SANDUSKY -- Senior Nicole Thomas surpassed the 1,000-dig milestone as the Heidelberg University began the 2023 season with five wins in six games at the Great Lakes Cross Over at the Cedar Point Sports Center.  Serving as the host for the 23-team, 46-game event, HU dropped the opener before reeling off five straight wins.  

Back for her second season as libero, Thomas's 1,000th dig came in The Berg's thrilling five-set win over Carroll on Friday evening.  

The weekend has an inauspicious start, as the Student Princes were pummelled by Allegheny, 3-0, in the first of four matches on Friday.  

Heidelberg showed their moxie, responding to the loss with a 3-1 win over Manchester.  Led by Riley Tople's eight kills, HU won sets one, three and four.  Freshman setter Gabby Cumbo tallied a team-high 21 assists.

Kaitlyn Uffman put down a career-high 14 kills in the 3-2 win over Carroll.  The Pioneers held a 2-1 edge, but the Tricolor rallied to win the final two sets.  Freshman Maddie Reed had 22 assists and Tople and Anamya Truex each registered five blocks.  Thomas had 26 digs in the match, but may have had her 1,000th a bit sooner.  With Thomas sitting on 999, teammate Grace Dohanyos stepped in front of a Pioneer attack that was headed for her teammate.  After some good-natured ribbing from the 'Berg bench, Dohanyos watched as Thomas hit her milestone.  Thomas's career total stands at 1,057.

The Student Princes quickly dispatched Kenyon in the Friday finale, winning 25-7, 25-15, 25-21.  Riley Ameel had a team-high six blocks and tied Gabby Wolfe with a game-high five kills.  

Playing their second purple-hued, Ohio-based opponents in as many games, The Berg beat Bluffton in four sets on Saturday morning. HU let the third set slip away, but won the first, second, and fourth.  Lexi Evak was a terror in the front row, amassing 10 kills and seven blocks.  Bridgette Burrus dished out 19 assists while Thomas and Dohanyos picked up 30 and 19 digs, respectively.   

Suffolk trounced Heidelberg in the first set before The Berg stormed off with the next three.  Truex tallied 12 kills and six blocks.  Tople had seven blocks while Evak had five.  

The Student Princes (5-1) were successful by infusing veteran talent with a bevy of players looking to have a big impact for the first time.  

Defensively, Thomas averaged 5.91 digs per set. Dohanyos and Jeylo Rodriguez played well in the back row, averaging 2.67 and 2.32 digs per set.  

At the net, Evak had a team high 18 blocks while Tople and Truex each had 16.   

Uffman leads the team with 32 kills, one ahead of both Evak and Truex.  Tople had 28 on the weekend while Ameel, Lexi Wachtman, Grace Porter, Anneliese Schriber and Gabby Wolfe all finished in the teens.  

A triumvirate of setters split time, with Burrus tallying 71 assists to lead the way. Reed had 57 and Cumbo had 40.  

Heidelberg returns to action on Wednesday for a two-team, one-game event at home.  Defiance visits Seilberling Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. match.