The Oglethorpe volleyball team returned home for the first time in a month Saturday and split a tri-match at the Schmidt Center, defeating Rust 3-0 after falling to SAA opponent Rhodes 3-0. The results move the Stormy Petrels to 4-13 on the season, 0-6 in SAA play.

Against Rust later in the afternoon, the Petrels comprehensively defeated their opponent 25-7, 25-3, 25-5. In the first set, the Bearcats pushed out to an early 3-1 advantage, but the Petrels responded with a four-point run to take the lead. Rust finished back-to-back points to tie the score again, but the Petrels took control of the set from that point. They won 20 of the set's final 22 points and cruised to a 25-7 first-set win.

In the second, the Petrels continued with more of the same. After the Bearcats started with a 3-2 lead, Oglethorpe blitzed them over the remainder of the set, not allowing them to finish another point for a 25-3 win. The third set was similar, as the Petrels went up 15-3 very early in the stanza and cruised from there to a 25-5 win. Freshman right-side hitter Savannah Hockman led the team with seven kills, hitting .545 in the process. Freshman setter Hannah Masiongale led the squad with eight assists while freshman defensive specialist Taylor Cherry recorded a team-high five digs.

In the first match of the day, Oglethorpe suffered a difficult loss to Rhodes in an SAA contest, dropping the team to 0-6 in SAA play on the season. The Petrels got off to a poor start, falling 25-9 in the opening set. In the second, Oglethorpe seemed to have recovered. They built up a 9-4 lead and, after the visiting Lynx cut it to 10-7, went on a huge 11-5 run to come to the brink of taking the set, 21-12.

At that point, though, Rhodes started a comeback of their own. They reeled off five straight points to make it 21-17. The Petrels won back-to-back points to make it to 23-17, but Rhodes continued their spurt with six consecutive to tie the set up, 23-23. The Petrels won the next rally and obtained set point at 24-23, but Rhodes staved it off and had a set point of their own up 25-24. The Petrels re-tied the score, but the Lynx won the next two to take the set 27-25, outscoring Oglethorpe 15-4 to end the stanza.

Rhodes jumped to an 8-3 lead to begin the third, but the Petrels bounced back to make it 8-6 in the early-going. However, Rhodes answered with a six-point run to make it 14-6 and followed that up with a seven-point run later in the set to put it away. They went on to win it 25-11, sweeping the match.

Freshman outside hitter MaryAnn Smith led the team with five kills over the course of the match. Masiongale pitched in eight assists and Hockman led the squad with seven digs.

The Petrels will be right back at it on Sunday when they welcome defending SAA champion Hendrix to the Schmidt Center for an 11 a.m. SAA match. After that match is complete, the Petrels will again take on Rust in the second part of the doubleheader.