Volleyball | 11/11/2013 11:41:00 AM
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McPherson, Kan. – For the third time this season, the Lady Bulldog volleyball team will face the Friends University Falcons, this time it's for a spot in the semifinals of the conference tourney. The two teams square off on November 12
th at 7:00 p.m. (CT) in the quarterfinals of the 2013 KCAC Postseason Tournament.
MC heads into postseason with a 19-17 record, one shy of the school record which was set in 2010. The Lady 'Dogs are winners of five of their last six contests with the lone loss coming to KCAC No. 3 Ottawa University.
In the seven sets the teams have played against each other this season, Friends has won six with their latest match victory coming back on October 26th, right before a four-game winning streak by Mac. In terms of points, McPherson has scored 134 compared to the Falcons' 172.
This season the Bulldogs are led in kills by middle hitter Cortlyne Huppe who has 333, averaging 2.69 per set; the sophomore has also totaled a team-high 72 total blocks with 32 being solo. Tori Phelan ended the regular season averaging more kills per set, 2.95 but played in fewer matches than Huppe. Phelan has 325 kills in her 110 sets played and is the team leader in aces from the serving position with 36.
Senior setter Rachel Phillips leads the way in assists with 828, averaging nearly seven per set; she also has recorded 31 kills, 11 blocks, and a team second best 30 service aces this season. Ashley Frankenbery and Emily Girard are second and third on the team in assists with 233 and 53, respectively.
Two freshmen are the team leaders in digs for MC. The libero Emily Warner has recorded 480, averaging 3.87 a set while Taylor Johnson sits at 437 with a 3.61 average; Johnson ranks third on the team in kills this season with 249.
The winner of the matchup between No. 4 Friends and No. 5 McPherson will face the victor of the No. 1 Kansas Wesleyan versus No. 8 Saint Mary contest on Friday, November 15; the match will be played on the higher seed's home court.
Scouting Friends
The Lady Falcons were looking like the sure-fired No. 3 seed of the tournament until three-straight losses to KCAC opponents allowed Ottawa to edge them out, dropping Friends to the fourth seed. The 25-12, 14-4 in conference, Falcons ended the regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Bethel College on Saturday.
The main killer for Friends is Crystal Taporco who has amassed 413 in her 127 sets played. The middle hitter also has a team-high 176 total blocks with 35 being by herself. Ciara Lawson is second on the team in kills with 293 and is followed by Megan Thurston who has 192 on the year; Thurston trails Taporco in blocks with 91, assisting on 82 of them.
Nicole Lund and Haley Young are the setters for the Falcons; the two have accumulated 1214 assists on the year and average over nine per set. Lund leads the way with 676; she is third on the team in blocks with 77, 74 are assisted. In her 37 matches, Young has a total of 538 assists.
The back row is led by Bailey Burnett who has logged 642 digs on the year, averaging 5.06 a set. Next on the list is Young with 306.
