The Beta Epsilon Chi Cardinals and the Theta Mu Theta Bandits squared off in a volleyball match on Monday, Sept. 29, in the Davis Field House. The Cardinals came away with the victory in two quick sets.

The Bandits served first in the match, but the Cardinals quickly took the lead. Lauren Peek’s strong serves and excellent team play gave the Cardinals an edge early in the match. Both teams had several opportunities for a kill, but after a long volley Meg Bowers tapped the ball into the middle of the Bandits’ court to give the Cardinals a 7-1 lead in the first set. The Bandits’ Rachel Hilton fired back with several good serves to try to shorten the gap, but the Bandits quickly fell even more behind. Despite a Bandits time-out and their strong effort, the Cardinals’ talent overwhelmed the Bandits and took the lopsided first set 25-4.

Both teams displayed skill in a much closer second set. The Bandits led the set for a short amount of time, but the Cardinals came back with fury. The Cardinals’ Sydney Gay had a strong kill to help the Cardinals regain the lead. Abigail Turbeville also had a diving save to help the Cardinals pull ahead. The Bandits could not keep up with the Cardinals, and the second set ended with a score of 25-15.

“We all work well together and have a lot of fun out on the court,” Cardinals sophomore Meg Bowers said. “Win or lose, it is always a good time.”

The Bandits put up a good fight, but the Cardinals fiery spikes took the match by storm. With the victory, the Cardinals improved to 2-1, and the Bandits fell to 1-2.

“We started off strong, but then fell apart a little in the middle,” Peek said, “but we got our formation back together. We started making better plays and hit plays that we needed.”