(Peru, Neb.) – After topping two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) foes on Saturday, the Peru State volleyball team improved to 20-11 on the season. This gives the Bobcat back-to-back 20-win seasons which is the best performance since the 2002 campaign.
Playing in a tri-match in Wichita, Kan., Peru State topped Sterling College 25-22, 25-15, 25-23 and then defeated the hosts, Friends University, 25-18, 25-14, 18-25, 25-20. Friends is currently tied for first in the KCAC with Kansas Wesleyan and are 19-12 overall while Sterling College is now 14-15.
Sterling Statistics Rian Kirby (Gretna) and
Rachael West (El Dorado, Kan.) led Peru State respectively with 11 and ten kills. Kirby finished hitting .300 while West hit a remarkable .556 while swinging on the right side.
Lea Boras (Makarska, Croatia) added eight kills while also hitting .300 with
Jennifer Ostrowski (Kankakee, Ill.) and
Bre Brandt (Papillion) each having five kills. Ostrowski hit .333 in the game.
Meg Grose (8) prepares to set Jennifer Ostrowski (7). Grose finished
the day with 43 assistsand
Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.) had 18 and 17 assists respectively in the win.
Grose led the team with three service aces while Ostrowski added one.
Mallory Hull (Morse Bluff) had a game-high 21 digs while Brandt added 17.
Peru State did not have any solo blocks, but finished with 12 block assists. Ostrowski led the team with four while West, Boras, and
Nicole Soifua (West Point, Utah) each had two. Kirby and Brandt were each credited with one block assist.
STERLING BOX SCORE Friends Game Notes and Statistics The first set was tight throughout as it was tied at 14-14 before the Falcons had a hitting error that gave Peru State the lead for good. A kill by Soifua on an assist from Grose ended the game at 25-18.
In the second set, an attack error and a kill by Brandt on an assist from Jurek gave Peru State a 2-0 lead and surprisingly, Friends called an early timeout. However, after the timeout, Brandt and Jurek hooked up again for another kill/assist and the Bobcats never looked back. A kill by Boras on an assist from Grose finished the second set with an 11-point win.
After being tied at 7-7 in the third set, Friends eventually built leads, although the 'Cats closed to within one at 13-12 on an attack error by the Falcons. Friends eventually led 21-14 on their way to a 25-18 third set victory.
Rachael West gets ready to slam one of her 22 kills on the day. West
finished the day hitting well over .400.Friends had the early lead in the fourth set and were up 8-5 before Peru State tied it at 8-8 as
Hope Harsh (Cassoday, Kan.) provided an assist to Boras. Friends came back and led 13-9 before Peru State finally tied it at 15-15 and 16-16. Another Friends' hitting error gave Peru State a 17-16 lead and the Bobcats never trailed after that point in the set. Back-to-back kills by West on assists from Jurek gave the Bobcats the 25-20 fourth set win and the victory.
A very balanced hitting attack helped the Bobcats to the win. West had another good hitting game as she finished with 12 kills while hitting .429. Brand and Boras both had 11 kills while Kirby finished with ten kills.
Grose led the team with 26 assists while Jurek added 22.
Mallory Hull finished the day with 52 digs Brandt had all three of Peru State's service aces.
Hull finished with 31 digs with Brandt adding 23.
Shannon Liewer (Imperial) was also in double figures with 12 digs.
Kirby led the team with six block assists while Soifua and Ostrowski each finishing with five block assists. West added two block assists with Brandt and Boras each adding one.
FRIENDS BOX SCORE Upcoming Games Peru State will play three games this next week.
On Tuesday night, the Bobcats will return to Heart of America Athletic Conference play when they travel to Atchison, Kan., to face Benedictine College at 7 p.m. Currently, the Ravens are 15-11 overall and 3-3, just one game ahead of the 'Cats in conference play.
Saturday, the Bobcats will be traveling to McPherson, Kan., where they will participate in another tri-match against teams from the Midland Collegiate Athletic Conference, Peru State's former league. At noon, the 'Cats will face Central Baptist University from Arkansas. Presently, Central Baptist is 2-17. Then, at 4 p.m., Peru State will play the hosts, Central Christian. At this time, the Tigers are 8-15 for the season.
