Mustang
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SATURDAY, OCT. 30
The curtain on Morningside University’s 2021 home schedule comes down this evening, as the Mustangs honor their two-person Class of 2022. Setter Sabrina Creason and defensive specialist Lindi Pojar have been a part of four double-digit win squads, three teams that have earned Great Plains Athletic Conference postseason tournament bids, and two groups that appeared in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Championships. They and their families will be honored before the first serve.
THE SERIES Hastings has captured 20 of the 27 all-time meetings versus the Mustangs. However, recent history has shown Morningside beginning to turn the corner. They’ve won two of the last three contests, including sweeping the 2019 season series.
THE MATCH-UP Head coach Jessica Squier’s team continues to be part of the NAIA top 20 defensively. Their 1,756 digs stand 18th. Sophomore defensive specialist Payton Shoquist, who went over the 500dig mark for the season last weekend, is part of the individual best 20 nationally, ranking No. 20. Outside hitter Sydney Marlow holds a similar residence, sitting 15th in total attacks (986). Looking further into the Mside numbers, a trio has gathered the category leads. Creason goes into the final two matches of the season, guiding the team in assists (557) and service aces (30); sophomore middle hitter Meredith Hoffman 67 total blocks lead the way, and Marlow is first in kills (273). Morningside concluded a two-game weekend road trip at the College of Saint Mary on Oct. 23. As the Mustangs continued to make their way through the second half of the loop schedule, they are finally getting a look at some of the opponents in the southern group of teams in the league. The Flames lived up to their No. 11 national ranking, defeating Mside 25-13, 25-10, and 25-18. They struggled to get into an offensive rhythm at CSM’s Lied Fitness Center, striking for only 24 kills against the host defensive front, which recorded eight team blocks in the match. Freshman outside hitter Emerson Smith led the team, registering eight kills against the stingy defense. Hoffman followed with seven. Morningside did see improvement over the previous night’s outing, ratcheting its service error statistic down to three. The defense also made some noise for the visitors, recording 42 total digs, led by Shoquist, who tallied an even dozen, and Smith, who followed with nine. The front row recorded two total blocks, with the hands of freshman middle hitter Emma Schall in on both of them. She was accompanied by fellow first-year middle
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