Peru State College Athletics

(Omaha, Neb.)- The Peru State College volleyball team earned a split over two games that went on for 10 total sets in day one of the Labor Day Classic. The Bobcats dropped the first contest to nationally ranked #20 Morningside in a score line of 23-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-21, and 7-15 while taking down Crowley's Ridge in a line of 25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13.
 
Peru State's record shifted to 6-2 while Morningside rises to 9-2 and Crowley's Ridge falls to 6-5.
 
Game 1 - Morningside 3, Peru State 2 (25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 21-25, 15-7)
 
After a quick two-point lead by Peru State (3-1), the Mustangs went on runs of 8-2 and 5-2 to build a seven-point advantage 14-7. After swapping points the Bobcats roared back with a 9-1 stretch that featured three kills by Eden More (Eagle, Neb. / Waverly) to take a one-point lead (18-17). Morningside answered with a 3-1 run to reclaim the lead (20-19) but Peru State responded with two straight points to hold a late 22-21 lead. The Mustangs would proceed to score two points of their own and after a Bobcat kill, two more by Morningside would take the opening set 25-23.
 
The second set opened as the Mustangs built a steady 12-4 lead to force a Peru State timeout, Morningside continued to build their lead up to a 10-point advantage late in the set (23-13), until the Bobcats battled back with a 6-1 run to bring the set within four but a Mustang kill would capture the second set 25-19.
 
Peru State jumped out to open the third set with runs of 6-2 and 4-2 to grab a six-point lead (10-4), but Morningside would battle back to bring the score within four (12-8), then a 7-4 series that featured kills from four different Bobcats would set a seven-point advantage (18-11). The Mustangs would score six straight to force a Peru State timeout, then after a 3-1 Bobcat stretch, Morningside would respond with four unanswered to take the lead 22-21. Peru State answered by scoring three straight to regain the lead (24-22) then after a Mustang kill, Chancie Deaton (Payson, Ariz. / Payson) would slam down the kill and the set 25-23.
 
The fourth set opened with both teams battling to pull away until four straight scores from the Bobcats would force a Morningside timeout (7-3), the Mustangs would cut the lead to one (9-8) but a 7-1 push with three points from Shealie Wiebers (Papillion, Neb. / Papillion-La Vista) brought the score to 16-9. Morningside caught stride with an 8-2 run to close the gap to one (18-17), but Peru State used a 6-1 run to bring the series to set point (24-18). The Mustangs would score three unanswered, but a Wiebers kill sent the series to the Bobcats 25-21
 
The fifth and final set opened with Peru State taking a one-point lead (3-2) early in the set but a 5-0 run by Morningside would take the lead and not look back as separate runs of 4-2 would take the set and the win 15-7.
 
Brinley Falkinburg (Lincoln, Neb. / Lincoln East) led the team with 16 kills while Wiebers notched 15 kills and Moore marked 12. Teodora Bulatovic (Tivat, Montenegro SMŠ "Mladost" Tivat) paced the team with 27 assists and Samantha Chesley (Lincoln, Neb. Pius X) set 21, Wiebers also sent a game-high three service aces.
Defensively Braelyn Braithwaite (Elkhorn, Neb. / Elkhorn South) logged a career-high 31 digs while Wiebers put up 12 and Bulatovic 10. Addison Schneider (Humphrey, Neb. Humphrey) had six block assists and Deaton tagged five.
 
Game 2 - Peru State 3, Crowley's Ridge 2 (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13)
 
Crowley's Ridge started the set with a 5-1 lead until Peru State scored six straight points highlighted by four points from Wiebers to take a two-point advantage (7-5), neither team could pull away in the series as the set was even at 17 after seven ties and three lead changes until after two point from the Pioneers, the Bobcats exploded with eight straight points to take home the first set 25-19.
 
Peru State opened the second set with three straight points with back-to-back service aces from Braithwaite and after a 4-2 run from Cowley's Ridge cut the lead to one (5-4), The Bobcats used a 5-1 stretch to extend the lead to five (10-5). An 8-2 push gave the Pioneers a one-point advantage (13-12) until Peru State used an 8-5 series to hold a two-point lead (20-18), Crowley's Ridge responded with a 7-3 run to claim the lead and second set 25-23.
 
The third set opened with a 4-1 run from the Bobcats until the Pioneers fought back to bring the score within two (11-9), Peru State would maintain a three-point lead late into the set (19-16) until Crowley's Ridge found a 5-1 push to take the lead and force a Bobcat timeout, the Pioneers would score the next four to snatch the set 25-20.
 
Cowley's Ridge began the fourth set with an 8-6 lead until four straight scores from Peru State forced a Pioneer timeout (10-8), a 5-2 stretch from Crowley's Ridge took back a one-point advantage (13-12) and then the Bobcats responded with an 8-1 run which featured three kills and a block assist by Wiebers that built the lead to six (20-14). Crowley's Ridge scored two before Peru State scored three unanswered to bring the score to 23-16, and after five straight Pioneer points forced a Bobcat timeout, a 2-1 series by Peru State would even the match and win the set 25-22.
 
The fifth set opened in favor of the Bobcats as a 9-2 run that highlighted two service aces by Falkinburg built a seven-point advantage (9-2), Crowley's Ridge found a 5-1 run to bring the score within three (10-7) but Peru State notched three kills by three different Bobcats to force a Pioneer timeout (13-8). A 5-1 run for the Pioneers would cut the lead to one, (14-13) but a Crowley's Ridge error would win the set and the game for the Bobcats 15-13.
 
Wiebers led the offense with a career-high 20 kills and four service aces while Moore marked 11 kills and Falkinburg, Schneider, and Alexus Ford (Alma, Kan. Wabaunsee) totaled nine kills each. Bulatovic led the team with 25 assists and Chesley set 23.
 
Defensively Braithwaite led the team with 24 digs while Chesley notched 12 and Falkinburg put up 10, Deaton had six block assists while Wiebers dropped five and Schneider four.
 
The Bobcats return to play Saturday when they take on Dordt at 11:00 A.M. and Evangel at 3:00 P.M. to cap off the Labor Day Classic.