Peru State College Athletics

(Peru, Ne.)- The Peru State College volleyball team suffered a 3-1 setback against Heart of America Athletic Conference foe Benedictine on Saturday afternoon, the Bobcats fell in a set line of 7-25, 25-17, 11-25, and 18-25.
 
The loss drops Peru State to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Heart play while Benedictine climbs to 16-2 overall and 7-0 in Conference action.
 
The Ravens took the lead in the opening set with a 10-1 run and proceeded to pull away with spurts of 7-3 and 8-3 to capture set one 25-7.
 
The second set began with some back and forth until after a Benedictine point knotted the score at five, a 6-1 run would pull the Bobcat lead to five (11-6) until the Ravens answered with a 4-1 stretch to cut the lead to two (12-10), and then a 7-1 Peru State push would extend the lead to eight (19-11). Benedictine found a 5-1 run in attempts of a comeback (20-16) but the Bobcats responded with their own 5-1 run that featured back-to-back block assists by Alexus Ford (Alma, Kansas. / Wabaunsee High School) and Chancie Deaton (Payson, Arizona. / Payson High School) to take the second set 25-17.
 
Set three opened with the Ravens jumping ahead with a 12-3 stretch and then a 7-2 run would extend the lead to 14 (19-5). The Bobcats found a 5-1 spurt to cut the lead to 10 but a 5-1 Benedictine series would win the third set 25-11.
 
The fourth set began with a 10-3 Raven stretch and a 8-3 spurt to follow would extend the lead to 12 (18-6). Peru State would respond with an 8-3 run to cut the lead to four (21-17) but Benedictine would score four of the next five to take home the set and the win 25-18.
 
Offensively Eden Moore (Eagle, Nebraska. / Waverly High School) led the offense with nine kills while Teodora Bulatovic (Tivat, Montenegro. / SMŠ "Mladost" Tivat) picked up 15 assists and Samantha Chesley (Lincoln, Nebraska. Pius X High School) found 10.
 
Defensively Braelyn Braithwaite (Elkhorn, Nebraska. / Elkhorn South High School) led the Bobcats with 13 digs while Bulatovic put up 11, Deaton and Ford both paced the team with three total blocks on the day.
 
Peru State is back to action on Friday, where the Bobcats stay in the Al Wheeler Activity Center to face off against Conference opponent Missouri Valley.