Tigers remain undefeated in 18th straight win

By: D’Mari Dreher-Smith, Sports Editor and Victoria Rivera, Staff Writer

The Towson Tigers, still undefeated, took on the Elon Phoenix in this year’s Dig Pink Match.

“Today was just a really important day, especially since we were raising awareness for breast cancer,” said Sanders.

The Tigers opened strong, with an immediate kill from Addison Leber, putting Towson in front. With a brief run, the Tigers tried to maintain control early, 5-1.  

Both teams would trade rallies for a while, until a tie at 14. The Tigers would go on a quick run, notching five points, blocking the Phoenix from a fiery comeback.

Erin Brothers and Maisie Jesse would dominantly seal the first set, 25-18.

The Tigers staggered into the second set, exchanging points with the Phoenix. But Elon’s defense was no match for the Tigers. 

Back-to-back kills by Ella Sanders extended the lead by four points, setting a promising precedent for the set. From there the points continued to roll in. 

Elon attempted to fight back but the lead was extended too quickly for them to catch up. 

Sanders took this set personally, securing the final set point with a brutal kill along with 14 kills, 14 assists and three service aces. 

“We knew we needed to play clean,” said Sanders. “We know we have a habit of sometimes letting teams catch up to us. We’re preparing for days ahead.”

The third set was all Black and Gold. The Tigers opened the set going on a 6-3 run, their defensive effort too much for the Phoenix. They continued to crawl forward, pushing themselves out a 15-8 lead. 

But the Phoenix had a response. Able to force defensive slips from the Tigers, Elon rallied back within four points to give themselves a fighting chance, 23-19.

An attack error from Elon would hand the final set to the Tigers, 25-19.