(Peru, Neb.) – It was not pretty, except for the pink in the crowd. But it was a win for the Bobcat volleyball team Thursday night as they topped the visiting Culver-Stockton (C-SC) (Mo.) Wildcats in four sets.
 
Peru State won 14-25, 25-23, 25-21, 28-26 over the Wildcats to improve to 11-19 overall and more importantly to 7-9 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart). Culver-Stockton fell to 8-21 on the year and 1-17 in conference play.
 
It was the Side-Out Foundation Dig Pink Night for the contest. Fans were encouraged to wear pink or to pick up a pink ribbon provided by the Student Athlete Advisory Council in support of stage 4 breast cancer research.
 
First Set Action
 
While there were four ties in first set, they all came early with the last one being at 6-6. From that point on the Wildcats controlled the set and went on for the easy win.
 
Second Set Action
 
After C-SC scored the first point of the second set, Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro) put down a kill from Darlene Quinonez Holguin (Las Cruces, N.M.) to tie the game up. Janjevic then got a block to put the Bobcats up 2-1 with Hannah Burianek (Lincoln) following the block with a service ace. Peru State would eventually lead 5-2 only to see that lead evaporate quickly. The Wildcats would go out to a 10-7 lead before Yorgelys Jaspe (San Carlos, Venezuela) would blast a kill from Quinonez Holguin.

 
Janjevic would then serve up an ace and a Wildcat attack error would tie it. A block by Kira Shapiro (Omaha) and Tyra Mollhoff (Lincoln) would put the Bobcats up 11-10 forcing a Culver-Stockton timeout. The Wildcats would tie it after the time out, but then had an attack error to give Peru State the lead for good in the set. C-SC would come back to be within one at 24-23, but Mallory Matthies (Omaha) would get a kill from Quinonez Holguin to give Peru State the 25-23 second set win.
 
Third Set Action
 
The Bobcats would score the first three points of the third set all off of Wildcat attack errors. Matthies would score the fourth point off an assist from Hannah Sexton (Beatrice) which was followed by another C-SC hitting error. The 'Cats led 5-0 at that point.
 
Later, the Bobcats extended their lead to six at 7-1 only to see Culver-Stockton slowly claw back into the contest. The Wildcats would eventually tie it at 18-18 and then go ahead 19-18 before Shapiro put down a kill from Matthies to knot it at 19 all. After C-SC score the 20^th point, Matthies put down an overpass to tie it again. Then Janjevic and Matthies got a block to put the 'Cats on top for good for the rest of the set. A service ace by Taylor Thompson (Norfolk) gave Peru State its 25^th point.
 
Fourth Set Action
 
Peru State scored first in the fourth set with a kill from Shapiro off an assist from Quinonez Holguin. This was followed by an attack error on the Wildcats. After going back and forth for the next several points, Culver-Stockton would go out to a 9-6 lead and eventually would lead by as many as four at 17-13 and later at 22-18. It was at that point, that the Bobcats would slowly start pulling themselves back into the contest.
 
A service error by C-SC was followed by a Jaspe/Burianek connection which made it 22-20 Wildcats. Culver-Stockton would score the next point to put the Bobcats in a precarious situation. However, a service error kept the Bobcats in the game. But, C-SC came back with a kill to give them a set point opportunity. Peru State would fight off two straight set points – first with a kill from Jaspe from Burianek and then a block from Shapiro and Alyssa Childers (Lincoln). A Wildcat attack error would tie the score at 24-24.

A ball handling error was then whistled on Peru State which gave C-SC another set point opportunity. A kill by Jaspe would tie up the score at 25-25. Another block by Childers and Shapiro would give the Bobcats a one-point advantage, but the Wildcats still had some fight as they put down a kill to make it 26-26.
 
A service error by Culver-Stockton gave the Bobcats a match-point opportunity. Claire Cudney (Marysville, Kan.) stepped to the service line and served up an ace for the win.

CULVER-STOCKTON GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics

 
Neither team hit the ball well, but that was partially due to each team's defense. Peru State finished with a .114 hitting percentage while holding the Wildcats below .100 at .075.

Both teams had seven service aces, but the Wildcats finished with eight service errors, compared to five for the Bobcats.
 
Culver-Stockton did finish with more digs than Peru State, but the Bobcats were tough at the net as they finished with 14 team blocks.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Jaspe was the only Bobcat to finish in double figures in kills as she had 12 while hitting .242. Matthies added nine and hit .261. Janjevic finished with five and hit .364.
 
Burianek and Quinonez Holguin had 14 and 13 assists respectively.
 
Cudney and Thompson led the team with two service aces while Janjevic, Burianek, and Arianna Waschowski (Bellevue) each had one.
 
Cudney had a game-high 21 digs while Thompson finished with ten. Burianek and Waschowski each finished with seven.
 
Janjevic continued to be a terror at the net as she had seven solo blocks and four block assists. Shapiro was credited with four block assists while Matthies and Childers each being credited with two.  Cami Ruiz (Bogota, Columbia) and Mollhoff each had one block assist.
 
Upcoming Matches
 
Friday night will be Senior Night for five Bobcat seniors when they host William Penn (Iowa) at 7 p.m. The Statesmen are just behind Peru State in the conference as they are 6-11 in the Heart and 19-14 overall as they have lost their last three matches in a row.
 
Peru State will then travel to Grand View in Des Moines Monday night to take on the Heart's best team and the NAIA's second-ranked team at 7 p.m.
 
Post-season will start on Halloween. The Bobcats control their own destiny as if they win Friday night, they will finish as the third seed in the north division and will not have to play until Nov. 3. Should William Penn beat the 'Cats, Peru State could possibly fall into a four-way tie for third and then the conference's tie breakers would come into effect. All can be settled with a win on Friday night for the Bobcats.