(Peru, Neb.)– The Peru State volleyball team continued its strong start to the season with a hard-fought five-set victory over Sterling (25-16, 23-25, 20-25, 25-18, 15-13) inside the AWAC on Saturday afternoon. The win moved the Bobcats to 3-0 on the year.
The Bobcats came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .464 as a team and cruising to a 25-16 win. Sterling bounced back, however, taking the next two frames 25-23 and 25-20 behind strong play at the net and timely serving to put Peru State on the brink of defeat.
With their backs against the wall, the Bobcats responded in the fourth set. Behind efficient attacking from
Eden Moore, who tallied 14 kills on the day with a .406 hitting percentage, and
Brinley Falkinburg, who added 13 kills at a .423 clip, Peru State pulled away for a 25-18 victory to force a decisive fifth set.
The final frame was a nail-biter as both teams traded points. Alejandra Villareal led the way with a match-high 15 kills and five service aces, while
Braelyn Braithwaite anchored the back row with 23 digs and added four aces of her own. A late surge by the Bobcats secured the 15-13 win, sealing the five-set thriller.
As a team, Peru State finished with 62 kills, 89 digs, and 16 service aces. Setter Sami Chesley distributed 29 assists and added nine digs, while
Teodora Bulatovic chipped in 26 assists and 11 digs. Defensively, the Bobcats held Sterling to a .140 hitting percentage.
Next: The Bobcats will be in Omaha on Friday and Saturday for the College of St. Mary Tournament. They will play College of Saint Mary and University of St. Francis on Friday and #7 Northwestern College and #16 Viterbo on Saturday.
