Mustang
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TUESDAY, SEPT. 21
A two-match week opens this evening for Morningside University. Mount Marty University takes the short southeast trek to Sioux City for Great Plains Athletic Conference action. Head coach Jessica Squier’s Mustangs, sporting an 8-10 overall and 1-4 loop mark, are looking to pull out of a three-match skid. They were toppled in five by non-league foe Dakota State University and dropped a three-set contest to GPAC opponent Dakota Wesleyan University last weekend. MMU, coach by Belen Albertos, has lost two straight and enters Allee Gymnasium of the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center with a 6-8 overall and 0-5 conference record.
THE SERIES Mside owns an eight-match win skein over the Lancers as part of a 33-10-8 all-time advantage. The current run includes six successive sweeps.
THE MATCH-UP Looking at the numbers through 18 matches, Squier’s crew is led by freshman outside hitter Sydney Marlow’s 179 kills; senior setter Sabrina Creason’s 298 assists and 26 service aces; sophomore defensive specialist Payton Shoquist’s 338 digs; and sophomore middle hitter Meredith Hoffman’s 44 total blocks. Most of those digits show impressive standing on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics listings. Marlow is among the top 40 in kills; Creason’s service ace acumen has her among the best 25 nationally, and Shoquist is part of the digs’ top 10. Morningside narrowly missed a thrilling victory over DSU at home on Sept. 17 in front of an energetic home crowd. Taking the floor for one of a handful of Friday night matches set the stage for one of the season’s most memorable battles so far. The Trojans ended up victorious in the meeting, setting the Mustangs back in five sets, 3-2. Morningside’s offense struck for 56 kills in the five-set match, averaging 11.2 kills per set. Marlow was the top terminator for the Mustangs, with 18 kills, followed by junior outside hitter Ryley Rolls, Hoffman, and freshman outside hitter Emerson Smith, each with 10. Creason was on top of the assist column, with 31 assists, while freshman setter Bridget Smith dished 20. Morningside’s defense was relatively quiet at the net, with just three team blocks. Freshman middle hitter Claire Wilson and Emerson Smith led those efforts, each collecting two block assists. Shoquist continued to be the bane of opposing offenses, scooping 26 would-be points for the opposition in the match. Emerson Smith was on Shoquist’s heels, digging 22 balls, and Marlow wrapped the double-digit diggers with 14. Mside travels to the University of Jamestown for more conference play Saturday, Sept. 25. Match times are 6 p.m. for the junior varsity and 7:30 p.m. for the varsity. They then step of the league to play at Valley City State University of the North Star Athletic Association Sunday, Sept. 26, in a varsity-only contest at 1:30 p.m. They are back home for a busy Homecoming Week 2021 slate, facing off against GPAC rival Wednesday, Sept. 29, for the second edition of the Crosstown Showdown and welcoming Dakota Wesleyan University Saturday, Oct. 2. Match times are 6/7:30 p.m. for BCU and 3:30/5 p.m. for DWU.
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