(Peru, Neb.) – The Peru State volleyball team participated in their third straight weekend of tournaments. The Bobcats finished the weekend with a 3-1 mark to improve to 11-2 on the season. This is the best early-season mark in at least 16 years.
 
Cornerstone (Mich.) Match Highlights
 
The Bobcats bounced back after dropping the first set 25-19 to take the next three 25-19, 25-22, and 26-24 to open the Classic with a win over the Golden Eagles.

 
In the first set, Peru State took a 2-0 lead early. While it was close throughout, the 'Cats had as big a lead as 16-10 before Cornerstone came back. The Golden Eagles would eventually tie it at 18-18 before going on for the 25-19 win.
 
The Bobcats jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the second with a combination of kills and service aces. The last one came from Brooke Rudebusch (Moorpark, Calif.) before Cornerstone was able to score. Peru State never trailed in the set with it ending on a Golden Eagle error.
 
After being tight early in the third set, Peru State slowly pulled away for the win which ended with a Cornerstone error.
 
The Bobcats trailed most of the fourth set before rallying from 21-18. A kill by Rian Kirby (Gretna) tied the game at 21-21. Another Golden Eagle error gave Peru State the match.
 
Cornerstone Stats
 

Yorgelys Jaspe (San Carlos, Venezuela) led Peru State with 18 kills with Kira Shapiro (Omaha) adding 12. Jhessica Martins (Uberlandia, Brazil) had eight kills with Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro) adding seven kills while hitting .357.
 
Rudebusch put up 42 assists and also led the team with three service aces. Gianna Gangi (Simi Valley, Calif.), Shapiro, Janjevic, and Cristina Viera (Montevideo, Uruguay) each had one service ace.
 
Viera had a game-high 31 digs while Jaspe finished with a double-double by adding 20. Rudebusch also had a double-double as she had 16 digs. Gangi and Shapiro respectively contributed 15 and 14 which meant Shapiro also had a double-double in the match.
 
Alex Bowman (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) was credited with the lone solo block by the team. Janjevic added four block assists with Shapiro and Jaspe each having two block assists.
 
Northwestern (Iowa) Match Highlights
 
The 'Cats next faced the pre-season #24 Northwestern Red Raiders on Friday. Peru State came away with a sweep 28-26, 25-17, 26-24 to move to 10-1 on the season.

 
Northwestern jumped to a 10-5 lead before Peru State started to fight back. The game was eventually tied at 17-17 after a kill by Rudebusch. The rest of the set was tight before back-to-back service aces by Shapiro gave the Bobcats the win.
 
It was closed through the early part of the set as the Red Raiders were within one at 12-11 before the 'Cats rattled off seven straight points which finished with a Jaspe service ace. Northwestern scored a few more points, but Peru State finished the set with a Jaspe kill.
 
The Red Raiders led most of the second set. It was not until Martins put down a kill to tie it at 22-22 late in the set and then Peru State went ahead on a Northwestern attack error. After being tied at 24-24, Kirby put down a kill from Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.) to good ahead and then the Bobcats won on a block by Janjevic and Kirby.
 
Northwestern Stats
 
Martins was the only Bobcat in double digits with ten kills. Jaspe finished with seven kills while Shapiro and Janjevic each added six. Kirby contributed five kills while hitting .308.
 

Rudebusch finished the match with 29 assists and also had two service aces. Shapiro, Janjevic, and Viera also had two aces while Jaspe and Grose each contributed one.
 
Viera finished with a game-high 20 digs with Gangi adding seven.
 
Peru State did not have any solo blocks, but finished with 12 assists. Janjevic led the team with four block assists while Shapiro added three.
 
William Woods (Mo.) Match Highlights
 
Peru State started Saturday morning with a sweep of the William Woods Owls 25-23, 25-21, 25-20 to improve to 11-1. That season record is the best start in at least 16 years and most likely longer for the Bobcats.
 
The Bobcats led most of the way in the early part of the first set. The Owls would eventually tie it at 15-15 and then the set was tied again at 23-23. A kill by Martins broke the tie and then an attack error by William Woods gave Peru State the win.
 
The 'Cats jumped to a 14-6 lead only to see the Owls fight their way back into the set. It was 23-21 before Jaspe and Martins had back-to-back kills to end the set.
 
