Berea, KY - The USCAA #4 Johnson & Wales volleyball team lost twice on the opening day of the Berea College USCAA Tournament on Friday, falling in straight sets to both Berea (25-14, 25-20, 25-7) and Illinois Institute of Technology (25-13, 25-19, 25-20).

The Wildcats (13-8) struggled to limit their errors on the day, committing 23 in each match.  Berea, conversely, would only commit one error while Illinois Tech had 15.

In the opener, Lucy Herrmann led Johnson & Wales with 10 kills and 16 digs.  Hailey Thrift added 22 assists while Samantha Johnson chipped in with 12 digs.

Herrmann would again lead the offensive charge against Illinois Tech with nine kills while Thrift picked up 17 assists.  Halle Franklin and Erika Ross led the defensive effort with 13 and 10 digs, respectively.

The Wildcats resume play on Saturday against Cincinnati Clermont and Concordia-Alabama.  The games will begin at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.