(Peru, Neb.) – After winning the first three games of the 2015 season, the Peru State volleyball team came up short in the fourth and final game in the Central Kansas Tournament. The tourney was hosted by Sterling College and Bethel College in Sterling and North Newton, Kan., on Friday and Saturday.
 
The 'Cats toppled Southwestern Christian (SCU) in their first game of the year on Friday winning 25-16, 25-21, 25-20. In the second game played at Sterling College, Peru State came from behind after dropping the first two sets 26-24 and 25-18 to win the next three 25-13, 25-15, and 15-13.
 
On Saturday, the Bobcats took care of the tourney hosts by toppling Bethel 25-17, 28-26, 25-17. Having to turn around and play right away, Peru State dropped their contest with Oklahoma Wesleyan 25-21, 25-22, 29-27.
 
Southwestern Christian Highlights
 
After Southwest Christian jumped to a 3-1 lead in the first set, the Bobcats scored the next four points to take a 5-3 lead. The Eagles came back to tie it at 6-6. The set was tied at 7-7, 8-8, and 9-9 before the Bobcats would score two to go up 11-9 and never trail the rest of the way in the first set on their way to a 25-16 win.

 
The Eagles would take the lead early in the second set and led by as many as five at 12-7. SCU still maintained a 15-11 advantage before Alex Bowman (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) put away two kills to start a Bobcat rally. Peru State would score seven in that run to lead 18-15 and never trailed in route to a 25-21 second set win.
 
Peru State would jump to an early 3-0 in the third set before the Eagles rattled off four straight points to take their only lead of the set. It was tied at 7-7 when the 'Cats scored five in a row which was aided by several SCU hitting errors. The closest the Eagles came in the set was at 21-17 before the Bobcats eventually won 25-20.
 
Rian Kirby (Gretna) and Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro) led the team with eight and seven kills respectively as Peru State hit .263 in the contest. Lea Boras (Makarska, Croatia) and Cristal Quinonez (Anthony, N.M.) added seven and five skills respectively.
 
Brooke Rudebusch (Moorpark, Calif.) had 21 assists which Shannon Liewer (Imperial) contributed seven. Rudebusch and Liewer also led the team with three and two service aces respectively. Kirby, Janjevic, and Kelsey Young (Goodfield, Ill.) each had one service ace.
 
Liewer was the only Bobcat in double figures with 16 digs.
 
Boras, Janjevic, and Bowman were each credited with three block assists while Rudebusch and Kirby each added two.

Southwestern Box Score
 
Sterling Highlights
 
As the first set score would indicate, it was tight throughout with neither team leading by more than four during the set. The Warriors were up 18-14 before back-to-back kills by Bowman and Kirby pulled the 'Cats within two at 18-16. Peru State would eventually lead 23-22 before Sterling rallied to take the 26-24 first set win.
 

The Bobcats never led in the second set and only had the score tied at 1-1 before the Warriors scored four straight to go up 5-1. Peru State was within one at 15-14 and 16-15 before Sterling pulled away for the 25-18 win.
 
Peru State played better in the third set and went on a 13-point run to lead 17-3 before Sterling scored their fourth points of the set. The Warriors did cut the lead to ten at 23-13 before a kill by Quinonez and a service ace by Liewer finished off the third set.
 
Sterling took the early lead in the fourth set, but the 'Cats tied it at 5-5 and then went ahead for good after that point. Peru State moved out to an 18-11 advantage and went on to the 25-15 win.
 
The Bobcats jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the deciding set only to see the Warriors battle back to tie it at 12-12. A kill by Janjevic gave Peru State the lead which was followed by a setting error on the Warriors. After a kill by Sterling cut the lead to 14-13, the fifth set ended on a Warrior attack error.
 
Quinonez and Kirby led the Bobcats with 18 and 14 kills while Janjevic and Boras added six and five respectively.
 
Rudebusch finished the game with 47 assists.
 