William Woods led early in the third set before Peru State tied it at 6-6. It was tied again at 12-12 before the 'Cats took the lead for good. Shapiro had three kills in the last five points of the set – all coming from assists from Rudebusch – to give Peru State the sweep.

 
William Woods Stats
 
Jaspe and Shapiro led the Bobcats with 17 and 11 kills respectively. Jaspe hit at a .452 clip which is outstanding. Janjevic added seven kills while Martins and Bowman each finished with five.
 
Rudebusch had a match-high 37 assists. Gangi, Viera, and Rudebusch each had one service ace.
 
Viera finished with a game-high 24 digs with Shapiro just shy of a double-double with eight digs. Gangi and Rudebusch each added seven digs.
 
Rudebusch, Martins, Shapiro, Janjevic, Bowman, and Hannah Sexton (Beatrice) each had one block assists.
 
Montana Tech Match Highlights
 
The final match for Peru State was against Montana Tech. The Orediggers ended up pulling out a win over 'Cats by the scores of 17-25, 25-20, 28-30, 25-23, 15-13. Montana Tech improved their record to 8-3.

 
The Orediggers had the early lead in the first set until Shapiro, off an assist from Rudebusch, tied it with a kill at 13-13. After the score was again tied at 14-14, Peru State scored the next four points, all coming off Montana Tech hitting errors and/or block by the 'Cats. The Bobcats eventually went on to win 25-17 as the Orediggers had another attack error to end the set.
 
The second set was also tied at 14-14, but this time the Orediggers took the lead, only to see Peru State come back to tie it at 20-20. After a Montana Tech timeout, the Orediggers went on to score the next five points and take the second set.
 
As the score of the third set would indicate, neither team had a very big lead. Peru State did lead 8-4 early only to see Montana Tech come back and lead 20-18. The Orediggers then fought back from a 22-20 deficit and eventually led 24-23. A kill by Kirby from Rudebusch knotted the score at 24-24. The teams traded set points with Janjevic getting the final kill to give the 'Cats the 30-28 win.
 
The fourth set was again back and forth with the Orediggers getting the win on a Bobcat service error.
 
In the deciding set, Montana Tech led by three at 3-0, 11-8, 12-9, and 14-11, but the Bobcats kept trying to get the set tied. Unfortunately, that would not happen and the 'Cats lost 15-13.

 
Montana Tech Stats
 
Shapiro and Jaspe both finished with 17 kills to lead the Bobcats while Kirby added 11. Janjevic finished with eight kills while Bowman added six.
 
Rudebusch put up 49 assists to lead Peru State in setting. Viera had two service aces with Shapiro adding one.
 
Four Bobcats were in double figures in digs and were led by Viera with 19. Gangi finished with 16 while Jaspe had a double-double as she had 15. Shapiro also finished with a double-double as she had ten. Rudebusch was just one shy of a double-double as she had nine digs.
 
Bowman was credited with the lone solo block. She also led the team with four block assists with Kirby and Janjevic each having three block assists. Rudebusch and Shapiro each had two block assists.
 
Upcoming Games
 

Peru State will be participating in another tournament next weekend. The Bobcats will be in Omaha in the College of St. Mary/Grace University Tournament. On Friday, the 'Cats will be playing their matches at the College of St. Mary. At 2:30 p.m., they will take on Dakota State (S.D.) at 2:30 p.m. The Tigers are 0-6 to start the season. Later that evening, Peru State will face Waldorf College at 8:30 p.m. Presently, the Warriors are 4-5 having won their last three in a row, including wins over Heart teams William Penn (Iowa) and Mount Mercy (Iowa).
 
On Saturday, the Bobcats will be at Grace University with their first game starting at 12:30 p.m. Peru State will face Valley City State (N.D.). The Vikings are currently 1-3 having just started their season this past weekend. Peru State's final match of the tournament will be against Presentation (S.D.) at 4:30. The Bobcats swept the Saints in Peru State's Fall Classic last weekend. Presently, Presentation is 3-4.
 
The 'Cats will not be home until Tuesday, Sept. 20, when they host Heart foe Grand View (Iowa) at 7 p.m.