Volleyball Sweeps Friends for the Second Time

McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College volleyball team hit .276 overall, committing only 12 errors on 105 attacks en route to a 25-16, 25-23, 25-14 victory over Friends University Wednesday at the Sport Center.

The Bulldogs (17-8, 13-6 KCAC) jumped out to a 10-6 lead in the first set, prompting Friends head coach Martin Ayin to call a timeout. The Falcons (8-23, 8-10 KCAC) responded with three straight points to cut the lead to one, but three kills by Bree Wallace (Wichita, Kan., East HS) helped fuel a 6-1 that put McPherson for good. Back-to-back kills by Ashleigh Hunter trimmed the lead to three at 17-14 but, after trading side-outs, the Bulldogs closed out the set with a 7-1 run capped by a Leia Seiler (Fort Lupton, Colo., Fort Lupton HS) kill.

McPherson grabbed an early 5-2 lead in the second set, only to see Friends match with a 8-2 run. A Mady Woog (Highlands Ranch, Colo., Mountain Vista HS) kill stopped the Falcon rally, sparking the Bulldogs to five straight points and a 12-10 lead. The score would remain close throughout the set. A service ace by Morgan Abbott (Decatur, Texas, Boyd HS) gave the hosts a 17-14 lead, but Friends grabbed four of the next five to tie the score at 18-all. McPherson responded with its own 4-1 run, leading to another Friends timeout. The Bulldogs continued to chip away, though, eventually taking the set courtesy of a Hunter attack error after the Falcons had erased one set point.

The Bulldogs used four blocks to build a 9-2 advantage to start the third set. Woog and Lexi Kite (Thornton, Colo., Prairie View HS) combined for two blocks while each also had a solo stuff. The Falcons got a side-out at 9-3 after a Hunter kill, but three straight attack errors pushed the McPherson advantage to 12-3. The lead eventually grew to 11 at 17-6 before Friends mounted a response. The Falcons went on a 6-3 run to cut the lead to eight, but McPherson would not be deterred, closing out the match with a 5-2 run capped by a Riley Bradbury (Highlands Ranch, Colo., Rock Canyon HS) kill on a Falcon free ball.

Kite finished with a double-double, posting 11 kills and 11 digs. She also had three blocks (one solo) and two assists. Bradbury added 10 kills and four digs, while Wallace had eight kills, three digs and a block assist.

Woog had another great night at the net, recording four blocks (two solos) to go with a pair of kills. Seiler added five kills and Devrie Sombers (Colorado Springs, Colo., Pinecreek HS) four. 

Morgan Little (Las Vegas, Nev., Hutchinson CC) and Kaitlyn Heinis (Oviedo, Fla., Paul J. Hagerty HS) each had 18 assists, while Richard recorded a match-high 12 digs in her second straight match in the libero's colors.

Swinicki led the Falcons with nine kills, while Naccarato and Hunter added seven apiece. Jana Boston racked up 24 of Friends' 37 assists, while libero Brittany Harris had a team-best 11 digs.

One Bulldog reached a milestone Wednesday as Sombers recorded her 300th career kill. A handful of others continued to inch closer to milestone marks. Heinis (983) and Little (952) are each approaching 1,000 career assists, while Kite (933) is a handful of strong performances away from 1,000 career kills. Kite also has 93 career blocks, not far behind Seiler with 98.

"Another season sweep of Friends University in three," said head coach Jessica Cleveland. "Kite had another double double at 11 and 11, and Riley Bradbury really stepped up for us as another option for offense. A win is extra sweet when you beat your alma mater. We hope to carry this momentum for our three matches this weekend."

McPherson, which tied a program record with their 13th KCAC victory of the season, will seek to set a new mark Friday when Oklahoma Wesleyan University (19-8, 15-4 KCAC) pays a visit to the Sport Center. The Bulldogs swept the Eagles, 29-27, 25-22, 25-19, in a hotly-contested match Sept. 27 in Bartlesville, Okla.