(Peru, Neb.) – A very strange season, filled with COVID-19 challenges, ended with a win for the Peru State volleyball team Thursday night.
 
The Bobcats travelled to Lamoni, Iowa, to face Graceland and came away with a 25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 25-12 victory.
 
Peru State ended the season with a 3-14 overall record and finished 2-10 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North Division.

Graceland fell to 3-11 on the year and also finished 2-10 in the Heart North.
 
The teams finished a three-way tie for fifth with Culver-Stockton (Mo.) in their division.
 
First Set Action
 
Hannah Burianek (Lincoln) started the match with a pair of service aces and then Graceland gave Peru State three straight points with attack errors.

 
The Bobcats never trailed in the first set and led by as many as nine at 13-4 and 18-9. The Yellowjackets did close the gap some late in the set before Jaddy Duarte (Brasilia, Brazil) ended it with a kill from Hannia Rios (Toa Baja, P.R.).
 
Second Set Action
 
The second set was tighter through the earlier part of it. Graceland had an early 2-1 lead before Duarte and Rios hooked up for a kill/assist to tie it. The Yellowjackets would again give the 'Cats several points on hitting errors early which would give Peru State the lead for good.
 
The Bobcats would go out to a ten-point lead at 16-6 after Pyper Roseberry (La Vista) put down a kill off an assist from Cassie Davis (Colorado Springs). The 'Jackets would get back within seven at 17-10 before a service error stopped their run.
 
Another hitting error by Graceland would give Peru State the final point of the second set.
 
Third Set Action
 
A kill by Sidney Peck (Manitoba, Canada) off an assist from Rios started the third set. This set was by far the closest throughout as there were 16 ties and nine lead changes.

 
Peru State would have the largest lead of the set at 15-11 after a Graceland error. However, the Yellowjackets would come back to eventually regain the lead at 17-16 before Roseberry tied it at 17 with a kill from Davis.
 
The Bobcats actually had a 21-19 lead after Peck got a kill from Rios, but the 'Jackets responded with four straight points to go up 23-21. A service error by Graceland allowed the 'Cats to get within one. Dawson Sharman (Sidney) tied the set with a kill from Davis before the Yellowjackets scored the final two points to force another set.
 
Fourth Set Action
 
It looked like the match would go five at the beginning as the Yellowjackets jumped to a 6-2 lead forcing a Peru State timeout. Duarte came out of the timeout and got a kill from Rios, but Graceland scored the next point.
 
Eventually, a kill from Jaime Copenharve (Omaha) on an assist from Davis tied the game at 7-7, but Graceland regained the lead with a kill.
 
Back-to-back 'Jacket errors gave Peru State the lead – one they would not relinquish the rest of the way.
 
A service ace by Arianna Waschowski (Bellevue) put the score at 20-10. The match would eventually end with a Bobcat victory as Graceland had another attack error.

GRACELAND GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics
 
Peru State had one of its few matches of the year where they hit over .200. The Bobcats finished the match hitting .229 while holding the Yellowjackets to a .015 hitting percentage.

 
Both teams served the ball well as Graceland finished with 13 aces, but gave Peru State 18 points on service errors. The Bobcats had 12 aces and ten errors.
 
The 'Cats finished the night with 57 digs and five team blocks while the 'Jackets had 53 digs and also had five team blocks.
 
Peru Individual Statistics
 
No Bobcat was in double figures in kills, but 'Cats had hits on the night. Peck and Roseberry each led the team with six kills while Duarte finished with five. Tyra Mollhoff (Lincoln), Copenharve, and Sharman each finished with four kills.
 
Davis dished out 16 assists while Rios added 11.
 
Cheyenne Birkle (Holden, Mo.), Burianek, and Waschowski each were credited with three service aces. Davis finished with two and Rios added one.
 
Birkle led the team with 17 digs with Mattie Nichols (Auburn) contributed 12. Waschowski added ten digs with Rios finishing with seven.

 
Mollhoff was credited with one solo block and two block assists. Copenharve and Duarte each had two block assists with Sharman and Roseberry each having one block assist.
 
Final Game for Mollhoff
 
Peru State will only lose Mollhoff off of this year's team as the other two seniors will use the NAIA option to return to play for one more season.