(Peru, Neb.) – It wasn't the opening the Peru State volleyball team wanted as the NAIA's fourth-ranked Midland Warriors picked up their first win of the season in Fremont Wednesday night.
 
The Bobcats played Midland close in the first two sets before the Warriors easily won the third. The final scores were 25-19, 25-22, 25-9.
 
Midland improved to 1-3 on the season while the 'Cats are 0-1.
 
First Set Action
 
The Bobcats took the first point of the match when Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro) put down a kill on an assist from Brooke Rudebusch (Moorpark, Calif.). Midland would score three straight to take their first lead, one they would hold until a service ace by Alaya Roberts (Cibolo, Texas) would tie it at 6-6. A Warrior attack error would give Peru State a 7-6 lead, but that would be the last lead for the 'Cats in the first set.
 
Second Set Action
 
Peru State would take a 4-0 lead in the second set behind the serving of Rudebusch as Midland had four back-to-back attacking errors which did include one combined block by Janjevic and Raechel Knowles (Nassau, Bahamas). The Warriors would fight their way back to eventually take a 6-5 lead. Midland would not relinquish the lead the rest of the set although the Bobcats did tie it at 18-18 when Alex Bowman (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) put down a kill on an assist from Rudebusch. Four straight Warrior points forced the Bobcats to fight from behind again. Peru State did pull within one at 23-22 on a Cristina Viera (Montevideo, Uruguay) service ace.
 
Third Set Action
 
The 'Cats led 2-1 in the third set after back-to-back attack errors by Midland – the second of which came on a combined block by Janjevic and Knowles. Five straight Warrior points put Midland in the lead for good and Peru State was never able to put together any type of run during the rest of the match.
 
Statistics
 
Knowles led the Bobcats with five kills while Kira Shapiro (Omaha) added four. Janjevic, Bowman, and Claire Cudney (Marysville, Kan.) each finished with three kills.
 
Rudebusch and Sydney Stevelinck (Lyons, Colo.) each finished with nine assists in the match.
 
Viera led the team with two service aces while Rudebusch, Janjevic, and Roberts each had one ace.
 
Viera also had a match-high 11 digs while Rudebusch finished with five.
 
Janjevic, Bowman, and Alynah Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) each finished with one solo block. Knowles, Janjevic, Tyra Mollhoff (Lincoln), and Shapiro each had two block assists while Bowman and Adams each added one block assist.
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats will open their home season next Tuesday night when they host William Penn (Iowa) in not only their home-opener, but their Heart of America Athletic Conference opener. Game time with the Statesmen is scheduled for 7 p.m. William Penn picked up their first win of the season last night with a victory over Grace (Neb.). They will play a pair of matches Friday so the Statesmen will have seven games under their belt before heading to the Al Wheeler Activity Center.