Mustang
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL Friday
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 Morningside University concludes its 2022 regular-season home slate this evening. Head coach Addison Mertler’s Mustangs stand 3-17 overall and 1-6 in the league. Central Christian College of Kansas’ Tigers, coached by Rick Hughes, are 0-21 overall and 0-6 in Great Plains Athletic Conference action.
THE SERIES This is the first of two regular-season clashes between the conference foes, as they play in McPherson Friday, March 18, at 1 p.m. The two sides haven’t met previously.
THE MATCH-UP In their most recent outing, Mside turned in a pair of solid efforts at the William Penn University Invitational on March 4 and 5. Freshman outside hitter Isaiah Baynes pounded 27 kills at St. Ambrose University, while sophomore outside hitter Jacob Baynes, his brother, tallied 18 to go with two assists and eight digs. Despite those glowing numbers, Morningside was felled in five games for the second time this season by the Fighting Bees. In the tourney’s final match, the Baynes brothers also fueled the offense against Goshen, combining for 33 kills, six assists, three service aces, and two blocks. During a four-set loss to the Maple Leafs, freshman middle hitter Erik Krenz added nine kills and four blocks. Isaiah Baynes goes into the final week of the regular season ranked among the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ top 10 in total kills and kills per set. His 285 offensive point strikes stand ninth, and his 4.13 kills per set are seventh-best. Freshman setter Jacob DePauw has his name among the national first 15, too. His 660 assists are 11th-best, and the 9.3 assists per set average he’s compiled is 15th-highest. Central Christian harbors an 0-21 overall and 0-6 Great Plains Athletic Conference record. The Tigers dropped a three-set decision at Ottawa University on March 9 in their last time out. Sophomore outside hitter/setter Chris Santana produced five kills, six assists, and six digs against the Braves. Fellow sophomore Kolby Campbell added three kills, seven assists, two blocks, and five digs. Mside concludes the week with a Sunflower State trip. The schedule opens Thursday, March 17, with a 7 p.m. clash at Kansas Wesleyan University and wraps up the following afternoon at CCC.