(Peru, Neb.) – After going 3-1 in their tournament last weekend, the Peru State Bobcat volleyball team found the sledding much tougher when competing in the Bellevue University Labor Day Tournament. Twelve of the 20 teams in the tournament were either in the NAIA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Top 25 poll or receiving votes.

The Bobcats dropped all four games in straight sets to their opponents. With the four losses, the Bobcats fall to 3-5 in the early part of the 2013 season.

Northwestern College 8-30-13

Peru State opened the tourney against the Northwestern (Iowa) College Red Raiders, the 23^rd-ranked team in the NAIA. The Red Raiders won the game 25-15, 25-19, 25-17.

The Bobcats only hit .127 against Northwestern while the Red Raiders had an impressive .364 hitting percentage.

Bre Brandt (Papillion) led the Bobcats with ten kills while Carrie Lierz (Holton, Kan.) added nine.
Hope Harsh (Cassoday, Kan.) and Courtney Jurek (Bellevue) split the setting duties and finished with 14 and 13 assists respectively. Harsh led the team with three service aces with Brandt and Allison Glathar (Dawson) each adding one.

Mallory Hull (Morse Bluff) led the team with 12 digs while Brandt added ten.

The 'Cats were unable to get a solo block, but Sarah Mertens (Lincoln) and Maddie Sutton (Gretna) were each credited with two block assists.

NORTHWESTERN BOX SCORE

Midland University 8-30-13

Another tough hitting performance stymied the Bobcats against the 13^th-ranked Midland University Warriors. Midland won the game 25-7, 25-21, 25-17.

Brandt again led the hitting for Peru State finishing the game with eight kills and a respectable .294 hitting percentage. Mertens added five kills.

Jurek contributed 14 assists while Harsh added ten. Harsh had two service aces while Lierz added one.
Hull had 14 digs while Jurek finished the game with six.

Again, Peru State was not able to get a solo block, but as a team they had eight block assists. Rachael West (El Dorado, Kan.), Sutton, and Lindsey Nelson (Granite Bay, Calif.) each had two block assists while Mertens and Lierz added one.

MIDLAND BOX SCORE

The University of Jamestown 8-31-13

The Lady Jimmies were among teams receiving votes in the preseason poll, but had little problem handling the Bobcats in the first game for both teams on Saturday. Jamestown won 25-17, 25-20, 25-14.

Lierz led the hitting with eight kills while Mertens, Nelson, and Brandt each added five. Brandt hit a team-high .400 during the game.

Jurek had 11 assists while Brandt finished the game with six. Jurek had the lone service ace for Peru State.

Hull had 16 digs while Jordyn Lukasiewicz (Farwell) finished the game with ten.

Sutton gained the first solo block of the tournament for Peru State while also adding four block assists. Brandt had three block assists with Mertens, West, and Nelson each adding one.

JAMESTOWN BOX SCORE

Viterbo University 8-31-13

The 15^th-ranked V-Hawks of Viterbo was the final game of the tournament for Peru State. Viterbo came away with a 25-19, 25-16, 25-16 victory.

The Bobcats had their worst hitting performance of the season against Viterbo as they finished the game hitting a negative .010.
West led the team with six kills with Lierz adding five.

Brandt finished with ten assists as Jurek contributed nine.

Hull led the team with 15 assists.

Mertens and Sutton each had one solo block. Sutton added three block assists while Mertens and Nelson each had two. West added the final block assist.

VITERBO BOX SCORE

Upcoming Games

Peru State will look to stop its losing streak next Wednesday night when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to face the AIB College of Business. The Eagles lost to the Bobcats at the Mount Mercy Tourney and will be looking for their first win of the year, having dropped their first eight games.

The Bobcats will then travel to Kansas City, Mo., to participate in the Avila University Tournament. On Friday, Sept. 6, Peru State will face Park University at 11 a.m. and then take on Kansas Wesleyan University at 3 p.m.

Saturday, the Bobcats' opponents will be McPherson College at 1 p.m. and the University of St. Mary at 5 p.m.