Photo by Jakob Komel
Hillsboro, Kan. – The McPherson College volleyball team bounced back after a disappointing outing on Saturday by shutting down the red hot Tabor College Bluejays on their home floor. The Bulldogs came home with a 3-1 victory and moved back atop the KCAC standings.
After starting KCAC play with a loss to St. Mary, Tabor had won five straight conference matches and were playing as well as anybody in the conference. On this night however, the Bulldogs came out ready to play. They got off to a hot start in the first set, jumping out to a quick lead and then riding that lead to a 25-18 win. The Bluejays regrouped in the second set, taking six of the first seven points, and leading by as many as ten points, before settling for a 25-16 win.
Set three was another lopsided affair, this time in the Bulldogs' favor. They came out swinging and everything was falling for them. They seized control of the match with a decisive 25-13 win in the third. In the fourth set, the Bulldogs looked like they might run away it, and cruise to an easy win. Ten points into the set, the Bulldogs had an 8-2 lead, but the home team refused to throw in the towel. Tabor began chipping away at the lead, and finally tied the set up 20-20.
After a timeout, the Bulldogs rattled off four points in a row and had four match points at 24-20. Turns out they would need all four of those match points as Tabor rallied again and won three straight. On their fourth opportunity, Morgan Watson attacked a ball down the line, a monstrous swing that went off the block out of bounds to end the match.
Key Statistic
Serving was key for the Bulldogs against the Bluejays. They served tough all match, setting the tone and finishing with 11 aces.
By the Numbers
The Bulldogs finished with 57 kills and an attack percentage of .264. In the third set, the Bulldogs hit an amazing .548.
They assisted on 53 of their 57 kills.
Defensively, they were credited with 61 digs and 3 blocks.
Bulldog Leaders
Kills: Aidan Brown (20)
Digs: Bailey Avila (15)
Assists: Cynarah Rodriquez (47)
Aces: Morgan Watson (5)
Blocks: Sydney Burton (3)
Coach Quote
"It was great to get my first win over Tabor tonight. They are a solid well coached program. They pressured us in certain situations and we never felt lost. We just worked through it and did our jobs. It's a great day to be a Bulldog." Â - Cory Cahill
 Next Up
 The win moves the Bulldogs to 11-6 on the year, and 7-1 in KCAC play. They return to the friendly confines of the Sport Center on Saturday for a 7:00 pm matchup with the Bethel College Threshers.
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