhm’s (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) 57 assists, Richardson and Roberts connected for 23 and 21 kills, respectively. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) had an outstanding defensive game with 29 digs.

TSU improves their record to 11-12 overall and 8-5 in MIAA action. Adrian College is now 11-10 overall with an 8-5 conference record. The Manchester Spartans drop to a 12-9 overall record. The Tri-State University volleyball team will travel to Alma on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match.

10.10 / TSU Volleyball Falls to Albion College

The Tri-State University volleyball team fell to Albion College in MIAA action. The Thunder held a one game to none advantage with a 30-27 victory in game one. Albion battled back to take the next three games 30-27, 30-25, 30-27.

Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) produced a well-rounded game for the Thunder with 50 assists, 12 digs, and four kills. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) and Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) combined for 39 of the Thunder’s 61 kills in the match.

Richardson had a game-high 29 digs and Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) contributed with 28 digs.

TSU drops their season record to 9-12 overall and 7-5 in the MIAA. Albion improves their season record to 6-12 and 4-6 in conference action.

10.05 / TSU Volleyball Splits in Tri-Match at Calvin College

The Tri-State University volleyball team picked up a win and a loss in MIAA play at Calvin College. The Thunder fell to #15 Calvin College in four games 23-30, 30-20, 30-26, 30-25. TSU swept Olivet College by scores of 30-11, 30-23, 30-15.

Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) paced the way for TSU with 30 kills in the two matches. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) handed out 62 assists on the night. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the TSU defense with 31 digs.

TSU is now 9-11 overall on the season and 7-4 in MIAA action. The Thunder will return to MIAA play on Wednesday when they travel to Albion College to take on the Britons.

10.03 / TSU Volleyball Improves to 6-3 in MIAA

The Tri-State University volleyball team swept Albion College and picked up their sixth MIAA win of the season. The Thunder won by scores of 30-25, 30-27, and 32-30.The six wins ties the Thunder for the most wins in MIAA play since joining the conference.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) produced 14 kills, 14 digs, and four service aces for the Thunder. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) added 12 kills and 12 digs. Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) controlled the net for the Thunder with four solo blocks and three assist blocks. Blake also put down five kills with zero hitting errors.

09.29 / TSU Volleyball Team Stands Fourth in MIAA

The Tri-State University volleyball team went 1-1 at their tri-match at Saint Mary’s College.  The Thunder volleyball team swept Saint Mary’s College 30-20, 30-26, 30-27 in MIAA action in their first match of the day. TSU lost a three game match to Bethel College 30-25, 30-23, 30-27 in non-conference play.

The Thunder are now 7-10 on the season and improve their MIAA record to 5-3. Saint Mary’s falls to 6-10 and 3-5 in the MIAA. Bethel took two matches as they defeated Saint Mary’s in five games and improve to 16-6 on the season.

Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City)  produced a solid all-around game with 18 kills, 13 digs, and three service aces against the Belles. Melia Miller (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) contributed with nine kills. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the Thunder with 21 digs.

Richardson had a team-high 12 kills against Bethel and added 12 digs. Roberts led the TSU defense with 14 digs, followed by Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) with 14. Bluhm also handed out 27 assists.

09.27 / Thunder Falls in Five-Game Match Against Adrian College

The Tri-State University volleyball team dropped a five-game match (30-25, 21-30, 30-28, 21-30, 15-9) at MIAA rival Adrian College. The win puts Adrian alone in second place in the MIAA with a 6-1 record. TSU currently sits fourth in the conference at 4-3.

Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) and Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) had big matches for the Thunder. Roberts had a game-high 28 kills and Richardson had 22. Roberts and Richardson were active on the defensive side as well with 29 and 25 digs respectively. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) dished out a career-high 58 assists.

09.25 / TSU Volleyball Survives Marathon Match with Olivet

The Tri-State University volleyball team battled to a five game MIAA victory over Olivet College at Hershey Hall. The two teams fought hard with TSU taking games one, three, and five by scores of 30-19, 30-21, and 15-11. Olivet took games two and four by scores of 27-30 and 26-30. TSU took the victory by holding a 53-40 kill advantage and controlled the net with 17.0 team blocks.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) had a game-high 24 kills for the Thunder. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) was in double figures with 16 kills. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) led the Tri-State defense with 23 digs. Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) controlled at the net with three solo blocks and four assist blocks. Melia Miller (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) chipped in with seven solo blocks and Aubree Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) added five solos. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) handed out 44 assists.

TSU improves their season record to 6-8 and MIAA record to 4-2. Olivet falls to 2-13 overall and 1-6 in conference action. TSU will return to MIAA play on Thursday when they travel to Adrian College to take on the Bulldogs.

09.22 / TSU Volleyball Drops Match at Hope College

The Tri-State University volleyball team was defeated by Hope College 30-14, 30-22, 30-21 at DeVos Fieldhouse on the Hope College campus. TSU drops their season record to 5-8 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA. Hope improves to 9-4 and 4-1 in conference action.

Hope controlled the match with a 52-28 kill advantage and a .308 hitting percentage. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the way for TSU with nine kills and 14 digs.

