Volleyball | 11/4/2011 11:00:00 AM
Live Video
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College volleyball team returns home this Saturday to host Bethany College in one of two play-in round matches of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT) inside the McPherson Sport Center and a video stream of the event will be available at Macbulldogs.com and KCACsports.com.
The Bulldogs enter the KCAC tournament as the No. 7 seed with an 11-17 overall record and 8-10 mark in KCAC play.
In their last match, McPherson dropped a hard fought 3-2 decision at Sterling College. The two sides traded sets until the Warriors claimed the fifth and decisive set 17-15 to earn the victory. Despite the loss, senior
Kory Hiebert (Goessel, Kan.) posted a team-high 14 kills, .419 attack percentage and seven blocks, while junior
Natalie Boss (Waterville, Kan.) joined Hiebert in double figures with 12 kills. Additionally, junior
Hannah Hoffman (Bendena, Kan.) posted her second consecutive double-double with 25 assists and 10 digs.
Bethany (2-24, 1-17 KCAC), the tenth seed in the conference tournament, enters the match riding a nine-match losing streak, including seven sweeps. The Swedes last victory came on Oct. 6 when they defeated Southwestern 3-0. McPherson swept Bethany, 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-12), in their last meeting on Oct. 24.
The winner of Saturday’s McPherson-Bethany match moves to the quarterfinals to face No. 2 Tabor College on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. (CT). The Blue Jays earned the No. 2 seed with an 18-10 overall record and 14-4 mark in KCAC play.
Scouting Bethany
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The Swedes are 2-24 on the year, heading into their KCAC play-in round match with the Bulldogs
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BC is currently riding a nine-match losing streak. During the streak, Bethany has won just four total sets. Their last victory came on Oct. 6 at Southwestern, 3-0
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Bethany ranks amongst the bottom third of the conference in all team statistical categories except for digs where they are second (18.18 digs per set).
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Alexa Gerber finished the regular season as the Swedes top hitter with a 2.5 kills per set average and 175 total kills. She is the lone Bethany player with more than 100 total kills on the season.
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At setter, Theresa Read ranks fifth in the conference with a 7.1 assists per set average and owns 577 total assists on the season, including a season-high 48 assists on Sept. 15 against Saint Mary.
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Defensively, Shelby Koncel paces the squad with a 4.8 digs per set average, while Lisa Faimon has a team-high 40 blocks on the season.
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In national rankings, BC is 18th in digs per game (18.18).
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The Swedes are coached by Nathalea Stephenson, who prior to joining Bethany served as the head coach of the Bulldogs.
