Peru State College Athletics

(Peru, Neb.)- The Peru State College Volleyball team suffered a 3-1 setback against Heart of America Athletic Conference foe Clarke on Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats lost in a score line of 25-12, 17-25, 16-25, and 25-21.
 
Peru State falls to 15-9 overall and 7-6 in Heart play while Clarke rises to 10-15 on the season and 6-8 in Conference action.
 
The first set opened with a point from the Pride then a 9-3 burst from the Bobcats to take a five-point advantage (9-4), a 4-2 run from Clarke would see the lead cut to three until Peru State would respond with an 11-3 explosion highlighted by five kills from Shealie Wiebers (Papillion, Nebraska / Papillion-La Vista High School) to bring the score to 22-11. The Pride would score from a Bobcat error, but three straight Peru State points would bring home the first set 25-13.
 
Set two began with both teams battling for position in a 22-point series that featured six ties until a 7-4 run from Clarke would pull the Pride lead to three (18-15) The Bobcats would find two of the next three points to cut the lead to two (19-17), But Clarke would respond through a 6-0 stretch to take the second set 25-17.
 
The third set kicked off with the two teams swapping points until after a 2-0 run would give the Pride their first lead of the set (4-3), Peru State utilized an 9-5 push to take a three-point advantage (12-9). After some back and forth play led to the Bobcats leading 14-11, Clarke would find runs of 9-0 and 5-2 to win the third set 25-16.
 
The Fourth set would see the Pride take a 6-2 run to grab a four-point lead, Clarke would coast until after a Peru State kill would cut the lead to three (11-8), the Pride would respond with a 8-1 run to pull the lead to ten (19-9). The Bobcats would claw back with a 10-4 run to slice the Clarke lead to four (23-19) until a kill from the Pride would bring the set to match point (24-19), back to back Peru State points would saw the advantage to three, but a final Clarke point would end the set and the match 25-21.
 
Offensively Wiebers would pace the Bobcats with 11 kills while Teodora Bulatovic (Tivat, Montenegro. / SMŠ "Mladost" Tivat) would mark 16 assists and Samantha Chesley (Lincoln, Nebraska Pius X High School) would notch nine.
 
Defensively Braelyn Braithwaite (Elkhorn, Nebraska / Elkhorn South High School) would put up 23 digs on the night while Wiebers recorded 16 and Brinley Falkinburg (Lincoln, Nebraska. / Lincoln East High School) would find 14, Eden Moore (Eagle, Nebraska / Waverly High School), Addison Schneider (Humphrey, Nebraska Humphrey High School), and Chancie Deaton would each find three block assists to lead the team.
 
Peru State is back in action on Tuesday when the Bobcats hit the road to take on Conference foe Graceland.