Bellevue, Neb. – The McPherson College volleyball team moved its record to 4-4 on the year with a split in its final two matches of the gosarpy.com Labor Day Classic hosted by Bellevue University.
The Bulldogs dropped their opening match of the day in four sets, to Lawrence Tech, 25-20, 25-16, 16-25, 25-22. Despite having eight blocks in the match, the Bulldogs struggled to stop the Blue Devil attack. LTU had 20 more kills than the Bulldogs, out hitting the Mac ladies 63-43. The Bulldogs found some life in the third set, after digging themselves a 2-0 hole. They won the set 25-16, and then continued the momentum early into the fourth. Unfortunately they were unable to sustain it, and the Blue Devils were able to take the set 25-22 and secure the match win 3-1.
Bulldog Leaders:
Kills: Riley Bradbury (Jr. Castle Rock, Colo.) – 16
Aces: Alex Parish (So. Rogers, Ark.) – 4
Blocks: Sydney Burton (Jr. Stillwell, Kan.) – 5
Assists: Skylar Lane (Jr. Castle Rock, Colo.) – 25
Digs: Jamie Siess (Sr. Topeka, Kan.) – 27
Staring a three match losing streak in the face, the Bulldogs responded by wrapping up the weekend classic with a straight sets victory over the Peru State College Bobcats. The Bulldog attack was solid from start to finish. They tallied 37 kills on 166 swings and had just 12 errors in the match, to finish with .216 hitting percentage. They were equally as strong defensively, holding the Bobcats to just 30 total kills, and coming away with 64 defensive digs.
Bulldog leaders in the afternoon match:
Kills: Bradbury – 13
Aces: Bradbury – 1
Blocks: Burton and Bradbury – 2
Assists: Lane – 28
Digs: Bradbury – 16
First year head coach,
Cory Cahill, commented on the way his team finished the weekend, saying, "We played a consistent match from start to finish and it showed in the end result. It was a great way to end the tournament."
Next up for the Bulldogs is their home opener against intra-county rival Bethany College. First serve between the Bulldogs and Swedes is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Sport Center.
