FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team earned its first win of the young 2025 season with a thrilling five-set victory over LIU to start the Sacred Heart Invitational on Friday evening at the Pitt Center. 

Abbie Hagedorn led the way for the Pios with a 13-kill, 17-dig double-double, her second in four collegiate matches. Ava Roodbol crossed 30 assists again with 35 on the team's 49 kills. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 1-3
LIU: 0-4
 
Top Performers:
Ava Roodbol: 35 assists, 2 blocks, 4 digs
Abbie Hagedorn: 13 kills, 17 digs
Miliani Villarreal: 22 digs, 6 assists
 
How It Happened:
The Pioneers got off to a blazing start in tonight's match, scoring the first five points to force an LIU timeout. SHU was lethal on offense to start, tallying a kill on the first five points, as Short Ryleigh and Lauren Hubert each had two. The Sharks started to rally from there, tying the match at 10-10. The Pios were ready with an 8-3 rally to swing the set for a dominant 25-15 victory. 

The second set started off much closer, as the two teams traded runs before again sitting tied at 10-all. For the second straight set, the Pioneers put together a run to pull away, this time owning a 9-2 surge to build an 18-12 advantage. SHU did not let off the gas in the set, claiming a 25-16 win to go up 2-0. 

SHU continued to pressure the Sharks in the third set, going up 9-6 early on. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, LIU would not stay down quietly, as the visitors won 10 of the next 13 points to go up 16-12. 

After taking the third set 25-16, the Sharks started to build momentum by going up 8-4 in the fourth. From that point, SHU went on a 5-1 run to take the lead at 10-9. LIU answered with a run of their own, as an 11-7 surge gave it a 19-15 advantage. Sacred Heart scored two quick points to force a Sharks' timeout, but LIU held on to take the set 25-17 to force a fifth set. 

The start of the fifth set remained close between the two evenly matched teams. LIU led by as much as two, 6-4, before a 3-0 run gave the Pios a 7-6 lead and forced a Sharks' timeout. SHU scored five of the next six points to cap an 8-1 run, building a 12-7 lead. The Sharks tried to hold the Pioneers off, but SHU held on to secure the win, 15-10. 

Up Next:
Sacred Heart continues play at the SHU Invitational tomorrow at 6 p.m. against Rutgers.