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Playing on campus for the first time in program history on Wednesday, 11^th-ranked Lourdes opened the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center with a convincing 25-14, 25-17, 25-18 sweep of Siena Heights in the first Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference match of the season.
 
"I'm very happy to start the conference schedule off with a home win in our division," head coach Greg Reitz stated.  "We played really well.  We fed off the great crowd and played sound team defense."
 
Trailing 9-7 in the opening set, Lourdes went on a 12-2 run behind the service of Molly Shonk (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley H.S.) and Angelica Dippold (Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy).  Stephanie Ruffing (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty H.S.) had three straight kills during the run, and the Gray Wolves hit .324 in set one.
 
In the second, the Saints were within two, 13-11, when a quick 6-2 spurt by Lourdes broke the set open.  Lourdes held Siena Heights to just .095 hitting while Genessee Tate (West Covina, Calif./West Covina H.S.) put down four kills in the set.
 
The third set saw nine ties early, and the Saints were within one, 19-18, late when, following a Lourdes side out, Kristin Murrell (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic H.S.) served out the match.  Lourdes again hit over .300 (.308) to secure the win.
 
Tate led the Gray Wolves with 11 kills and hit .556 while Ruffing added 10 more.  Ave Stout (Huntertown, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) added eight kills on 18 swings for a .444 hitting night and Meghan Birr (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores H.S.) handed out 37 assists while Lourdes hit .265 as a team for the evening.  Lexie Curtis (Toledo, Ohio/Bedford H.S.) served up four of the team's seven aces.
 
Defensively, Lourdes outdug Siena Heights 65-56, led by 16 digs from Dippold and 13 from Shonk.  Carolyn Manley (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.) also had 12 digs for the Gray Wolves.
 
Pagie Hudgin led Siena Heights (6-3, 0-1 WHAC) with 12 kills while Gabrielle Kalugar tallied 24 digs defensively.
 
Lourdes (6-3, 1-0) will remain at home on Friday evening as the Gray Wolves host Aquinas.  First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Ebeid Rec Center.