RICHMOND, Ind -- The Heidelberg University Volleyball team hit the road on Saturday, traveling to Richmond, Indiana, for the Dr. Bill Brandes Memorial Tournament hosted by Earlham College. Winners of eight straight matches, the Student Princes started strong but faded fast, falling to Denison University (3-2) and tournament host Earlham College (3-0). 

After taking the first two sets, Heidelberg dropped the third, 25–23. The fourth set proved to be the turning point. The Student Princes held a 24–21 lead following a kill from Emma Jones and were on the verge of closing out the match. However, Denison rallied with five straight points to steal the set, 26–24. In the decisive fifth set, Heidelberg struggled to regain control after the momentum shift, falling 15–8 as Denison completed the reverse sweep.

Despite the loss, several Student Princes delivered standout performances. Sophia Simon led the with 17 kills, while Olivia Miller made her presence felt at the service line, recording four aces. Maddie Reed held up the offense with 24 assists, and Reagan Davis anchored the back row with 16 digs. 

Seemingly deflated from the loss to Denison, Heidelberg struggled to find a rhythm in a 3-0 loss to the host Quakers. 

Heidelberg slipped to 8-4 overall, Denison stands at 6-4 overall, and Earlham 7-4 overall.

The Student Princes are back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 17 as they travel to University Heights to face John Carroll. The match is set for 7 p.m.