(Peru, Neb.) – The Bobcat volleyball team split their Friday matches in the first day of the Bellevue University Labor Day Tournament.
 
Peru State lost is opener to undefeated College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 23-25, 25-11, 26-24, 25-10. Then, the 'Cats won their second match of the day over Tabor (Kan.) 25-23, 25-20, 25-21.
 
The Bobcats are 2-2 after the first day of September. Ozarks improved to 7-0 while Tabor now stands at 1-2.
   
First Set
 
The largest lead by either team was three which the Bobcats held on several occasions before taking the opening set. There were ten ties in the set.

 
A kill by Raechel Knowles (Nassau, Bahamas) off an assist from Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro) got Peru State going. The teams battled back and forth with the 'Cats taking their first three point lead at 14-11 on a Janjevic kill on an assist from Sydney Stevelinck (Lyons, Colo.).
 
The Bobcats later led 16-13 after Claire Cudney (Maryville, Kan.) put down a kill from Brooke Rudebusch (Moorpark, Calif.). Ozarks would rally to tie it at 16-16 before Alex Bowman (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) hammered a kill from Rudebusch.
 
Later the set was tied at 23-23 before Ozarks had an attack error. Janjevic had a kill from Rudebusch for set point.
 
Second Set
 
Ozarks never trailed in the second set on their way to at 25-11. The Bobcats had a .000 hitting percentage in the second set.
 
Third Set
 
The third set was very similar to the first set again with the largest lead being three which Peru State held at 14-11 after Hannah Sexton (Beatrice) put down a kill off an assist from Rudebusch. Ozarks would run off five straight points to lead 16-14 before a service error allowed the 'Cats to pull within one at 16-15.

 
Kira Shapiro (Omaha) would tie the game at 16-16 on a kill off an assist from Stevelinck. Two attack errors by Ozarks put Peru State up 18-16. But, Ozarks would roar back with four straight points of their own to lead 20-18.
 
Later, a Rudebusch service ace would knot the game at 22-22, but again Ozarks would pull ahead at 24-22. A kill by Janjevic from Rudebusch, followed by an Ozarks attack error tied the set at 24-24.
 
Two Peru State errors would eventually lead to Ozarks taking the third set 26-24.
 
Fourth Set
 
Just like the second set, Ozarks would never trail in the set and went on to an easy 25-10 win. Peru State hit negative in this set.

COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS BOX SCORE
 
Statistics
 
Ozarks outhit the Bobcats .258 to .094 and served and received Peru State.
 

Janjevic led the Bobcats with ten kills while hitting .273. Knowles added eight kills while Bowman and Tyra Mollhoff (Lincoln) each added six kills. For Mollhoff, it was her first collegiate playing time. Shapiro and Cudney each added five kills.
 
Rudebusch and Stevelinck led the team with 20 and 17 assists respectively.
 
Rudebusch had two service aces while Janjevic contributed one.
 
Cristina Viera (Montevideo, Uruguay) had a game-high 24 digs while Alaya Roberts (Cibolo, Texas) added ten.
 
Bowman led the team with three block assists while Janjevic, Mollhoff, and Sexton each had two block assists.
   
First Set
 
Peru State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set while aided by two Bluejay attack errors. The Bobcats would extend the lead to 10-3 after a kill by Shapiro on an assist from Rudebusch.
 

Tabor would fight back to within 12-11 before a block by Janjevic and Knowles made it 13-11. Later the Bluejays would actually take the lead at 18-17 before another error their part tied it back at 18-18.
 
Tabor would eventually lead 23-21 before the Bobcats would stave off four straight set points to win. A kill by Knowles from Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.) made it 23-22 Ozarks which was followed by a Janjevic kill to tie it at 23-23.
 
After a Bluejay timeout, Grose got a kill and then Tabor had an attacking error for the Peru State 25-23 win.
 
Second Set
 
Again the Bobcat would jump out to an early lead and led 7-3 after a Knowles kill from Rudebusch. Peru State would later lead 15-6 after a Janjevic service ace.
 
Tabor would slowly work their way back into the set and pulled with two at 21-19. A Bluejay service error made it 22-19 and then another attack error by Tabor gave Peru State a 23-19 cushion. A kill by Cudney gave the 'Cats set point, but a Bobcat attack error kept Tabor in the set. Cudney would finish the set with a kill from Grose.
 
Third Set
 
The same modus operandi would take place in the third set. Peru State would build a good early lead, this time at 13-6 before Tabor would fight and eventually led 18-17.
 

A Bluejay service error would tie it and another error by Tabor gave the 'Cats a 19-18 lead. Later Tabor would again know the score at 21-21. A block by Mallory Matthies (Omaha) and Bowman gave Peru State the lead for good.
 
Cudney would get a kill from Rudebusch for point 23 and then a triple-block by Bowman, Cudney, and Shapiro would give Peru State point 24. A Tabor attack error would give the Bobcats their second win of the season.

TABOR BOX SCORE
 
Statistics
 
Peru State outhit the Bluejays while hitting .198 and holding Tabor to a .014 hitting percentage.
 
Shapiro led Peru State with 13 kills and an outstanding .458 hitting percentage. Cudney and Knowles each added eight kills with Cudney hitting .368. Matthies added five kills.
 
Rudebusch led the team with 20 assists while Grose added 11. Roberts had two service aces with Janjevic also adding one.

 
Viera had a game-high 19 digs while Roberts contributed 15. Grose finished with nine digs.
 
Janjevic was credited with one solo block and four block assists. Matthies and Bowman each had four block assists while Knowles and Shapiro were credited with two block assists.
 
Upcoming Games
 
Peru State will take on the tourney host Bellevue at 3 p.m. on Saturday and then face Ottawa (Kan.) immediately after taking on the Bruins. Bellevue is currently 5-2 on the year and began the season receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Poll. Ottawa is 3-3 on the year having split Friday in the opening day of the tourney.