(Peru, Neb.) – After winning the first two sets against the Yellowjackets, the Peru State volleyball team was unable to capitalize as they eventually dropped the last three sets on Thursday night. This gave Graceland University, a team currently receiving votes in the most recent NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, a guaranteed top seed in the upcoming Heart of America Athletic Conference post-season tournament.
The Yellowjackets topped Peru State 22-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21, and 15-6 to improve to 20-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play. With the loss, the 'Cats had their eight-game winning streak snapped and fell to 23-12 overall and 3-5 in the Heart.
Game Statistics Bre Brandt (Papillion) was the only Bobcat to finish in double figures with 11 kills.
Rian Kirby (Gretna) added eight and
Lea Boras (Makarska, Croatia) had six.
Rachael West (El Dorado, Kan.) and
Nicole Soifua (West Point, Utah) each finished with five kills.
Courtney Jurek (Bellevue) and
Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.) led the team respectively with 17 and 15 assists.
Grose added three service aces while Jurek and
Shannon Liewer (Imperial) each had one.
Mallory Hull led the Bobcats with 21 digs while Liewer finished with 14. Grose had a double-double as she added ten digs to go along with her 15 assists.
No one was credited with a solo block, but the team had 14 block assists. Soifua led the team with six block assists while
Jennifer Ostrowski (Kankakee, Ill.) added four. West and Kirby were each credited with two block assists.
GRACELAND BOX SCORE Upcoming Games The Bobcats are right back in action on Friday night as they host the Grace University Royals at 7 p.m. This is senior night in which the seniors and their parents will be recognized following the game.
Then, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Peru State travels to Marshall, Mo., to face the Missouri Valley College Vikings. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Presently, Mo Valley is 18-14 overall and are in a four-way tie with Peru State for sixth in conference play with 3-5 marks.
The first round of the conference postseason tournament will be conducted on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the top four seeds sites. While three teams have wrapped their spots in the tournament, six more teams will head into Tuesday's games knowing that the outcome of their contests will determine whether they play and/or where.
