Mustang
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL FRIDAY, SEPT. 17
Morningside University steps out of league play this evening. It’s a North Star Athletic Association – Great Plains Athletic Conference clash with Dakota State University’s visit to Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center. Head coach Jessica Squier’s Mustangs begin back-to-back matches this weekend with an 8-8 record. The Trojans, coached by Amy Veenhoff, went into a mid-week match-up with Bellevue University sporting a 6-2 record highlighted by a four-match win streak.
THE SERIES The Mustangs hold a 15-2 all-time advantage. They’ve won 12 in a row, including a five-set thriller at Madison, S.D., last fall.
THE MATCH-UP Throughout 16 matches, Mside finds itself ranked among the national numbers’ top 10 in various categories. Their 2,131 attack attempts are second only to Keiser University of Florida’s 2,904; the 984 digs they’ve produced are third-most nationally, and an impressive 108 service aces sit No. 10. Squier’s crew has some wellcrafted individual listings, too, spotlighted by two. Sophomore defensive specialist Payton Shoquist’s 295 digs are fifth-most across the country and second-highest in the GPAC, trailing only College of Saint Mary’s Rachel Cushing. Senior setter Sabrina Creason’s 24 service aces have cracked the NAIA’s best 20, sitting No. 19. Regarding the team digit leaders, freshman outside hitter Sydney Marlow continues to top the kills chart (154); Creason is also first in assists (244); and the underclasswoman middle-hitting duo of sophomore Meredith Hoffman and freshman Claire Wilson is making up a solid defensive one-two punch with 38 and 31 total blocks, respectively. A three-set loss to second-ranked University of Jamestown on Sept. 11 provided many a positive for Squier and her staff. The Mustangs’ offense was led by Marlow terminating 13 points in the match. Hoffman followed with 11 kills. Wilson was the Mustangs’ most efficient, hitting a .455 while working for six kills in 11 attempts, with just one error. Creason took top-billing in the 6-2 rotation, earning 20 assists, with freshman setter Bridget Smith serving as the second half of the tandem, with 13. Marlow took top honors for back-row defense, racking up 18 digs across the three sets. Shoquist was nipping at her heels, with 17 of her own, wrapping up the double-digit dig efforts for the Mustangs. Hoffman was Morningside’s leader as defensive efforts at the net go, with three blocks, including one solo. Junior outside hitter Ryley Rolls had the Mustangs’ remaining solo block as part of her two-block afternoon. “We really just focused on each other and working together,” explained assistant coach Kayla Ruff. “The girls trusted the reps that they have been getting in practice. The team’s mentality didn’t change just because it was Jamestown.” DSU, before the NSAA powers’ collision with No. 12-ranked Bellevue Wednesday, had three statistical team totals within the NAIA’s best 60. Their robust .204 team attack percentage stood 60th; the 2.11 service aces they dished up per set over eight contests ranked No. 42, and their 17.63 digs per set were 20th. Individual leaders for
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