Savannah Moore (Idaho Falls, Idaho) was a serving asset for Peru State as she contributed five service aces. Liewer and Quinonez each had two while Kirby and Janjevic each added one.
 
Liewer finished the contest with 17 digs while Kirby added 16.
 
Boras and Janjevic each had one solo block. Credited with block assists were Boras – 4, Janjevic – 3, Rudebusch and Kirby – two, and Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.), Bowman, and Quinonez – one each.

Sterling Box Score
 
Bethel Highlights
 
The start of the first set was close throughout as it was tied at 10-10 before Boras put down a kill on an assist from Rudebusch. After that point, the Bobcats never trailed on their way to a 25-17 win.
 
The Threshers led most of the entire second set and had a five-point advantage at 18-13. It was at that point that the 'Cats started to claw their way back into the set. Bethel had set-point at 24-22 before Rudebusch had a kill which was followed by a kill by Kirby to tie it at 24-24. The Threshers again had the set-point at 25-24 and 26-25 before Peru State rattled off three points to win with a block by Bowman.

 
In the third set, Peru State took the lead at 4-3 and never trailed the rest of the set which ended on a Kirby service ace.
 
No Bobcat was in double figures with kills. Kirby led the way with nine kills while Quinonez added seven. Boras finished with five while hitting .333.
 
Rudebusch had 21 assists in the win.
 
The 'Cats had eight service aces and were led by Kirby with three. Janjevic had two while Rudebusch, Gianna Gangi (Simi Valley, Calif.), and Grose each had one.
 
Three Bobcats finished in double digits with digs and were led by Liewer with 14. Kirby and Gangi each had 12.
 
Bowman was tough at the net as she finished with three solo blocks and three block assists. Rudebusch, Boras, and Janjevic each had one solo block. Boras and Janjevic were credited with two block assists while Rudebusch added one.

Bethel Box Score
 
Oklahoma Wesleyan Highlights
 
There were nine ties in the first set with Oklahoma Wesleyan having the largest lead at four at 21-17 and the final score of 25-21.
 
In the second set, the Eagles jumped out to a 17-10 lead before the Bobcats fought back to tie it at 19-19 on a service ace by Rudebusch. Peru State would eventually take the lead at 21-20 on a kill by Quinonez only to see Oklahoma Wesleyan score the next four points. Another Quinonez kill on an assist from Rudebusch cut the gap to 24-22 before a Bobcat service error ended the second set.
 

The third set proved to be even tighter as there were 12 ties and five lead changes. The Bobcats actually led by five at 19-14 on a Kirby block. The Eagles scored the next five to tie it at 19-19. The rest of the set went back and forth with both teams having a couple of different set-point opportunities before Oklahoma Wesleyan prevailed 29-27.
 
Quinonez had 15 kills to lead the 'Cats with Kirby adding nine and Janjevic finishing with eight.
 
Rudebusch contributed 32 assists to lead the team.
 
Gangi had four service aces while Rudebusch added two. Kirby also had one service ace.
 
Liewer led the team with 14 digs while Moore finished with nine. Rudebusch and Kirby each added eight digs.
 
Boras led the team with three solo blocks while Kirby had two. Bowman, Janjevic, and Grose were each credited with one solo block. Kirby and Grose each had one solo block.

Oklahoma Wesleyan Box Score
 
Upcoming Contests
 
Peru State has only one game this week as the team settles into the first week of school. The Bobcats will be traveling to York to face the York College Panthers on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Panthers finished 1-3 while participating in the same tourney as Peru State with losses to Sterling and Bethel – both teams Peru State topped.
 
The following weekend, the 'Cats will participate in the Kansas Wesleyan Tournament in Salina on Sept. 5 and 6. They will face Bethany College and McPherson College on Friday. Then, on Saturday, the Bobcats will take on Friends University and Tabor College.
 
Peru State's first home contest is not until Sept. 18 when they host their own tournament. The Bobcats will face Heart opponent Graceland University on Friday at 7 p.m.