TSU will return to MIAA action on Tuesday at Hershey Hall against the Comets of Olivet College. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

09.19 / TSU Volleyball Improves to 3-1 in MIAA

The Tri-State University volleyball team defeated visiting Alma College in three straight games to improve their MIAA record to 3-1. TSU is 5-7 overall on the season. TSU took game one 30-21, battled for a 30-28 victory in game two, and secured the win with a 30-24 decision in game three.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) controlled the offense and defense for the Thunder with game-highs of 17 kills and 17 digs. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) and Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) contributed with 14 digs apiece. Melia Miller (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) led the TSU blocking attack with two solo blocks and five assist blocks. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) handed out 32 assists in the match.

09.15 / TSU Volleyball Improves to 2-1 in MIAA with Win Over Kalamazoo

The Tri-State University volleyball team defeated Kalamazoo in three straight games to improve to 2-1 in MIAA play and 4-7 overall. TSU won by scores of 30-20, 30-27, and 30-28.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the TSU offense with 19 kills. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) added 12 kills. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) had a game-high four service aces and a team-high 19 digs. Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) contributed with five kills and five assist blocks. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) dished out 35 assists.

09.13 / #10 Calvin Defeats TSU in MIAA Volleyball Action

The Tri-State University volleyball team was defeated by Calvin College who was ranked 10th in the latest AVCA Division III poll. TSU did not go down without a fight as they forced the Knights into a four game match. Calvin took the first two games 30-24 and 30-25. TSU battled in the third game for a 30-23 victory and the Knights sealed the win with a 30-15 rally in game four.

TSU contained the high-powered Knight offense with 12 total team blocks. Melissa Blake (St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph) led the way with two solo blocks and four block assists. Melia Miller (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) added a solo block and five block assists.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the Thunder with 16 kills and 20 digs on the night. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) contributed with 13 kills and 13 digs. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) dished out 39 assists and had 13 digs.

TSU drops their season record to 3-7 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA. Calvin improves to 6-1 overall and remains unbeaten in conference play at 3-0.

09.08 / TSU Volleyball Goes 1-3 at Hanover Invitational

The Tri-State University volleyball team went 1-3 over the weekend at the Hanover Invitational. TSU opened the invitational with a four game loss to Spalding University, 30-17, 30-26, 29-31, 30-24. The Thunder got swept by eventual champion DePauw 30-20, 30-20, 30-21. TSU started day two of the invitational with a loss to Franklin College in four games 23-30, 30-23, 30-26, 30-22. The Thunder bounced back with a sweep of Olivet College 30-27, 30-25, 30-27.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) and Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) led the TSU offense with 55 and 48 kills respectively. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) dished out 136 assists in the four matches. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) compiled 84 digs.

09.04 / Anderson Defeats TSU in Marathon Battle

For the second time this season, Anderson had TSU’s card in a five-game marathon battle. The Ravens jumped ahead by taking the first two games 30-27 and 30-21. TSU held true to their form for the year and battled back in the next two games, 30-17 and 30-21 to force a deciding game five. The two teams rallied back and forth before the Ravens prevailed 16-14.

Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) put down 17 kills for the Thunder and served up four aces. Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) had 16 kills for TSU. Melia Miller (Warren, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) paced the defense with 24 digs, three solo blocks, and two block assists.

09.01 / TSU Volleyball Starts Season Fifth at Kalamazoo Invitational

The Tri-State University volleyball team opened the 2007 season with competition in the Hornet Invitational hosted by Kalamazoo College. The Thunder went 2-2 over the weekend and Tia Roberts (Sherwood, Mich./Union City) was named to the all-tournament team.

TSU took on eventual champion Anderson in their first match and lost a hard-fought five game set. Anderson took the first two games 30-25 and 30-24 before the Thunder bounced back in games three and four with 30-17, 30-24 victories. Anderson took the fifth and deciding game at 17-15. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) led the Thunder with 13 kills and 26 digs. Roberts was in double digits with 11 kills. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) dished out 38 assists.

The Thunder remained battle tested as they dropped their second straight five game match against Huntington. TSU took the first two games 30-28 and 33-31, while Huntington took the next three 32-30, 30-23, and 15-12 to take the match. Richardson and Roberts led the Thunder with 18 and 17 kills respectively. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) led the TSU defense with 28 digs and Bluhm had 45 assists.

TSU started the MIAA season out 1-0 after defeated Kalamazoo College 3-2 in conference play. TSU battled back after falling behind 0-2 (14-30, 20-30) to take the next three games (30-21, 30-23, 15-11). Roberts led the Thunder with 14 kills and 24 digs. Bluhm finished the match with 38 assists, 11 digs, and four service aces. Richardson had 14 kills and 16 digs for TSU.

TSU took fifth place with a 30-25, 30-25, 30-22 non-conference victory over Albion College. Richardson and Roberts once again led the TSU offense with a combined 30 kills. Bluhm controlled the TSU offense with 34 assists and Bednarski contributed with a team-high 23 digs.