(Peru, Neb.) – Long match. Long rallies. Nice win for the Peru State volleyball team Friday night.
 
The Bobcats prevailed in five long sets over the visiting Benedictine (Kan.) Ravens 25-23, 18-25, 25-12, 12-25, 15-11.
 
With the upset, Peru State improved to 8-19 on the season and 4-6 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart). With the loss, the Ravens are now 11-15 overall and 6-4 in the Heart.
 
First Set Action
 
The set started with a kill by Claire Cudney (Marysville, Kan.) on an assist from Cassidy Davis (Colorado Springs). The Ravens would score the next four points and then would lead for most of the set. Benedictine would have its largest lead of five at 15-10 before Alexandra Chavarria (Hollister, Calif.) put down a kill from Davis.

 
Benedictine would continue to maintain its lead until Cudney and Davis hooked up again to eventually tie it at 22-22. A kill by Tyra Mollhoff (Lincoln) followed off an assist from Davis to put the 'Cats on top. After the Ravens knotted it at 23 apiece, Chavarria nailed a kill to give Peru State the set point. Chavarria and Davis would hook up for the final point of the set giving the Bobcats the comeback win.
 
Second Set Action
 
The second set was tight throughout the early part as there were 14 ties with neither team leading by more than one until Benedictine increased its lead to two at 9-7. From that point on, the Ravens would lead.
 
Benedictine would go on to win 25-18.
 
Third Set Action
 
It was pretty much all Bobcats in the third set. A kill by Allyssa Childers (Lincoln) on an overpass started the set. After a Raven kill stopped a 4-0 run, Childers put down another kill on an assist from Davis to start another Bobcat run.
 
Peru State's largest lead was at 21-7 after Mallory Matthies (Omaha) put down a spike from Darlene Quinonez Holguin (Anthony, N.M.). The Ravens would score a few points to gain a little momentum before Grace Frederick (Benkelman) had a solo block to end the third set with a 25-12 Peru State win.
 
Fourth Set Action
 
The fourth set action was pretty much just the opposite of the third set as Benedictine jumped to a 7-0 lead before Cudney stopped the run with a kill. The closest Peru State would get was at 12-7 after a Raven attack error.
 
Benedictine would go on to win 25-12 to force a fifth and deciding set.
 
Fifth Set Action
 
As one would expect, the deciding set was a tight one. There were 14 ties and six lead changes.
 
Pyper Roseberry (Ralston) started the set with a kill on an assist from Cudney. Benedictine would score the next two points only to give up a point on a two-hit call. A kill by Cudney off an assist from Matthies would put the 'Cats back up.

 
Later, Benedictine would have its largest lead of three at 9-6. An attack error make it 9-7 and then Roseberry nailed an overpass to bring the 'Cats within one forcing a Raven timeout.
 
Davis would get a service ace to tie the set at 9-9 only to see Benedictine get a kill to regain the lead – which ironically was the last lead the Ravens would have. A kill by Roseberry from Davis tied it at 10-10.
 
A service ace by Cheyenne Birkle (Holden, Mo.) put the Bobcats in the lead for good. Cudney would get a kill from Roseberry to make it 12-10. Back-to-back attack errors gave the 'Cats match point, but the Ravens would not go away as they got a kill to make it 14-11. A Raven attack error would give the Bobcats the last point for the upset win.

BENEDICTINE GAME BOOK 
 
Team Statistics
 
Peru State outhit the Ravens .189 to .139. Benedictine did finish with eight service aces and only two errors while the 'Cats only had three service aces and had five miscues.
 
The Bobcats finished with two more digs than Benedictine as they had 76. The biggest statistical difference came in blocking as the Ravens had 12.5 total blocks – five more than the 'Cats.
 
Peru Individual Statistics
 
Cudney finished tied for match-high honors with 14 kills while Childers added ten and hit .333. Chavarria and Matthies each had eight kills with Chavarria hitting .300. Mollhoff and Frederick finished with seven and six kills respectively.
 
Davis finished with 25 assists while Quinonez Holguin added 18.
 
Cudney, Davis, and Birkle each had one service ace.
 
Cudney and Sarah Brown (Seward) shared team-high honors with 14 digs. Quinonez Holguin and Alexis Cox (Brighton, Colo.) added 12 and 11 digs respectively.
 
Frederick was credited with the lone solo block for the team. Childers, Mollhoff, and Frederick each had three block assists with Cudney adding two. Chavarria and Matthies each had one block assist.
 
Career Milestone
 
With her seventh dig of the match which occurred in the second set, Cudney joined a long list of Peru State volleyball players as she accumulated her 1,000^th dig. She finished the night with 1,007 career digs in only three seasons.

 
Upcoming Contests
 
Peru State will be hosting Baker (Kan.) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in another Heart match-up. The Wildcats defeated Graceland Friday night in five to improve to 10-16 overall and now has the same conference record, 4-6, as the Bobcats.
 
On Tuesday, the Bobcats will host another set of Wildcats at 7 p.m. Culver-Stockton (Mo.) will be the opponent. The Wildcats are 7-15 overall having lost nine in a row. Culver-Stockton is 2-10 in Heart action.