(Peru, Neb.) – On Friday, October 29, the Peru State College volleyball team won a Heart of America Athletic Conference game in five sets as they beat Missouri Valley College 3-2.
 
The Bobcats improved to 5-26 overall and 3-14 in conference play as the Vikings fell to 9-25 overall and 2-16 in the conference.
 
In the first set Missouri Valley would score first but the 'Cats would tie the game right back with a kill from Alexandria Chavarria (Hollister, Calif.) off the pass from Cheyenne Birkle (Holden, Mo.). The Vikings would score the next two points to lead 3-1.
 
The Bobcats would go on a 4-2 run to lead 5-4 with points coming off an error on the Vikings, a service ace from Mattie Nichols (Auburn), and back-to-back errors on Missouri Valley.
 
The Vikings would go on a 4-1 run to lead 10-6 and the Bobcats would just be able to tie the game just once from this point on and that came at 14-14. Missouri Valley would take set one 25-21.
 
The Vikings would get on the board first just like in set one with two straight points to take the early lead. Peru State would go on a 5-1 run to lead 5-3 and those points came from an error on Missouri Valley, a service ace from Nichols, another miscue cue on the Vikings, a kill from Ace Swadogo (Omaha) off the set from Cassie Davis (Colorado Spring, Colo.), and an attacking error on the opponent.
 
Missouri Valley would tie the game at seven, eight, and then take the lead 9-8. After the Vikings would lead 11-10, the Bobcats would go on a 6-0 run to take the lead 18-12.
 
Peru State would use this run to win the second set 25-18 off a set point kill from Chavarria on the set from Hannia Rios (Toa Baja, P.R.).
 
The Vikings would score first in set number three off a Bobcat error. The 'Cats would tie the game with a kill from Swadogo off the assist from Davis. Set three would have early ties at two, three, and four before Missouri Valley would take a 5-4 lead.
 
The Vikings would extend their lead with a 6-2 run to lead 10-6. Peru State would tie the game off a Michelle Beer (Salem) kill off the assist from Davis. On the next rally Peru State would take a 13-12 lead off on attack error by Missouri Valley.
 
The Vikings would take the lead at 14-13, but the 'Cats would take the lead right back at 16-15 and would never trail again as they would take set number three 25-20.
 
Missouri Valley would score the first four points of the fourth set to lead 4-0. Peru State would get the service off an error. Beer would cut into the Vikings lead with a kill off the set from Davis as the 'Cats would still trail 5-2.
 
The Vikings would go on an 8-3 run to lead 13-5 in set four. Peru State make a valiant effort to come back but the early runs by the Vikings would be to much as they would take set four 25-20 to force a fifth set.
 
The fifth set started off right for the 'Cats as they would get two straight points to lead 2-0 off a kill from Beer off the set from Rios and an error on Missouri Valley.
 
Then it would be 5-4 in favor of Peru State before the Bobcats turned it on to end the game. Peru State would go on an 10-1 run with points coming from a kill by Dawson Sharman (Sidney) off the set from Rios, two kills from Jaddy Duarte (Brasillia, Brazil), a service ace from Alyssa Bock (Plattsmouth), a kill from Sidney Peck (Manitoba, Canada), and four errors on the Vikings as the Bobcat would win 15-5.
 
Stats
 
Nichols led the team with four service aces as Davis would add three.
 
Chavarria would lead the team with 12 kills while Duarte added 11 and Swadogo and Beer tied for third on the team with eight each.
 
Davis had team-high 24 assists while Rios added 20.
 
Birkle would have a game-high 29 digs while Bock added 16 and Rios finished with 14. Nichols would reach double-digit digs with ten.
 
Duarte led the team with two solo blocks and three block assists. Swadogo would have two block assists.