ST. LOUIS — True freshman Cate Schroer let the world know her name in Saturday's finale to the UHSP Eutectic Classic, collecting two double-doubles in a pair of four-set victories. The Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions first defeated the York (Neb.) University Panthers 3-1 (25-13, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21) before finishing the day with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22) victory over the Friends (Kan.) University Falcons.
 

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Match 1
FHU def. York 3-1 (25-13, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21)

Though the opposition scored the first point of the match, an ace from Audrey Orton began a run where the Lady Lions (7-7) recorded 10 straight points to storm out to a 10-1 lead. Schroer tallied back-to-back kills to force the second York timeout with FHU on top 14-2. Fittingly, the Lady Lions ended the set with a 5-2 run to claim victory 25-13.

A hotly contested second set saw York (10-6) string together early points to take a 7-3 lead, but Schroer added another pair of kills to help tie the set 7-7. From there, the teams traded blows until York reached the mark first to win 25-23.

The third set opened in the Panthers' favor with the blue and white recording four unanswered points. The Lady Lions would go on a run of their own to flip the script and take a 12-9 lead after an Alanys Ruíz Rivera kill. Schroer joined Morgan Jackson with a block to give FHU a 22-14 lead, but the Panthers mounted a comeback, forcing an FHU timeout at 23-20. The break did the trick and FHU recorded the next two points to take a 2-1 match lead.

A 6-1 run in the middle of the fourth frame saw FHU turn an 11-10 deficit into a 16-12 lead. York would answer the call to knot the set 18-18 late, but a block from Jackson and a kill from Orton closed the book on the match with a 25-21 set win.

Cate Schroer smacked 20 kills - more than doubling her previous high - while pulling up 16 assists for her career's first double-double. Alanys Ruíz Rivera and Audrey Orton followed with 11 kills each with Charley Fulton collecting 23 digs.
 

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Match 2
FHU def. Friends 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22)

After Freed-Hardeman (8-7) spotted the Friends Falcons a set win, in the second frame, FHU's Adleigh Mayes set up camp behind the service line to anchor an attack where FHU scored 11 unanswered points to scream to a 15-5 lead, ending with a Mayes ace. Though Friends had a five-point run late in the set, Catherine Hackett shut the door on a comeback bid with a kill to end the set 25-16 to even the match at a set apiece.

The Lady Lion attacked showed off in the second set by scoring seven straight points off of kills with Audrey Orton collecting three. A Friends (7-7) overpass led Catherine Hackett to smash down the 20th point of the set to take a 20-14 lead. It was Alanys Ruiz Rivera to put the set away with a kill to take a 2-1 match lead.

An early run by the Falcons gave them a 12-7 lead, but the Lady Lions never allowed them to hold service more than once at a time. Hackett rejected an attack by Friends to knot the set 16-16 before Alanys Ruíz Rivera joined Orton to claim an 18-17 lead. It was the kill from Avery Young that ended the day with smiles to win the match 3-1 with a 25-22 set win.

Cate Schroer notched her second double-double of the day with 17 kills and 13 digs. Charley Fulton anchored the back row with 17 digs.
 

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Up Next

The Lady Lions return to Mid-South Conference action when they visit the Cumberland Phoenix on September 17 with a first service at 7:00 p.m.