Mustang
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCT. 15-16 This weekend, Morningside University pays tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness month during back-to-back Great Plains Athletic Conference match-ups on the Allee Gymnasium floor. Each Mustang student-athlete is playing for certain family members and/or friends who have been affected by breast cancer. A complete list is available inside this MatchDay program, along with links to local organizations battling the disease if anyone would like to donate.
SERIES HISTORY Mside maintains all-time leads against both opponents. They have a 22-16 advantage against Midland and hold a 17-10-1 mark against Concordia. Recent trends show the Bulldogs and Warriors somewhat flipping the script. Midland has claimed 10 of the last 11, while CU has won three of the previous four meetings.
THE MATCH-UPS Head coach Jessica Squier’s squad enters the weekend 10-15 overall and 1-9 in the GPAC. The Mustangs look to snap a current four-match skid. Morningside is making waves on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ statistics report despite the rough recent run of luck in the wins column. The team is among the top 10 in total attacks (3,420 – No. 4) and digs (1,590 – No. 7). Their 1,070 kills and 1,349 total points gathered are also within the first 25 at No. 17 and No. 24. Individual leaders for 27 matches are sophomore defensive specialist Payton Shoquist (451 digs); freshman outside hitter Sydney Marlow, sophomore middle hitter Meredith Hoffman, and freshman outside hitter Emerson Smith whom are all above 200 kills-wise; Hoffman’s 59 total blocks top the frontline defense, and senior setter Sabrina Creason paces the assist (498) and service ace (30) categories. Shoquist has the best national stat membership, sitting 11th in digs. Creason needs only two more assists to hit her second straight 500-plus campaign. The Mustangs started quickly in their most recent match at Doane on Oct. 9, working to an 11-6 lead in set one before the Tigers closed the gap, tying the score at 18-18. The teams exchanged points until they reached 20 when Doane pulled ahead in the set for good. Doane jumped to an early lead in set two, launching into a 10-point streak with the Mustangs stalled with five points. A few points later, a string of kills from Hoffman and Marlow and freshman outside hitter/setter Bridget Smith and freshman middle hitter Claire Wilson moved the visitors into double digits on the scoreboard. Doane would take four of the following five points to close out the set. Set three saw the two teams locked in a stalemate, with either team answering any attempt from the other to get out ahead. Morningside’s last lead was 18-17, fighting back to tie the set 19-
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