Mustang Friday
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, MARCH 2-3, 2022
Morningside University brings the curtain down on a span of five straight home matches with Great Plains Athletic Conference contests against Siouxland rival Dordt University and the University of Jamestown March 2 and 3. Head coach Addison Mertler’s Mustangs stand 3-12 overall and 1-4 in the league. Dordt, coached by Chad Hanson, sports a 9-4 overall and 6-1 conference mark. The Jimmies of the University of Jamestown, coached by Travers Cox, holds the loop lead at 7-0 and are 9-2 overall.
THE SERIES DU and UJ won the previous meetings on their home floors earlier this season. Mside leads Dordt 8-5 all-time with a current four-match win streak in favor of the Defenders. Jamestown has claimed all seven contests in the head-to-head history.
THE MATCH-UP Freshman outside hitter Isaiah Baynes continues his memorable freshman campaign. He ranks among the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics top 10 with 4.18 kills per set (No. 9) and 551 total attacks (No. 6). His older brother, Jacob, a sophomore outside, is within the first 40 nationally with 142 kills (No. 39) and 350 attacks (No. 37). Freshman setter Jacob DePauw has gained residual success due to finding the combination at the net. His 507 assists are seventh-most, and his 9.57 assists per set rank No. 10. A gritty Mustangs team took a two-set St. Ambrose advantage and turned it into a thrilling night Feb. 25, stretching the deciding fifth set out to a 15-13 final score. Mside was stopped in the match, 3-2, with set scores of 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 23-25, and 13-15. Morningside was on the cusp of victory in sets one and two but set three is where its fortunes turned. “Going into the third and fourth set, we know that we can battle with most teams if we play our system and play as a unit,” explained the Mustangs’ first-year coach. “Being able to extend points and play gritty is our style of volleyball, and it allows us to be successful.” That play silenced St. Ambrose’s attack, limiting the Fighting Bees to only six kills in the set. The Mustangs recorded a match-high 15 kills and hit at a markedly improved .480 hitting percentage in the third frame. Morningside’s force in silencing the attack from the Bees was championed by freshman defensive specialist Owen Anderson, recording 15 digs in the five-set soiree. Junior outside hitter Lucas Begliomini trailed him, recording 11 digs, and the brothers Baynes each recorded eight. They also accounted for 45 of the Mustangs’ 62 kills on the day, recording 25 and 20, respectively. Freshman middle hitter Erik Krenz followed, with six, and Begliomini with five. DePauw racked up 55 of the team’s 58 assists on the night. Dordt was guided by junior right side hitter Caleb Kulesza over 10 matches. He put down 102 kills and served up 16 aces in the span. The sophomore duo of middle hitter Dylan Kooiman (27 blocks) and outside hitter Andres Guzman (61 digs) also held down statistical leads for DU to that point. Junior right side hitter Samuel Jackman tops a high-flying Jimmies offense. He’s compiled 114 kills at a .273 conversion rate. Six team members, including Jackman, hit .250 or better at the net. Jackman also leads the team in digs (53).