(Peru, Neb.) – While it ended as a loss for the Peru State College (PSC) Bobcat volleyball team, their coach felt it, at times, was some of the best ball the team has played all season.
 
The Bobcats faced Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) foe, Benedictine College (BC), Tuesday night in Atchison, Kan., in the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium on BC's campus.  After taking first set 25-21, the Bobcats dropped the next three 25-17, 25-16, and 28-26.  The Bobcats actually had the leads late in the fourth set with opportunities to win as they led 24-23, 25-24, and 26-25, before the Ravens rattled off three points to claim the set and game.  
With the loss, the Bobcats fall to 1-11 overall and 0-2 in the HAAC.  Benedictine is now 5-9 and 2-0 in the conference.
 
Game Action
 
In the first set, the teams traded runs at the beginning before PSC took control after trailing 13-12 by going on a 6-0 run to lead 18-13.  The Ravens would get back within two at 21-19 before the 'Cats finished off the set to win 25-21.
 
The second set was similar to the first as the Bobcats again trailed 13-12, but this time, BC responded and took a 17-13 lead and eventually won 25-17.
 
In the third set, the teams were tied at 9-9 before Benedictine went in front 13-9.  The Bobcats would close to within two on two different occasions, but the Ravens pulled away with a 5-0 run at the end of the set to win 25-16.
 
Benedictine jumped to a 12-3 lead in the fourth set before Peru State clawed its way back into the set.  The Bobcats cut the deficit to 12-7 and then 14-11 before the Ravens went on a 6-0 run making it 20-11.  The 'Cats did not quit and cut it to one at 21-20 before the Ravens scored on a PSC blocking error to lead 22-20.  An attack error by BC, followed by a kill by a Bobcat knotted the score at 22-22.  Benedictine went up 23-22 with a kill of their own before PSC regained the lead at 24-23.  Again, the Ravens tied the score at 24 each; PSC took the lead only to see it eventually vanish as BC won 28-26.
 
Game Statistics
 
Tara Gonzalez (Lincoln) led the Bobcats with 14 kills.  Gonzalez added three block assists and two digs.  Carrie Lierz (Holton, Kan.) added seven kills, six digs, and two block assists.  Lindsey Nelson (Granite Bay, Calif.) had five kills, three digs, two solo blocks, and three block assists.
 
Courtney Jurek (Bellevue) had 20 assists and six digs while Paige Riza (Ravenna, Texas) had 11 assists.
 
Emily Maresh (Central City) had 27 digs in the game.  Mallory Hull (Morse Bluff) had seven digs while Becky Boshart (Wood River) added six. 
 
Brittany Peterson (Orem, Utah) and Alicia Petak (Omaha) each had one solo block.
 
GAME BOX SCORE

Career Updates  
With the 27 digs and 239 for the season, Maresh has moved into fifth on the all-time Bobcat career records for digs with 1,643.   Maresh is now ahead Tracy Cochran who played from 1993-96 and also went past Jaisa Kappas who played in 1996-97.  In addition, Maresh has moved up to sixth in service receptions with a career total of 1,931, also moving past Kappas into that spot.
 
Upcoming Action
 
On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15, the Bobcats will participate in another tough tournament when they compete in the John Brown University Invite in Siloam Springs, Ark.  PSC will face two teams on Friday who are both receiving votes in the most recent NAIA polls. 
 
At noon on Friday, the 'Cats will face the hosts, John Brown University who presently are 13-2.  Later at 7 p.m., Peru State will face Wiley College of Texas who are currently 5-4.
 
On Saturday, PSC will meet the 1-6 Southwestern Assemblies of God University team at 10 a.m.  At 1 p.m., the 'Cats will face off with Huston-Tillotson College of Texas who have a 0-8 record.
 
Sept. 19 will find the Bobcats at home for the first time when they host Central Christian College and Grace University.  PSC will take on the 0-6 Central Christian at 3 p.m. with the two visiting teams meeting at 5 p.m.  At 7 p.m., the 9-2 Grace Royals and Peru State will tangle.